Lesson#26
Lecture
3. Understandthe developmentof feudalism,itsrole in the medievalEuropeaneconomy,the way in
whichit was influencedby physicalgeography(therole of the manorand the growthof towns)and how feudal
providedthe foundation
relationships
of politicalorder.
What was feudalism?
was a legalcontract.
UnlikeJapan,the lord-vassalrelationship
It was a politicalsystem. . . THISIS THE MOSTIMPORTANT
The ceremony
In the beginningeach vassalattachedhimselfto lord in a ceremonycalledinvestiture.
"l
lt went like this: swear personalloyalty to you. I am your vassa/.Wheneveryou are attacked,I will come to
your defense (with many others)and fight on your behalf.ln return,you give me land."
The feudalcontract
A vassalswore loyaltyand militaryserviceto his lord;the lord rewardedhim with land.
Each side was boundto upholdhis side of the contract.
1. lf the vassalbrokethe contract,he lost his land.
2. lf the lord brokethe contract,the vassalwas no longerobedientto him.
By specifyingrightsand duties,the feudalcontractprovidedthe rulesof government.
Feudalismorovidedstronglocalgovernment
justice.
1. The lordson each manorheldcourtand administered
2. Beforemakinglaws (or goingto war),the lordwas supposedto consulthis vassals.
It was a land system
Land was power
In medievalEurope,powerbelongedto thosewho controlledthe land.
(Lateron, powerwill belongto thosewho controlthe sea.)
The lord made a gift of landto his vassals.In returnthey gave him militaryservice.
The lord distributedland to his vassals.
The vassaldid not own the land;he heldit.
He did not pay rent;he owed militaryservice.
lnheritance
Ownersof land held it as a gift from the lord.
You could keep the land foreveras long as you (and your heirs)servedthe king faithfully.
son inherited
the land.
Whenthe vassaldied,his first-born
The landcouldnot be brokenup, so it couldnot go to all the children,
lf he had no children,the landgoes backto the lord.
(Note: This was not true of Churchlandswhich alwaysstayedin the Church.
This is how the Churchbecamethe largestlandownerin Europe!)
It was a militarysystem
How it worked
An Englishmanbecomesa vassalof Williamthe Conqueror.
1. He swearspersonalloyaltyto WTC.
2. He pledgesto bring20 knightswith him wheneverWTC calls him to war,
3. He is gifteda fief from WTC.
4, He is calledto war by WTC.
5. He gifts manorsto his 20 knights.
6. He is theirlord;theyare his vassals.
7. He goesto war with his 20 knights.
oaoe61
It was a social system
Feudalism
wasa socialsystembasedon land.
Thewarriorheldthe higheststatus.
Thethreeclasses:
fighting
men,praying
men,working
men,
Nobles(lnthisorder:King,prince,
earl*,viscount,
baron,knight-.)
1. Nobles
duke,marquess,
2. Clergy
3. Peasants Serfsweretiedto the soil. Freemen
werenot.
.The termscountand earl are titlesof equalsocialstanding.Continental
Europeansmostlyusedthe term count,whilethe Britishusedearl.
-"Althoughnot technically
land-owning
nobility,knightsare includedin the categorybecausethey are partof the warriorclass.
A man could be both a lord and a vassal: A duke was a vassalof the king and the lord over a marquess.
The clergywere the only educatedclass.
Peasantswere commoners:They do not own land and have nothingto do with the lord-vassalsystem.
A serf was not attachedto the lord; he and his familywere attachedto the soil.
Serfsgrew grain and gave their lord partof the harvest;in return,the lord protectedthem.
The socialsystemwas fixed: You were born into your socialclass.Yourclassstatuswas inherited.
Therewas no socialmobility:A peasantcould neverriseto the nobility.He could becomea villagepriest.
Manorialismwas an economicsystem
MedievalEuropewas rural: Everybodylived in the countryside.
The overwhelmingmajoritywere peasantswho spenttheir livesfarming.
How it worked
1. The fief - lt could be 5,000acresand have many manors.
2. The domain- The lord livedon this lanc.
3. The demesne- His manorsat on this land,
The Manor
Therewas no marketolaceand no reasonfor trade.
Each manorwas self-sufficient.
providedmilitaryprotectionand a culturallife.
1. Manor House
funerals.
2. Church
.......provided
churchservices,baptisms,marriages,
2. Farmland
. . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p r of ov o
i ddet hda tw a s r a i s e db y s e r f s .
