Feudalism and The
Manor System in
Western Europe
Special thanks to curriculum.new-albany.k12.oh.us and
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webpowell.com/worldhistory
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Goals
1.
2.
3.
4.
To identify the causes of feudalism.
To describe life under a feudal system.
To explain the manorial system.
To describe the effects of a feudal
system.
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The rise of feudalism
• After the collapse
of the Roman
Empire, western
Europe divided
into small
kingdom,
feudalism
developed.
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The rise of feudalism
• Invasions by Vikings, Magyars,
and Muslims further destabilized
western Europe.
• People turned to their local rulers
to provide protection.
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The rise of feudalism
• Feudalism was a
system of protection
more than what we
might think of as
government. Under
feudalism land was
owned by kings or
lords but held by
vassals in return for
their loyalty.
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The rise of feudalism
• Power was held by the people that
owned land.
• The landowners were usually called
nobles or barons.
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Feudal social structure
• In the feudal system, status determined
a person's prestige and power
• There were pretty much three groups of
people under feudalism:
Those who fought (nobles and
knights)
Those who prayed (men and women
of the Church)
Those who worked (the peasants).
• Social class was usually inherited.
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How was feudal society
organized?
KING
Lord
Vassal
Peasant
Lord
Vassal
Peasant
Peasant
Vassal
Peasant
Peasant
Vassal
Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
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Vassalage
• Under feudalism
the nobles gave a
share of their
land, called a fief,
to a vassal who
could be a lord,
baron, or knight.
• In return for this
land, the vassal
promised to fight
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for the lord.
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Vassalage
• It was not
uncommon for
the same man to
be both lord to
those below him
and vassal to
those over him.
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Vassalage
• Feudalism was based on honor and
loyalty.
• The lords were expected to treat
vassals with honor.
• Lords protected the vassals, if a vassal
died, the lord cared for his children.
• Vassals advised the lords on laws and
war.
• Vassals were expected to raise and
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Vassalage
• Most vassals were knights. These were
professional horse soldiers.
• Vassals paid taxes to lords, mostly in
the form of crops.
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Manorialism
• Manorialism was an economic system
based on agriculture. It was almost
based on a local level. The idea was
that a manor would be a selfsustaining enterprise where people
could get everything they needed from
the manor.
• Manors included fields, pastures, a
village, a mill, a forest, and a manor
house.
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Manorialism
• The manor was
part of the fief, or
grant of land,
given to the vassal
by his lord.
• The fief also
included power
over the peasants
who lived on it.
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Peasants
• Probably something like 85 to 95%
of Europe’s population during the
Middle Ages were peasants.
• Life as a peasant was pretty rotten.
• In return for the protection of their
lord, peasants gave much of their
work output – such as crops – the
their lord.
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Peasants
• Most peasants were serfs.
• Serfs were peasants who were
considered part of a manor.
• They were not allowed to leave the
manor.
• They could not be married without the
lord’s permission.
• They were not quite slaves.
• Peasants could save money and
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eventually buy freedom and land.
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Peasants
• Life as a peasant was very difficult.
Men, women, and children were
forced to work.
• They often lived in one-room huts,
with one opening for a window. It
was not uncommon to share their
huts with the animals.
• Their homes generally had dirt
floors and a fire might be built
directly on it.
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