Answers To The Question: What Is Feudalism
FEUDALISM – In this article, we will learn more about what feudalism is, its history and its importance.
Feudalism or the feudal system was originally applied in early and central Middle Ages. This was the time were central political figures disappeared and kingdoms began to emerge as effective units of government.
Feudalism was a term invented in the 19th century. It was used to describe the societal structures in the middle ages.
According to an article on Britannica, It was a system that was based on the exchange of land and services. Under the system, all land belonged to the king.
The King would then pass on land to great lords who were known as tenants in chief. These lands were given in exchange for military power and political support.
The great lords would then pass on the land to lesser lords and they would pass it own to the local lords. Eventually, the lesser of the lords would pass the lands to peasants who would work there.
The feudal system even had its own vocabulary. Kings who give land to lesser lords are called overlords. The receiver of these lands are then called vassal.
However, the term vassal doesn’t necessarily mean you are of low rank. Even the King of England was a vassal for the king of France once.
In the later parts of the Middle Ages, feudalism began to disappear. This was due for a number of reasons.
First off, Kings didn’t need soldiers from lesser lords, instead, they would opt for professional paid soldiers. Second, the black death caused a significant decline in workers.
Those who survived the plague now have bargaining power on where and how much they would be paid. Because of this, nobility got a lesser hold of the lower middle rank.
An increase in urbanization and the rise of the money economy rather than land economy was also one of the reasons why Feudalism was slowly abandoned.
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