The Roman Empire has fallen, the Middle Ages have begun, and Europe is in chaos (Frey 19). It was into these troubled times that feudalism, a social and political system, emerged as a way to regain stability. Supporting it was an economic system called manorialism, which centered around self-sufficient estates called manors. Farmers worked the fields on the manor and were crucial to keeping it running, both through the work they did and the taxes they paid. Feudalism was an important part of the Middle Ages and would not have existed without the manor or the work of farmers.
Feudalism, or the feudal system, was a social and political system that existed during the Middle Ages (Nardo 14). It was based off of bonds of loyalty between people, …show more content…
Like the king, vassals also had needs and wants that feudalism helped provide for. As warriors, they needed wealth to purchase equipment and care for their horses (Andrew Smith 1-2). So, they received fiefs from their lord as payment (Nardo 18). Fiefs could consist of money or making the vassal the mayor of a town or steward of another fief (Nardo 20, C. Smith 3). The most common form of a fief, however, was an estate or manor, which was a house or castle along with acres of fields and peasants to work them (Nardo 19). These estates could be anywhere from a couple acres to several thousand, with more important vassals getting larger fiefs (Nardo 20). The vassal was free to use this land as long as he met his obligations to the lord (C. Smith 3). Other compensation the lord provided was a promise to protect the family of the vassal if he was killed (C. Smith 3). In exchange for what they received from the lord, vassals owed loyalty and certain services to the lord. Like all other levels of society, they took an oath of fealty or loyalty to their lord, and they also took an oath of homage to the lord (Andrew Smith 2, C. Smith 2). Of the services vassals owed, the most important was military (C. Smith 2). In wars, lords who were vassals to the king would fight for the monarch and supply him with a fighting force (Frey 25). If the
Feudalism, or the feudal system, was a social and political system that existed during the Middle Ages (Nardo 14). It was based off of bonds of loyalty between people, …show more content…
Like the king, vassals also had needs and wants that feudalism helped provide for. As warriors, they needed wealth to purchase equipment and care for their horses (Andrew Smith 1-2). So, they received fiefs from their lord as payment (Nardo 18). Fiefs could consist of money or making the vassal the mayor of a town or steward of another fief (Nardo 20, C. Smith 3). The most common form of a fief, however, was an estate or manor, which was a house or castle along with acres of fields and peasants to work them (Nardo 19). These estates could be anywhere from a couple acres to several thousand, with more important vassals getting larger fiefs (Nardo 20). The vassal was free to use this land as long as he met his obligations to the lord (C. Smith 3). Other compensation the lord provided was a promise to protect the family of the vassal if he was killed (C. Smith 3). In exchange for what they received from the lord, vassals owed loyalty and certain services to the lord. Like all other levels of society, they took an oath of fealty or loyalty to their lord, and they also took an oath of homage to the lord (Andrew Smith 2, C. Smith 2). Of the services vassals owed, the most important was military (C. Smith 2). In wars, lords who were vassals to the king would fight for the monarch and supply him with a fighting force (Frey 25). If the