HOW DID FEUDALISM
DEVELOP?
Terminology
Feudalism
■ Based on a Latin word meaning
“grant of land”, feudalism was the
medieval practice whereby a lord or
noble gave a fief to a vassal who
promised to serve and support him. It
was a loose social arrangement
based on mutual obligations. It was
necessary in medieval times as there
was a great deal of instability and the
feudal system was a means of
ensuring that everyone within society
was taken care of and society was
stable and safe.
Fief
■ Plot of land granted to a
vassal by a feudal lord in
return for loyal support.
Vassal
■ Under the medieval feudal system, a vassal was a person who offered their loyalty
and service to a lord in return for his support and the granting of a fief.
Manor
■ Estate of medieval lord
that contained his family
home, estate buildings,
crop fields and the
dwellings of peasants
who worked the land.
Manorialism
■ System in feudal Europe whereby
the lord of a manor allowed
peasants to live on his land in
return for their labour and taxes.
Manorialism was the financial
economic structure that went
‘hand in hand’ with the political
and social structure of feudalism.