Feudalism In Japan And Europe During The Middle Ages

Feudalism is basically soldiers protecting Kings and other leaders because in return, they would receive land grants. It was the most prevalent Social System during the middle ages. The basic principles were that you had certain rights and obligations and in return, you would receive protection from the military, and the system depended on control of land. The Social Pyramid was prominent within Feudalism. At the top of the Social Pyramid was the Kings of course, then next were vassals. Vassals are wealthy landowners. After them came the knights, who defended their lord’s land in exchange for land of their own. At the bottom of the pyramid were peasants who worked in the fields. Social classes in Feudalism were slightly different than the pyramid.

These were people like Isaac Newton and Nicolaus Copernicus. At the time, Feudalism was most popular and successful in Japan and Europe. Feudalism began in Japan 1192 and ended in the 1800’s, but it is more commonly known as being the social system of Europe in the Middle Ages. In Japan, loyalty was an important component of making this system work because it depended mainly on personal relationships and conversations, which was the opposite of Europe where there were contracts drawn up so people had to follow through with their end of the deal. In Japanese feudalism, inheritance determined your power and social standing. Unlike Europe because there your family determined where you stood. The Social Pyramid was set up quite differently in Japan. The top was the Emperor, then Daimyo which are like the Vassals, after was Samurai which is clearly like the knights, and the main difference is the fact that at the bottom of the pyramid stood three groups, the peasants, the merchants, and the artisans. Feudalism is basically a system of giving and receiving, only nobles are alligent to the king when it comes to military service in exchange for land. That is, if they make it home alive from battle. Feudalism in Europe began when two angry enemies had enough of having invasions, so they agreed on a peace ceremony, where they were granted a large amount of land and then a man named Rollo who was a viking, agreed to protect the king in exchange for