Feudalism

By Lucy Field

What was feudalism?

Feudalism was based on the exchange of land for military service. King William the First (also known as William the Conqueror) used the concept of feudalism to reward his Norman supporters for their help in the conquest of England.

What affect did feudalism have?

Feudalism had a significant effect on Europe. The pyramid of power ran to a precise order and everyone knew where they stood.

When was Feudalism established?

In England, feudalism was established by William the Conqueror. The Normans also followed this way after defeating the enemy in the Battle of Hastings, which occurred in 1066. This system of power had already been well instituted in the rest of Europe, especially in France, (which is where the Normans first brought in feudalism in approximately 900 AD).

When was Feudalism established?

It was a simple system, but was also very effective, and the King owned all the land. A quarter of the land was kept by the and was then his personal property, some of the land was given to the church and the remaining percentage of land was leased out.

The King

At the top of the pyramid of power, there was the King. He was in control of the Feudal system. He owned all the land in the country and could choose who he wanted to lease it to. As a result, he would only lease land to men that he trusted, these men were the Barons. They were wealthy and powerful men. Before the Barons were given their portion of land, they had to swear an oath that they would always remain faithful to their King.

The Barons

The land that the Barons had were leased from the King and this property was known as a manor. They were known as the Lord of the Manor and had complete control over the land they owned. Barons had to serve on the royal council, pay rent and give the King knights in return for the King giving them land. They were also expected to provide food and shelter for the King and his royal court, when they travelled around the country.

The Knights

Knights were given land by Barons in return for providing military service to the King when required. They were expected to protect the Baron and his family when the Manor was under attack. The Knights were quite rich, but not as rich as the Barons.

The Villeins

Villeins (also known as serfs), were given land by the knights. Their role in society was to provide free labour, food and service whenever required for the Knights. The Villeins had no rights and they were not allowed to leave the manor. They also had to ask their Lord’s (the Knight’s) permission, before they could marry. Villeins were very poor.

Bibliography

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/feudalism.htm