1. THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS
FEUDALISM
THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS

2. Warm Up Fall of Rome Which was the longest-lasting Germanic kingdom?
Who was the first ruler to convert to Christianity?
This means money for a man:
This was used to determine guilt:
What was the importance of the Battle of Tours?
Who led the Franks to victory in that Battle?
What family was Charles Martel from?

3. Feudal System 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

11. 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
Feudal system = the system of exchanging land for service

16. Feudalism
GIVES LAND
LORDS VASSALS
OWES MILITARY SERVICE

17. 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

19. Nobility and Knights 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

21. 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

23. Most of the peasants were serfs
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
Most of a manor’s land was occupied by fields for crops and pastures

24. Give land, protection Lord Peasant Farm the land
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
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