By Lauren Bales and Mushkan Sharm
How were members of feudalistic societies affected by the political and social structure?
Critical Thinking Question
How did monarchs justify and maintain their power?
How Feudalism Restore Order to Western Europe Following the Fall of the Roman Empire?
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Western Europe fell into a time of chaos. Different tribes created separate kingdoms. Constant invaders kept Europe in disorder. Cities fell into ruin and much of the learning of the ancient world was lost.
Development of Feudalism
To protect themselves, Europeans developed the system of feudalism – a political, economic and social system. Under feudalism, the king gave land to his nobles in return for their service. Nobles provided the king with knights. Serfs worked on manors for their noble lords.
Roles of Knights, Vassals, Feif
To protect themselves from violence and to provide for basic economic needs, people throughout Western Europe adopted the system introduced by the Franks. Kings offered nobles a grant of land, known as a fief, in return for loyalty and service. The nobles, known as vassals, gave loyalty to the king. This system, called feudalism, helped people survive the decline of government and order.
Practice of giving land in exchange for services; in the giving of property to a lord, who returned it as a fief.
Organization of the economy in the Middle Ages. Manorialism describes peasants' and serfs' connections to the manor that controlled the land they lived and worked on. The economy relied mainly on agriculture.
Picture of Peasents
Rosenthal, Joel T. "Feudalism." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.
Blackwell, Amy Hackney. "manorialism." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2014
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "feudalism." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.