FEUDALISM & MANOR LIFEWorld HistoryMarch12, 2014

The Emergence of Feudalism After the fall of Rome Europe was divided into

smaller factions These small groups were unable to protect

themselves from invaders Barbaric tribes, the Vikings, and the Moors were

threatening to take over smaller cities & civilizations The idea of feudalism emerged in a response to

a need for protection This system is based on mutual obligations between

lords & vassals Known as a feudal contract

The lord promised to protect his vassal and the vassal promised loyalty and service

A Structured Society Everyone had a place in feudal

society Monarch

King & Queen Lords

Dukes or Counts Held the largest fiefs

Vassals Members of the noble class

Often times vassals had their own vassals

Means they could be both vassals and lords

Knights Members of the noble class

The warrior elite Serfs

The lowest members of society This made up a majority of the

population

Kings & Queens In the feudal age, the King

was at the head of society He owned and controlled the

land, made set rules and guidelines

The king collected tax money from the people This is how he gained most of

his wealth All of his land was divided up

and given to lords These lords could control their

land however they wanted to Includes making laws,

collecting tax money, raising a military, maintaining the upkeep of their manor

This made the monarch a “figurehead” ruler

The World of Nobles During the Middle Ages, many

nobles lived in castles They were designed to

withstand attack Also symbolized wealth and

power Noblewomen were respected

and valued in society When her husband was out

fighting, often the women would take over their jobs

Women were valued but had little rights They could not own land Would have arranged

marriages Would often come with a dowry

Had very traditional roles

Medieval Knights Knights had to be of noble

birth Many nobles trained from

childhood for an occupation as a knight They often went through

harsh and rigorous training Being dubbed a knight was

an honorable event As feudal warfare

decreased in the 1100s, tournaments became popular This allowed knights to win

land, money and popularity Knights adopted a code of

conduct called chivalry

Feudal Warfare Each manor operated

independently Had their own laws, economy,

produce, army Europe was NOT united at this

time Lords who led each manor wanted

power Land gives power

Resources Farmland People

Because of this, feudal warfare was very common Feudal Warfare = war or fighting

between the different feudal manors Knights would defend their lords

from invaders and other lords and their armies

Manor Life The heart of the medieval economy

Manor = lord’s estate The manor was self-sufficient The economy was based on mutual obligations

Peasants gave their lord a lifetime of labor In return the lord allowed peasants to farm for

themselves & gained protection Manors included…

A few dozen one room huts Water mills A small church The manor house/castle Strips of farmland

Peasant Life Most peasants on manors were serfs

Serf = peasants bound to the lord’s land They were not slaves who could be

bought of sold but they also were not free

Life was harsh They worked long hours Their diet was very basic, only what

they could produce They slept in 1 room houses with any

animals that they owned They could only work according to

the season They had to work hard in the warm

seasons and then find other ways to make money in the off season

They made up the majority of the population