The Effects of Feudalism

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In Medieval times during the 10th and 13th centuries, a form of political and social organization called feudalism was a way of life that had great effect on people of the time and on the modern world. Feudalism was developed because of the weakness of Europe and it's kings. The word feudalism comes from the word fief, which was the land held on condition of feudal service, similar to an estate (English). The fiefs bound together lords and vassals. Feudalism was a structure in which a lord divided his land into smaller parts to give to lesser lords (“Feudalism”).
A noble, or lord, was in control of his manor. The manor was the heart of feudal economy (Ellis and Esler 222). A manor often consisted of the castle, a church, a village, and the surrounding farm land (“The Middle Ages”). The king owned all of the land in the society and divided it among trusted lords. A lord would then give portions of their land to vassals, who made an agreement of loyalty and service to the lord in exchange for the land (Ellis and Esler 219-244). A vassal was often a lord as well. Vassals would have their own vassals, making them lords of those vassals (Ellis and Esler 219). Again, these vassals had their own vassals, but these vassals were called serfs. Peasants made up a majority of the population on a manor, but most of the peasants were serfs because they were bound to the land (Ellis and Esler 222). The feudal system was based on personal oaths of allegiance and was supported by the medieval Christian Church (“Feudalism” Hutchinson Encyclopedia). The exchange of pledges between a lord and a vassal was known as the feudal contract (Ellis and Esler 219). The lord granted the vassal a fief and provided him protection, who in return gave the lord l...

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...but feudalism continued to exist in Europe and other parts of the world for many centuries.

Works Cited

Ellis, Elisabeth, and Anthony Esler. Prentice Hall World History Volume 1. 1. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc., 2011. 219-247. Print. 5 Jan. 2014.
English, Edward D. "Feudalism." Encyclopedia of the Medieval World, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
“Feudalism." Feudalism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2014.
"Feudalism." Hutchinson Encyclopedia. 2011. eLibrary. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.
"The Magna Carta." Featured Documents. U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, n.d. Web. 5 Jan. 2014.
"Middle Ages: Feudal Life." Annenberg Learner. Annenberg Foundation, n.d. Web. 5 Jan. 2014.
“Nun.” Def. 1. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2003. Print. 7 Jan. 2014

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