Social And Political Feudalism

The Development of Powerful Monarchies and a Global Economy in Western Europe The transition of Western Europe from many small, decentralized governments and local economies to centralized monarchies and a global economy was due to several factors over a period of centuries. The decentralized feudal system and local economy of the manorial system began to change during the Crusades. The Crusades opened new trade routes and weakened the feudal system. Merchants established new cities and Mercantilism formed the basis for the new trade industry, which promoted expansion into foreign markets. The Black Death further weakened the feudal system and changed the economic structure. The Renaissance period brought major economic and political …show more content…
It developed due to weakening of the centralized government following the Carolingian period. Its primary purpose was military protection from foreign invaders for citizens. The lord granted a fief, or plot of land, to a vassal. In return, the vassal pledged allegiance and military service to his lord. Church officials were also vassals and appointed by the lord. The relationship between lord and vassal also required the vassal to make monetary payments on various occasions to the lord. The vassal established a community in which he was most often the governing entity. The lowest class of citizens were the serfs. The serfs, though bound to the land for life, were not slaves. They cultivated the land for the vassal and in return were given a small portion of land to cultivate for their own subsistence. They paid rent, usually in commodity, to their lord. Manorialism describes the economic system of Europe during the Middle Ages. The manor was an estate within the fief which produced most of the necessary components for daily living. The manor consisted of cultivated lands, livestock, mills for grinding grain, an oven for baking bread, and a Church. The serfs provided the necessary labor and the lord allowed them to use part of the land for their own crops. Land was the basis of the economy with goods and services being the primary currency. The lord required the serfs to …show more content…
Between 1347 and 1351 the plague spread throughout Europe, leaving around half the population dead. This catastrophe affected both the economy and the political structure. With such a large portion of the population suddenly taken away, there was a surplus of food, causing prices to go down. There was also a shortage of laborers so the peasants could demand higher wages. The lords were forced to pay the peasants the wages they asked for because their crops had to be planted and harvested. The peasants also could bargain for their rent prices due to so many houses being vacant. So, the lords were collecting less in rent payments and paying more for labor. Many peasants also exchanged their labor for rent, basically ending their obligations to their lord. They could, for the first time, work for whoever paid the best wages and live where they chose. If the lords died and had no living heirs, their lands reverted to the king, increasing his wealth and power.
The king passed laws that fixed wages at what they had been before the Black Death and required the lords to enforce those laws. The peasants refused to work for those wages and revolted. They were easily subdued but in the end won their higher wages. The peasants got a small taste of freedom and the nobility lost some of its power. People who survived the Black Death