FEUDALISM
Europe
Feudalism – Chapter 13 worksheet
Answers GRS
Lord/Noble
Title: ______________________
Grant land to lesser nobles
Role: ______________________
Loyal to: Himself
Knights (Vassel)/ Lesser Nobles
Title: ________________________________________
Role: Allowed to live off, but not own fiefs
Lord/Noble
Loyal to: _____________________________________
Title: Peasant/Serf
Work the land for living and for prophet for their noble.
Role: ______________________________________________________
Knights/Lesser Nobles/ Lord
Loyal to: ___________________________________________________
European Feudalism Chart
King/Queen
(Monarch)
Lords/Nobles
(Landowners)
Knights
Peasant
s/Serfs
Peasant
s/Serfs
Lords/Nobles
(Landowners)
Knights
Peasant
s/Serfs
Peasant
s/Serfs
Knights
Peasants
/Serfs
Peasants
/Serfs
European Feudalism Chart
The Feudal System was a system of social
order after the fall of the Roman Empire
 In the Feudal system, the relationship
between nobles and peasants were not
equal.

 However,
both Nobles and peasants received
things they needed.
 The
chart on European Feudalism demonstrates
this. Please add notes to your chart as we go
European Feudalism Chart
King/Queen
(Monarch)
The king gave land
to Nobles
Lords/Nobles
(Landowners)
The Nobles
were loyal to
the King
Knights
Lords/Nobles
(Landowners)
Nobles
would
divide
Knights
their
land
for
knights
Knights
Knights would defend the Nobles and act as an army.
Peasant
s/Serfs
Peasant
s/Serfs
Serfs would give a share of their
produce to the Knights above them
Peasant
s/Serfs
Peasant
s/Serfs
Peasants
/Serfs
Peasants
/Serfs
Knights would divide their land further
and allow Serfs to work their land.
This provided food to the Serfs
European Feudalism Vocabulary
Medieval – The time period in the Middle Ages.
 Nobles- Hereditary landowner of a privileged
class in Europe

 Nobles
would grant land (fief) to lesser nobles known
as vassals.
 Vassals

then own service to the Noble
Chivalry – A European code of conduct that
focusing on courage, loyalty, courtesy, and
fighting fairly.
Benefits of Feudalism
Noble – Give land. Receive services, food, an
army for protection and expanding land
 Vassal – Gives loyalty and fights for Noble.
Receives land which he can then divide
 Peasants/Serfs – Gives labor, services, and
product. Receives land to work to grow food, and
protection form Vassal.

 Peasants
were seen as “the backbone of Feudalism in
Europe”. This refers that peasants were responsible
for all food production.
Becoming a Knight
Knight – A mounted soldier who lived by the
code of Chivalry and served a Feudal superior.
 Steps to Knighthood:

A boy must belong to a noble class
At age 7 the boy would serve as a Knight’s page
1.
2.
1.
Learn knightly manners and how to care for weapons
As a teenager the boy becomes a squire. A squire
would take care of the Knight's horse, armor, and
weapons
3.
1.
When ready, the Squire would accompany the Knight into
battle.
Crusades

European Knights would travel to the Middle East
on Crusade
 The goal was to gain control of the city of
Jerusalem.
The enemy were the Muslims who also
wanted control of Jerusalem
When
Christians were successful, they
tended to kill/mistreat the Muslims
When the Muslims were successful,
they tended to be tolerant of all faiths.
Japanese Feudalism Vocabulary
Emperor – King but more of a Figurehead
 Shogun – Military Warlords – Generals
 Daimyo – Landlords/landowners
 Samurai – Warrior class who provided
various roles in Japanese government
 Seppuku – Ritual suicide in Japan
 Bushido – Code of Conduct for the
Samurai

Japanese Feudalism Chart
Emperor
Shogun - Pledges loyalty
to Emperor in return for
power.
Shogun
Daimyo
Daimyo gives power to Samurai so
that they will fight for him.
Samurai protects peasants and
Artisans
Emperor - Figure Head.
No real power. Gives
power to Shogun
Shogun gives power to Daimyo
in exchange for loyalty. Will
fight for Shogun. Considered a
local warlord
Samurais
Artisans/
Artisans/
Artisans/
Artisans/
Peasants
Peasants
Peasants
Peasants
Compare European Feudalism with Japanese Feudalism
Japan
Europe
1. Peasant class
provided goods
2. Highest person
doesn’t do much
(VENN DIAGRAM)
3. Peasants make up a
large part of
population
4. Lords/Shoguns get
their power from the
leader
1. Peasant class
provided goods
2. Highest person
doesn’t do much
3. Peasants make up a
large part of
population
4. Lords/Shoguns get
their power from the
leader
1. Shogun is like the
Noble
2. Daimyo run the day
to day operations
3. Samurais = 7-10%
of the population