.......provided
foodfor livestock.
3. Pasture
Everyonewas allowedto use this.
gamefor hunting.Huntingwas onlyfor the nobility.
.......provided
3. Forests
.........provided
fishing.Fishingwas onlyfor the nobility.
4. Rivers
.peasanthuts
5. The Village
providedservices(mill,oven,smithy,brewery)
producedcrafts(weaver,shoemaker,weaponsmaker).
The manorialsystemwas basedon farming
Peasantsworkedthe nobleman'sland; peasantsworkedtheir own strips.
The three-fieldsystem: Two fieldswere planted;one was left fallow (unplanted)to let it rest.
Administration
of the manor
Dayto-day,the manorwas run by the nobleman'sofficials:
1. The steward.........The
highestofficialon the manor.lf the lordownedseveralmanors,he travelleda lot,
2. The bailiff......,.,.....He
was the supervisor
overthe peasants,
directedfarming,collectedfeudaldues.
was foremanoverthe peasants.He heloedthe bailiff.
3. The reeve.......,.....He
Whatwerethe benefitsof feudalism?
- everyone
government
for everyone
fromserfto lord,benefitted
frompolitical
order.
1, lt provided
provided
protection
peasants
lt
for
the
who
headed
inside
the
walls
of
the
manor.
2.
- theygainedland,economic
power.
wealth,
the nobility
andpolitical
3. lt enriched
Lesson#27
Lecture
3. Understand the development of feudalism, its role in the medieval European economy, the way in which it
was influenced by physical geography (the role of the manor and the grovvthof towns) and how feudal
relationshipsprovidedthe foundationof politicalorder.
The Gastle
At a time of completechaos,feudalismprovidedorder.
Gastle-building
Barbariankingsgiftedtheirwarlordswith land.
This guaranteedthat the warriorlandlordwoulddefendthe regionon behalfof the king.
TheLwere forts
The word "castle"comesfrom the Latinword meaning"fortress."
What is there abouta castlethat would make it an idealfort?
(Youcould shut the massivefront door, Yoursoldierscould be up in the towers,pouringboilingoil on the
invaders.)
Who builtthe castles?
(Serfswho were attachedto the landfor all eternity.)
At strategiclocations
Castleswere fortsthat defendedstrategicplaces. Like what? (Rivercrossings,mountainpasses,harbors.)
Why were castlesalmostalwaysbuilton hillsides?(To make it difficultfor the enemyto reach.)
Partsof a castle
Moat
lf there were no hillsin the region,what otherbarriercouldyou constructto surroundthe castle?
(A moat = a ditchfull of water. You couldclosethe drawbridgeover the moat in case of attack.)
Stone
Since Europehad so many forests,why not constructthe castleout of wood?
(Stoneprovidedfar betterprotectionfrom enemyattack, Invaderscould not burn down a stonecastle.
Stonecastleswere warmerin winter,coolerin summer.)
Large
Why did a castlehave to be large?
(ln peacetime,the castleservedthe localcommunityas a prisonfor localcriminals,a storehousefor grain and
otherfood, and treasurehouse, In wartime,the castleservedas a barracksand armory. Everyonefrom the
villagemovedinto the castlewhen the enemyapproached.)
Portcullis
A heavyiron gratethat barredthe gatewayof a castle.
HighWalls
Why wouldthe idealcastlehave very high walls?
(So invaderscould not scalethe walls.)
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Battlements
Most castleshad battlements,
where guardswalkedalongthe tops of the walls.
In case of attack,what wouldtheseguardsdo?
(Drop rocks and boilingoil on the enemy.Rain arrowson the enemy.)
The Keeo
In case of enemyattack,intowhich part of the castlewouldthe nobleman'sfamilyhide?
(ln the tallesttower,knownas "the keep",for it was the best protectedbuildingand specialguardswould stand
on the stepsand fight to the deathto protecttheir lord's family.)
The end of castles
Strongcastleslike this one were difficultto capture.
The huge walls and well-protected
entrancewithstoodmost attacks.
So how mightthe enemydefeatsuch a castle?
(lf he had severalmonths,he could lay siegeto it - that is, cut off all food, water,and outsidehelp,then wait to
starvethem out.)
The switch from castlesto manors
Why did castlesstop beingbuilt?
Hint: What inventioncould oenetratecastlewalls?
(Cannon:A cannon,usinggunpowderand ironballs,couldknockdownthickwallsand talltowers.)
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