Medieval squires, freemen and yeomen aspired to become knight. However, it was possible, but very rare, for anyone of any class to attain higher ranks. The descending order of the pyramid of power of feudal system was the king, members of nobility, knights, archbishop, freemen, yeomen, servants, serfs, peasants, villeins. At the bottom of the pyramid, there were serfs, peasants and villeins. The feudal system of the Middle Ages was like a pyramid of power with specific hierarchy. The feudal levy had a limited period of service and this was designed to ensure that the agricultural land may not remain neglected for longer periods. In order to be able to do so, the feudal lords used to ask for taxes from the serfs and peasants of their manors and they also took rent from the peasants for using the land for agricultural purposes. The lords, barons and other nobles of medieval period were expected to provide trained soldiers for the king and they were also expected to provide food and clothe for the soldiers. In certain conditions, this limit could be raised to 90 days. The lords of the fief were required to take an Oath of allegiance for the King and they were expected raise trained troops to help the king at the time of need and it was termed as feudal levy.Īccording to the provision of feudal levy, men were required to fight for a limited period of 40 days. After his victory, he awarded all his supporters, who fought for him, with big portions of land which were known as manor or Fief. In England, William the Conqueror established the Mormon feudalistic system after defeating the English army. Historians often describe feudalism as the military and judicial customs of Middle Ages that were established during the 9th and 15th centuries.įeudalism in Middle Ages was a social, political, and religious structure which was based on the exchange of land for military services and or cash rent. The feudalistic set up of European Middle Ages was also strengthened by the emergence of Christian religious revolutions. All of these factors working together gradually weakened the mediaeval system of feudalism built on land ownership and reciprocated loyalty.In order to attain security after the fall of the Roman Empire, against Germanic barbarians, Islamic invaders, and pagan enemies, European kingdoms gradually accepted the customs of feudalism. Money was distributed by the monarch instead of land, and both a rich merchant class grew and serfs were able to buy their freedom. This social hierarchy is often displayed as a pyramid, with the king at the top, then the lords, knights and peasants and serfs at the bottom.Įventually, by the 13th century with the rising popularity of coinage, money was paid by the lords to their sovereign instead of offering military service (which worked out fine since the monarch could use the money to pay for mercenaries instead). The serfs and peasants were tied to the land they leased, and in return for the land and protection given to them by the lord, they would give regular payment of produce. The units of distributed land are known as fiefs, the king would give fiefs to the nobles, and those who received them were known as the vassals. Feudalism can be understood as a hierarchical society where the king owned most of the land, he would distribute it out to lords, who would then lease the units of land to the peasants and serfs. Feudalism was a system of social society present during the high middle ages in Europe between the tenth and thirteenth centuries.
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