THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS FEUDALISM THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS

Feudal System Feudal system = the system of exchanging land for service Developed out of the need for protection from invaders People wanted land and protection, and there was no central gov’t (Rome had fallen) Nobles could no longer count on their king for protection, so they had to find a way to defend their own lands Built castles for defense Early castles built out of wood, later castles built out of stone Needed trained soldiers for their own private armies, the most important of which were knights

Knight = highly skilled and heavily armored soldiers who fight on horseback Being a knight was expensive – had to purchase weapons, armor, and horses Knights demanded payment for their services Wealth was based on owning land – main source of income since there was little trade Most knights were paid with land for their services Vassal = person who owes military service to a lord who has given him land Fief = the land given to a vassal for service

Feudalism GIVES LAND LORDS VASSALS OWES MILITARY SERVICE

Feudal Obligations Idea of Vassalage Vassalage came from Germanic society where warriors swore an oath of loyalty to their leaders The relationship between a lord and vassal was made official by a public act of homage, such as swearing an oath of fealty, or loyalty, to one’s lord This act of loyalty was at the heart of the feudal system Feudal contract – set of unwritten rules that determined the relationship between lord and vassal Both the lords and vassals had responsibilities

Responsibilities of the vassal Owed the lord military service – usually 40 days a year Must promise to remain loyal to lord Helped to advise the lord Certain financial obligations, such as paying ransom for a captured lord and giving monetary gifts on the wedding of the lord’s eldest daughter and knighting of the eldest son Responsibilities of the lord Supported the vassal with a grant of land Protected the vassal against enemies and in court Treat vassal fairly and not demand too much of their time and money Act as judge in disputes between knights

Feudalism Gets Complicated A person could be a lord and a vassal at the same time Some knights were given large fiefs, which they in turn subdivided into smaller fiefs They would then use these fiefs to get their own vassals Many levels of subdivision and obligation One knight could serve many lords There was no law that forbid a knight from taking fiefs from different lords If two of his lords went to battle, he had to choose which one to fight for

Everyone in a country was supposed to be loyal to the king However powerful nobles (lords) found themselves as strong, if not stronger, than the king Some even ignored their duties as vassals to the king In their lands the authority of the king gradually faded

Nobility and Knights Nobles dominated European society and their main concern was warfare They formed a wealthy aristocracy with political, economic, and social power Nobles were: kings, dukes, counts, barons, bishops Knights became the dominate part of warfare Held great prestige and the institution of knighthood united the nobility Young knight, with no responsibilities, participated in tournaments in which knights showed off their skills, with the joust being the main event

Chivalry = ideal of civilized behavior among knights and nobility Knights were expected to: Defend the Church and defenseless people (especially women) Treat captives as honored guests (ransoming other knights = money) Fight for glory and not material rewards Noble women could legally hold property, but they still remained under the control of men The lady of the castle usually managed the large household, the estate, and the financial accounts Usually when the lord of the castle was away, he left his wife in charge

The Manorial System The feudal system was basically a political and social system The manorial system was the heart of medieval economics Built around large estates called manors These manors were usually owned by wealthy lords and knights These landowning nobles needed the leisure to pursue war and their feudal obligations – no time to farm Instead peasants worked the lands of these estates

Manor lords gave the peasants protection and plots of land for themselves and their families In return, the peasants had to farm the lord’s land, along with other services Most of the peasants were serfs Serfs = peasants who are legally bound to the land, the manor on which they serve They were not slaves (could not be sold), but they were not free to leave the manor or marry without the lord’s permission Serfdom was hereditary Serfs worked the lord’s land, helped maintain the estate, paid rent, and were under the lord’s control The manor lord also had the right to try serfs in his own courts

Land usually could not be taken away Legal rights of serfs Land usually could not be taken away Responsibilities of the serfs were fixed The lord was obligated to protect them Most of a manor’s land was occupied by fields for crops and pastures Half the land usually belonged to the lord, the rest the serfs and free peasants raised food on for themselves and their families and paid rent by giving a share of what they raised Serfs and free peasants also had to work the lord’s land, and pay to use the lord’s pastures, ponds, and mills Farmers left part of a field empty for a year so that the soil would be rested and more fertile Developed the three-field system of crop rotation

Give land, protection Lord Peasant Farm the land Each manor included a fortified manor house for the noble family and a village where the peasants and serfs lived The goal was for the manor to be self-sufficient and to provide economic support for the nobles Give land, protection Lord Peasant Farm the land