The king could also grant fiefs to vassals (knights) in exchange for military service. The king granted fiefs (portions of land) to nobles (lords or barons) in return for loyalty, protection and service. In feudalism, the king owned all of the land. To control such a large territory, Charlemagne instituted a feudal system of government. The Frankish tribes established control over vast territories, and one Frankish king, Charlemagne (Charles the Great) ruled a large chunk of Europe - from northern Spain and Italy through France, Germany and Poland. Numerous tribes fought for domination over territories, but there were no central governments or national armies. Fiefs and Vassals are terms that are commonly associated with Feudalism.The French School/The Bridgeman Art Library/ Getty ImagesĪfter the fall of the Roman Empire, Western Europe had no countries. Fiefs are a source of income, that is granted to a person of lower status (Vassal), in exchange for services. In Feudalism, the fief is land granted, and all that comes with it (houses, peasants etc). Vassals are the free men who hold a fief given to them by their Lord. Manorialism and feudalism in the middle ages free# Villeins and Serfs were Peasants who belong to the Knights in the fourth tier of the Feudal pyramid. Villeins held land given to them by their Lord, the knight, but were not allowed to sell it. Serfs did not have any land, instead they worked on their Lord's manor house lands, providing common services.įree Peasants rented land from their Lord and had freedom to move about. Peasants who were not freemen, were owned by the Lord, and were sold with the land upon which they worked. So what is Feudalism and how did it work? As defined above, Feudalism incorporates a pyramid of social hierarchy, with the King sitting at the top. He would grant his favoured noblemen, the tenants-in-chief (Dukes, Earls and Barons), land which included houses, animals, tools and even peasants. In exchange, the tenants-in-chief would swear an oath of allegiance to the King, along with supplies of soldiers and money. This forms the first and second tiers of the Feudal pyramid.Įach tenant-in-chief would divide up his fief among his knights, in return for loyalty, protection and military services. This forms the third tier of the Feudal pyramid. As part of the agreement, the knights also had to protect their Lord's (the tenants-in-chief 's) manor from attack.Įach knight would keep as much of his fief as he liked, and the rest would be divided up among his villeins and serfs. In exchange, the villeins and serfs would work the land, providing food and services to their Lord, the knight. This forms the fourth tier of the Feudal pyramid.įeudalism arose in western Europe because the security of the Roman Empire had collapsed. Individual warlords seized local lands, and there was no way to control all the regions. Feudalism, brought over by the Normans to England, offered a structure that could protect the country while bringing control to each local area. Having each social tier pledging allegiance to their Lord and providing the military, financial and farming services, produced a seemingly orderly platform to govern the country from. This platform would be able to resist invasion, rebellions and threats to the king. In short, Feudalism developed as a way for medieval societies to protect themselves.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |