THE FEUDAL SYSTEM AND THE CITY CLASSES Lori Sellers and Zach Keller WHAT WAS THE FEUDAL SYSTEM? It was the political, military, and social system in the Middle Ages, based on the holding of lands. The king had the right to distribute the land in exchange for protection and services. The rest of the people would employ servants by level down the totem pole until they were exchanging food. LS WATCH THIS! The Pope Bishop Arch Bishop Arch Deacon Prior Dean Monks The Pope The King The Lords The Knights The Serfs (all lower class) ( Freemen, Yeomen, Servants, Peasants, Villeins, Bondsmen, Slaves ) LS THE PYRAMID OF POWER The Church Society LS POPE VS. KING Pope was God's vicar, could intervene against an unjust King Feudalism was based on the belief that the land belonged to God Pope was really just the supervisor, the king was the one that disturbed the land to the lower classes. ZK Pros: Organized, easy system Allowed the rich to stay rich, and the poor to finally get farm land and food for themselves PROS AND CONS Cons: Unfair that Serfs had no power what so ever Could crash, and it did! ZK EXERCISE For this example, I will need 5 volunteers to represent the pyramid of power. Once I have the volunteers we will visually represent the pyramid by using desk with the pope being the highest and so fourth downwards. ZK WORKS CITED Alchin, Linda. "Feudal System." Feudal System. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept Linda, Alchin. Hospitar Knight Middle Ages. Web. 24 Sept. 2013