“Feudalism” as a term has been controversial since its conception. Its origin is the German “feudalismus,” and was first used in the English language in its current meaning in the 17th and 18th centuries. There is difficulty defining this term because of its inherently large scope; a feudal system is one in which there may be a social, economic, or political system of seigniorial landownership and general dues of the peasantry. This naturally describes many societies throughout history, and so, many historians would argue that to effectively narrow the subject and thus reasonably study the idea of a feudal structure, one must focus on specific criteria. Barendse would agree with this sentiment, as he states in his article, “The Feudal Mutation,”
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This investigation will utilize research from a variety of sources, including primary documents from Japan during its feudal era, a philosophical exploration of the topic from Montesquieu, summative books by prominent historians such as Marc Bloch and Georges Duby, and controversial modern criticism from R.J. Barendse. Feudal Japan and France were similar on a fundamental political and economic level, both characterized by traits specific to feudalism in their societal hierarchy and fundamental organization. However, there were distinguishing features in both systems pertaining to political digression from basic feudal
This investigation will utilize research from a variety of sources, including primary documents from Japan during its feudal era, a philosophical exploration of the topic from Montesquieu, summative books by prominent historians such as Marc Bloch and Georges Duby, and controversial modern criticism from R.J. Barendse. Feudal Japan and France were similar on a fundamental political and economic level, both characterized by traits specific to feudalism in their societal hierarchy and fundamental organization. However, there were distinguishing features in both systems pertaining to political digression from basic feudal