Origins of Feudalism
Focus: -Feudalism is a form of government that started in the middle ages. -Feudalism only occurs when there is a weak central government because the king ends up giving away some of his land -Chinese Feudal Hiearachy
Medieval Society Nobility Clergy Peasants Kings and Queens Rulers Lords and Knights Controlled the land Clergy Church officials Peasants Majority of the population Worked the land and served the nobles
Feudalism Political and social system based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty, military assistance, and other services
Feudalism Developed as a result of frequent invasions in western Europe Kings and nobles needed a way to protect their lands
Feudalism Lords divided their lands into estates called fiefs Fiefs (land) given to vassals A person granted land in return for loyalty or military service All nobles were vassals to the king
Feudalism Knights Mounted warriors who protected lord’s lands Given land for their services Chivalry Code of ethics followed by knights Honesty, fairness in battle, loyal, proper treatment of women
Feudal Obligations Knights Obligation to Lord Lord’s Obligation to Knights Provide military service Remain loyal and faithful Give money on special occasions Give Land Protect from attack Resolve disputes between knights
Constructing the Pyramid Feudal Power SERFS AND FREEMEN
Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN
Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power POWERFUL NOBLES LAND AND PROTECTION LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN
Constructing the Pyramid of Feudal Power KING LOYALTY AND SERVICE LAND POWERFUL NOBLES LAND AND PROTECTION LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE LESSER NOBLES (KNIGHTS) LABOR PROTECTION SERFS AND FREEMEN
Chinese Feudal Hierarchy
Chinese Feudal Hierarchy In the case of ancient China, that society followed a hierarchy called feudalism. Feudalism means that most of the population of commoners had little money and opportunity, while nobles and emperors got to rule over everyone.
The Emperor The emperors couldn't control all of China on their own, however. They needed the help of the nobility in order to govern, collect taxes, and keep the population in line. People believed that the emperor received his authority from Heaven itself, meaning that nobody questioned his actions and that everyone in China had to serve him. The person with the utmost power and all the rights in the Chinese feudal hierarchy was the emperor. He was considered the divine son of God and all were bound to abide by him. Wrong or right his decision was the final one and it was countrymen duty to serve their loyalty towards the emperor.
The Nobles The emperor granted his land to some of his royal authorities which was termed as state and city respectively and in return these nobles were expected to serve the emperor throughout their life. The emperor further categorized these nobles in five sub division which were as follow: Gong – The first member of the Chinese nobility, a Gong is equivalent to the duke in British feudal hierarchy. They were a part of Shang royal family. The lord of Song was granted this rank. Hou – The member next to the gong in the Chinese nobility was Hou equivalent to marquis in British feudal hierarchy. The lord of Qi was entitled with this rank. Bo – The third member of the Chinese nobility was Bo equivalent to the rank of earl in the British feudal hierarchy. The lord of the Qin was granted this royal rank. Zi – Next to Bo was the rank Zi which was granted to the lord of Chu. This was equal to the title viscount in British feudal hierarchy. Nan–The last one in the nobility was Nan which was equivalent to the rank baron in British feudal hierarchy.
The Commoners The last in the hierarchy were commoners or we can say common men. This category neither possessed any power nor any land and they were totally in the hands of the king and the nobles. This category can be further divided into sub categories which include peasants, servants, artisans and slaves. Peasants – The nobles rented their lands to peasants and in return expected some special services. Artisans – These were the men who did not take land on rent and opted work like blacksmith, carpenter etc. Servants – The people who work in the houses and lands of nobles. Slaves – People made slaves in wars or bought to serve for their entire life without getting paid.