The Middle Ages were a time of disarray, but feudalism brought a structure to the time period. Feudalism formed an economy and military during the Middle Ages. Manors were self-sufficient parts of feudalism. Serf farmers played a large role in making the feudal system work. All in all, feudalism met the needs of the people during the Middle Ages, and serf farmers played a large part in allowing it to work.
Feudalism was a governmental and military system based on agreements between the lords, vassals, and serfs. It was a system of private government, in which there was an exchange of services for a fief (Biel 8). The whole system was based on contracts, called Feudal oaths, made between lords and vassals (Biel 9). In these oaths, the lords and vassals agreed to help each other so that each group got what they needed. A lord’s authority to rule was based on the amount of land he owned (Biel 8). More land meant more power for …show more content…
In exchange for the land they were given, vassals owed the lord military service (Smith 2). Vassals always had to defend the manor (Smith 2). They also had to serve a limited number of days each year in an offensive campaign, after they’d reached the limit, they could refuse to fight, and if they did fight they could expect additional compensation (Smith 2). Even the serfs had a role in forming the military. Besides being able to fight if their village was attacked, the serfs main contribution to forming a military was working the lord’s land so that the lords and knights didn’t have to, and had time to train and fight (Bishop 231). These small local armies then came together to form a larger army. The vassal lords owed military service to the king (Nardo 28). The king would then have his vassal lords assemble their army, then all of his vassal lord’s armies would come together to form the king’s army (Nardo 28). The chain of rank in the feudal system allowed for the king to form a
Feudalism was a governmental and military system based on agreements between the lords, vassals, and serfs. It was a system of private government, in which there was an exchange of services for a fief (Biel 8). The whole system was based on contracts, called Feudal oaths, made between lords and vassals (Biel 9). In these oaths, the lords and vassals agreed to help each other so that each group got what they needed. A lord’s authority to rule was based on the amount of land he owned (Biel 8). More land meant more power for …show more content…
In exchange for the land they were given, vassals owed the lord military service (Smith 2). Vassals always had to defend the manor (Smith 2). They also had to serve a limited number of days each year in an offensive campaign, after they’d reached the limit, they could refuse to fight, and if they did fight they could expect additional compensation (Smith 2). Even the serfs had a role in forming the military. Besides being able to fight if their village was attacked, the serfs main contribution to forming a military was working the lord’s land so that the lords and knights didn’t have to, and had time to train and fight (Bishop 231). These small local armies then came together to form a larger army. The vassal lords owed military service to the king (Nardo 28). The king would then have his vassal lords assemble their army, then all of his vassal lord’s armies would come together to form the king’s army (Nardo 28). The chain of rank in the feudal system allowed for the king to form a