Medieval World Lecture Two: ‘Feudalism’ - Definitions and Debates
• Three Orders = vision of medieval society particularly popular from the C11th, as formulated by
eg. Bishop Adalbero of Laon
• hierarchical structure ordained by God: those who fought (bellatores); those who prayed
(oratores); those who worked (laboratores)
The Evolution of Feudalism
• feudalism = not a medieval term
• Carolingians granted land to vassals in return for military service and support
• retained strong central power, but this declined as empire disintegrated from C9th
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vassalage expanded during the classic phase of feudalism (C10-13th)
land grants become known as fiefs and increasingly hereditary
increasing need for local protection because of Viking, Saracen and Magyar raids
increasing devolution of power down to local lords
vassals might grant some of their lands to subvassals (subinfeudation)
vassal owed fealty + military service + advice + feudal aids and reliefs in return for protection
and support of the lord
• feudal relationship was one between free men, formalised in the ritual of homage
• castles as centres of local power – for controlling, taxing, judging surrounding territory
2. Debates about Feudalism
• classic view of feudalism eg. François-Louis Ganshof, Feudalism, 1944
• Marc Bloch, Feudal Society, 1947 - feudal relations characterise all of medieval society, including
the free and unfree (peasants, serfs)
• Karl Marx, Communist Manifesto, 1848 - feudalism as the economic stage of exploitation of
peasants, before capitalism
• “Feudalism has become an ‘F-word’ among some medieval historians” [Abels, 2009]
• regional variations eg. classic model is much more applicable to central France than Germany,
Holland, Italy, Spain
Eg. in Germany, most land remained allodial (= owned outright)
• influential critique by Susan Reynolds, Fiefs and Vassals (1994), claimed that central authority
and local communities retained some power; gradual change rather than feudal ‘revolution’;
ambiguity of key terms like vassus in the documents
RS 11/10/11