1. Feudalism

2. Special system of government Organized in levels according to the amount of power you had Under feudalism landowning nobles governed and protected the people in return for services, such as fighting in battle, or farming the land.

3. The King The king was at the top. His word was law and the taxes on the people were paid to him. Wore crowns He owned all the land, but he needed support to keep his power. He gave land to nobles who pledged homage, or agreed to pay taxes and send knights to fight for the king.

4. The nobles Gained a lot of power when Charlemagne’s empire collapsed Had the right to collect taxes and enforce laws on their estates. Governed and protected the people in exchange for services like fighting and farming Most power shifted from the king to the nobles Most of the “kingdoms” or were very small The center of the “kingdom” was a castle or fortress

5. The vassals Nobles were both lords and vassals A vassal was a noble who served a lord of higher rank in return he received protection Showed loyalty by serving in his lord’s army In return for his services, the lord granted his vassal land and permission to rule the people who lived on it. This grant was known as a fief. These fiefs of land were called manors. A manor consisted of the manor house or castle, the surrounding fields, and a peasant village. Vassals were knights or warriors in armor who fought on horseback Fought for their lord or the king Played in tournaments or mock battles played as a game for entertainment Each knight had a coat of arms, a pattern that was a family symbol, passed down from generation to generation It was difficult to become a knight, at age 7, a boy had to become a page and live and work with a knight to learn his job. He usually had to work and train until he was around 21. Knights had strict rules they had to follow. This was known as the Code of Chivalry.

6. Code of Chivalry Unswerving belief in the church and obedience to its teachings Willingness to defend the church Respect and pity for all woman and weak people and steadfastness in defending them Love of country Refusal to retreat before an enemy Unceasing and merciless war against an enemy Strict obedience to the feudal lord, so long as those commands did not conflict with duty to God Loyalty to truth and to your pledge Generosity in giving Championship of the right and the good in every place and at all times against the forces of evil

7. The peasants Worked the land for the lords Some were freeman, who paid the noble for the right to farm the land, they had rights under the law and could move whenever and wherever they wished. Most peasants were serfs. Serfs could not leave the manor, own property, or marry without the lord’s approval