Feudalism and the Manor Economy 7.2
Learning Targets Students will understand the relationship between lords and vassals. Students will understand how warfare was central to life in the Middle Ages. Students will understand how the manor system works.
Feudalism Loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their landholdings among lesser lords Why would these powerful lords willingly give up their land? The lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty in exchange for the land And…40 days of military service a year
Basics of Relationship Land in exchange for loyalty and military service Known as the feudal contract
Fief A fief is a plot of land, known as an estate Granted to vassals/lesser lords Could be just a few acres, or hundreds of square miles Could include towns
Complex Relationships Monarchs (kings) at the top Dukes and counts (lords) Vassals / Lesser Lords Some vassals had their own vassals (confused yet?) A same man could be a vassal and a lord
Knights and Nobles
Life of a Knight (noble) Boys were taken away at the age of 7 to train Must learn to ride and fight Also learned to keep his armor and weapons in good condition Had to protect Noblewomen and peasants
No laziness allowed Very strict discipline Trainees would be hit, or even severely beaten
“Graduation” When training was finished, the youth would be dubbed a knight
Tournaments When warfare decreased, tournaments or mock battles became popular Very dangerous, would hold captured knights for ransom
Castles and Defense
Castles Castles were a necessity for protection High walls, towers, and drawbridges Made use of moats
Castle with Moat
Why Were Moats Important? Attackers would form a blockade and try to starve them out, or they would try to tunnel under the walls
Noblewomen Took over duties while men were away, “Lady of the Manor” Eleanor of Acquitane, would become Queen of France and England (page 222) Rights were restricted, land would pass to eldest son Girls were sent away for training too, to spin and weave
Chivalry
Brave, Loyal, Truth Would not attack until opponent put on armor Applied to knights only, not commoners
Troubadours (romance & reality) Praised the beauty and perfection of women and romance with knights Wrote songs and poems (became the basis of epics & poems) Set a standard for knights they were expected to live up to
Peasants/Manor Life The Manor was the lord’s estate and the heart of the feudal system Serfs were peasants who were bound to the land They were not technically slaves because they could not be bought or sold They were not free though either
Peasants Gave Peasants worked the land Repaired roads and bridges Asked permission to marry Made payments at Christmas and Easter
Peasants Received Received farmland for themselves Were entitled to protection from warfare Could not be forced off land Were essentially guaranteed food, housing, and land
Peasant Life Very hard and rough life Worked sunup to sundown Rarely ate meat bread, cabbage, onions, peas, turnips Couldn’t hunt wild meat—severely punished Few would live beyond the age of 35 due to disease