Feudalism in Europe

Introduction After the Treaty of Verdun, Charlemagne’s three grandsons broke up his kingdom This territory became a battleground as new waves of invaders attacked Europe This political turmoil and warfare led to the rise of European Feudalism A political and economic system based on land ownership and personal loyalty

A New Social Order In 911 AD, two former enemies faced each other in a peace ceremony Rollo, the leader of the Vikings, and Charles the Simple, the King of France Charles granted the Viking leader a huge piece of French territory In return, the Vikings swore a pledge of loyalty to the King of France

Feudalism Structures Society The worst years of invaders’ attacks occurred between 850 and 950 During this time, ruler and warriors made similar agreements as Charles The feudal system is based on rights and obligations In exchange for military protection, the lord grants land called a fief The person receiving the fief is called a vassal

The Feudal Pyramid The structure of Feudal society is like a pyramid At the top is a king Next came the vassals who were commonly known as nobles and bishops Then came the Knights – mounted horsemen At the bottom were the peasants The majority of peasants were serfs – these were people who were bound to the land they were born on but were not slaves

The Manorial System The manor was the Lord’s estate The manor system rested in the rights and obligations between a lord and his serfs The lord provided: Housing Farmland Protection from invaders

The manor covered only a few square miles of land In return, serfs: Tended the Lord’s land Cared for his animals Performed other tasks that maintained the estate The manor covered only a few square miles of land Was a self-sufficient community

A Harsh Life For the privilege of living on the Lord’s land, peasants paid a high price They paid taxes on marriage and they had to pay a tithe to the priests Serfs lived in crowded villages usually with 2 rooms, one for cooking and family gatherings, and the other was a family bedroom They had a simple diet of vegetables, bread, and soup

Serfs’ days revolved around work They raised crops and livestock and took care of their families Many children did not survive to adulthood Illness and malnutrition were constant The average life expectancy was 35