Moldy Book’s Take on Feudalism
Definition of Feudalism
Feudalism may be considered:
1. a social system of rigid class distinctions and a static, or unchanging, way of life
2. a political system of local government and military defense
3. an economic system of self-sufficient agricultural manors
Feudalism varied in detail according to regional conditions.
Reasons for the Rise of Feudalism
1. Weakness of Central Government. The central government could not protect its subjects from foreign
invasions and local warfare. Small farmers consequently surrendered their lands to the powerful local
noble in exchange for his promise of protection.
2. Land Policy of the Germanic Kings. In return for pledges of military assistance, the Germanic rulers
granted landed estates to the important nobles. Possessing these large estates substantially increased the
nobles’ power.
Feudal Society
1. Rigid Class Distinctions. Feudal society was sharply divided into
a. land-holding nobles, the privileged aristocracy or upper class
b. the great mass of peasants, or serfs; the unprivileged lower class.
Position in feudal society was determined by birth. Regardless of ability or hard work, the serf could not
advance to higher social status. At this time, the rulers and nobles were generally men, although their
wives and daughters were also part of the aristocracy. The serfs included women and children as well as
men.
2. The powerful Lords, few in number, stood immediately below the king as his subordinate vassals.
These lords received grants of land called fiefs from their king and in return pledged him allegiance and
military service. The king, or lord, who granted the land was called the suzerain. The vassal pledged to
fulfill his obligations in a ceremony called homage. He was granted his fief in a ceremony called
investiture.
3. The lesser lords, a more numerous group, were vassals of the powerful lords and received fiefs in
exchange for pledges of allegiance and military service. The lesser lords could in turn grant fiefs to other
nobles. this process, which could be repeated several times, is called subinfeudation.
4. The knights, the lowest and most numerous group of nobles, constituted the bulk of feudal armies. Only
men could be knights.
5. The serfs, far outnumbering the entire nobility, constituted the broad base of the feudal pyramid.
6. Complicated Vassal-Lord relationships. Feudal relationships of the nobility were quite complicated.
When lesser lords and knight received fiefs from different suzerains, they were vassals to several lords.
The question of the vassal’s primary allegiance led to many bitter disputes.
7. Feudal Hereditary Relationships.
a. the mutual obligations between lord and vassal or between noble and serf were usually
hereditary- binding upon the heirs of both parties
b. A noble’s title and property could be inherited only by his first-born son. This restriction,
awarding to the first-born son a status superior to his younger brothers, is called primogeniture.
Feudal Government
1. Weak Central Government. Although the central government or kings theoretically administered the
entire kingdom, the king could not generally exercise authority beyond the royal domain. Supposedly
the supreme ruler, he was in reality only one of several powerful lords.
2. Vigorous Local Government. Because the king was weak, the local nobles completely controlled their
own territories. The nobles made laws, levied taxes, dispensed justice, and waged war, thereby assuming
the functions of government. Thus, feudal government was decentralized.
Military Aspects of Feudalism
1. During Wartime. When invasions or major war threatened, the powerful lord would summon his
vassals to military service. In turn the vassals would enlist their subvassals, and then all the nobles
would unite into a single army to repel the invasion or prosecute the war. At other times minor feudal
lords fought among themselves for prestige or land. Invasions and feudal wars destroyed crops and
property. Casualties among fighting men and civilians were minimized, however, by such defenses as
heavy armor and strong castle walls.
2. The Castle. Dominating the lord’s estate, or manor, was a castle. A cold, dark, damp home, lacking
comforts and simple conveniences, it nevertheless constituted an excellent fortress. It was
a. located on elevated ground
b. constructed of heavy wood or (after the 11th century) thick stone
c. surrounded by a deep, wide water filled trench, called a moat. A drawbridge lowered across the
moat provided access to the outside.
During attacks the families of the lords, vassals and serfs found protection in the castle
3. During Peacetime. When peace prevailed the lord
a. hunted wild animals
b. held mock battles called jousts and tournaments
c. trained young nobles for knighthood
The young noble received extended military schooling at horsemanship, in wearing armor, and in
using the sword, lance, and battle-ax. At age 21, he became a warrior on horseback, or knight.
The knight was expected to observe a code of honorable conduct called chivalry. This code
stressed
a. loyalty to God and to the knight’s lord
b. protection of the oppressed and helpless
c. support of justice
d. defense of Christianity
e. courage, courtesy, gallantry, and generosity
Unfortunately, these chivalrous ideals were frequently violated.
Feudal Economic Conditions
1. The self-sufficient Agricultural Manor. The manor, or lord’s estate, consisted of
1. the farm and pasture lands
2. the lord’s castle or manor house
3. village buildings: church, blacksmith and carpenter shops, serfs’ huts, and the lord’s winepress,
flour mill, and baking oven.
The manor was largely self-sufficient economically. Its inhabitants raised crops and livestock for food,
spun wool for clothing, tanned leather for shoes, and cut lumber for furniture and buildings. However,
some essential items, such as salt for preserving and seasoning food and iron for making tools and
weapons, had to be secured from outside sources
On the manor the lord directed the activities- determining what was to be produced and how; the
serf performed the physical labor
2. The Serfs
1. Neither slaves nor free people. The serfs were not slaves since they could not be sold apart
form the land and could claim the lord’s protection. Nonetheless, the serfs were not free since
they were “bound to the soil” and could not leave without the lord’s permission.
2. Obligations of the Serfs. In return for protection and the right to earn a living on the manor,
serfs owed the lord
i. services- several days of labor each week on the lord’s farmlands
ii. payment in kind- a portion of the grain and other crops raised on the serfs’ land. The serfs
also had to give the lord a share of the goods they prepared in the lord’s winepress, flour
mill, and baking oven
3. An impoverished life. After meeting their obligations to the lord, the serfs had little left for
themselves. They lived a hard, tedious life and had little opportunity for recreation and
education. Many historians believe that the serfs paid a heavy price for the security they
received.
3. Low Agricultural Output. In proportion to its size and labor force, the manor raised insufficient crops
i. each serf family was assigned scattered strips of land rather than a compact farm.
Although ensuring a fair distribution of fertile land, this arrangement wasted working
time.
ii. The serfs had only wooden plows and crude sickles and hoes
iii. little was known about crop rotation or fertilizer. To restore soil fertility, the manor
followed the inefficient three-field system. This meant letting one-third of the land lie
fallow, or uncultivated, every year.
4. Disappearance of Trade. At the height of feudalism (9th-11th centuries), trade was at a virtual standstill.
As manors became more self-sufficient, the need for outside products declined. In addition
feudal wars and inadequate roads and bridges made commerce unsafe and difficult. Moreover,
heavy taxes imposed by each feudal lord on goods transported across his domain raised the cost
of goods