Feudalism in The Middle Ages
By Madison Nef
The basic government
and society in Europe during the middle ages was based around something call
the feudal system. This system worked like this: Small communities were formed
around the local lord and his manor in which he lived. The lord owned the land
that the community lived on and everything in it, including his manor. He would
keep the community (typically made up of peasants) safe in return for their
services. The lord, in return, would provide the king with soldiers and often
times, taxes.
Service for Land
Under the feudal system, land was granted to the people of the community for services. It started at the top with the king granting his land to a baron for soldiers, all the way down to peasants being given land in which to grow crops. Any land granted had to benefit the community in one way or another.
The Manor
The center of life in these communities in the Middle Ages was the manor. The manor was run by the local lord. This lord often lived in a large house or castle, where people in the community would gather for celebrations OR for protection if the community was attacked. A small village would often be built around the castle which would include the local church and some stores. Farms would then spread out from the outskirts of this town which would be worked by the peasants.
Chain of command in the Middle Ages
King – The main ruler in a land was the king. The king could not control all of the land he possessed by himself, so he divided it up among different Barons. In return, the Barons had to pledge their loyalty AND all of their soldiers to the king. Not a bad deal, if you think about it… all that land and you still pretty much get to do whatever you want. When a king died, his firstborn son would inherit the throne. When one family stayed in power for a long time, this was called a dynasty. The kings believed that they had been given the right to rule by God. This was called “divine right”. All Barons AND their Lords under the king had to swear their fealty to him and him alone.
Bishop - The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese. The Catholic Church was extremely powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop very powerful as well. Not only that, but the church received a payment of 10 percent from all people living in communities under the king- making some Bishops extremely rich.
Baron – The Barons ruled large areas of land called fiefs. They reported directly to the king and were very powerful- almost as powerful as the kind himself due to how much control they possessed. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors and communities for them. Their job was to maintain an army that would always be at the king’s disposal, should the kingdom be attacked. If these Barons had no army, they would have to pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called shield money.
Lord - The lords ran the local manors. They also were the knights and could be called into battle at any moment by their Baron. The lords owned everything on their land including the peasants, crops, and village. These lords also controlled the fief and manor, AND had the right to decide punishments in court orders.
Peasants or Serfs
Most of the people living in the Middle Ages were peasants. They had an extremely difficult and rough life. A small fraction of these peasants were considered free, and could open and run their own businesses within communities. Some such examples are carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. However, many peasants weren’t so fortunate and were treated like slaves. They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. They worked long days, 6 days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive. 90% of people living in communities were peasants- and many of these slaves worked extremely hard and died young. In these times, it was considered lucky if you lived to be older than 30.
Service for Land
Under the feudal system, land was granted to the people of the community for services. It started at the top with the king granting his land to a baron for soldiers, all the way down to peasants being given land in which to grow crops. Any land granted had to benefit the community in one way or another.
The Manor
The center of life in these communities in the Middle Ages was the manor. The manor was run by the local lord. This lord often lived in a large house or castle, where people in the community would gather for celebrations OR for protection if the community was attacked. A small village would often be built around the castle which would include the local church and some stores. Farms would then spread out from the outskirts of this town which would be worked by the peasants.
Chain of command in the Middle Ages
King – The main ruler in a land was the king. The king could not control all of the land he possessed by himself, so he divided it up among different Barons. In return, the Barons had to pledge their loyalty AND all of their soldiers to the king. Not a bad deal, if you think about it… all that land and you still pretty much get to do whatever you want. When a king died, his firstborn son would inherit the throne. When one family stayed in power for a long time, this was called a dynasty. The kings believed that they had been given the right to rule by God. This was called “divine right”. All Barons AND their Lords under the king had to swear their fealty to him and him alone.
Bishop - The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese. The Catholic Church was extremely powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop very powerful as well. Not only that, but the church received a payment of 10 percent from all people living in communities under the king- making some Bishops extremely rich.
Baron – The Barons ruled large areas of land called fiefs. They reported directly to the king and were very powerful- almost as powerful as the kind himself due to how much control they possessed. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors and communities for them. Their job was to maintain an army that would always be at the king’s disposal, should the kingdom be attacked. If these Barons had no army, they would have to pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called shield money.
Lord - The lords ran the local manors. They also were the knights and could be called into battle at any moment by their Baron. The lords owned everything on their land including the peasants, crops, and village. These lords also controlled the fief and manor, AND had the right to decide punishments in court orders.
Peasants or Serfs
Most of the people living in the Middle Ages were peasants. They had an extremely difficult and rough life. A small fraction of these peasants were considered free, and could open and run their own businesses within communities. Some such examples are carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. However, many peasants weren’t so fortunate and were treated like slaves. They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. They worked long days, 6 days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive. 90% of people living in communities were peasants- and many of these slaves worked extremely hard and died young. In these times, it was considered lucky if you lived to be older than 30.
Wow. After learning all of this… I can
soundly say that I am glad I didn’t live in this time period! For one, no
internet or electricity… but the system of how things were run seems like it
was royally MESSED UP. I’m glad to be living in the time period I am. I hope
you learned something from this… and if you’re one of those people who says “Oh
I wish I could have lived back then”… I hope you have been awakened to the
harsh reality of what life was REALLY like.
Maddie
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