The Rise of Feudalism:

Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims…OH MY!

What is

FEUDALISM

???

Feudalism is…

A political, social & economic system in which loyalty is exchanged for

service.

Feudalism

Definition

• System of

promises between

lords and vassals

Purpose

• Safety from

invaders and other

kings/nobles

Feudalism

• Created by the

Franks in the

800s

• 1066 spreads to

England by

William the

Conqueror

So what…

It’s a political system because:

–A king divides his

KINGDOM/ LAND/ TERRITORY

- It is MANAGED

& DEFENDED

Williamstonia

a. Managing Land

Run by Lord Jack

Run by Noble

Joe

Run by Noble Bob

Run by Lord Laura

Run by Lord

Nathan

King W can relax a bit…

Monarch still “owns” the kingdom but he has Nobles/Lords to manage it for him.

Nobles & Lords are VASSALS to the king

– Promise their loyalty

– Promise to defend the land

– Promise to give soldiers (knights) for battle

– Promise to pay Taxes/Tribute when needed

Go On…

SOCIAL SYSTEM TOO!

–Social Classes are guaranteed.

–Vassal: anyone who promises LOYALTY for land/fief/etc.

Lords

• Loyal to the king

• Ruled land as

independent

territories

• Required knights

to protect land

Lords

Duties

• Give vassals or

knights fiefs in

return for

protection

• Treat vassals fairly

• Help vassals if

attacked

Vassals

Definition

• Someone who

promised

support in

exchange for

land

Vassals

Duties

• Fight for lord

• Give lords $$ on

special

occasions

• Provide lord food

and shelter

Question

How could a noble be both a lord and a

vassal?

Answer: A noble could receive land

from a lord or king and in turn grant

land to a lower-ranking noble.

Knights

• Warriors who

fought on

horseback

• Vassals to

lords

• Received fiefs

Question

Why would being a knight hold such a

high position in society?

Possible answers:

• Required lots of money for equipment

• Had to train for many years

The Lowest of the LOWWWW!

• Peasants – sort of free, still poor »Manual Labor

• Serfs – tied to the land = slaves –Menial Manual Labor

–Check p. 243 & 245-6 & list 5 things

Serfs had to do or were responsible for:

Draw and fill in

Serfs

Peasants

Serfs

• tied to the land

• paid to use

resources

Peasants

• could leave

• few owned

land

•Farmed

•Received

protection

•Paid with

crops

FEUDALISM

Economic System because “all” trade, business, etc. takes place at the manor.

“STUFF” is exchanged for service

– e.g. A knight’s PROTECTION

Is exchanged for some of the Lord’s Land

Is exchanged for Food from Serfs Labor

The Manor should produce everything they need

Manors • Large estate

owned by a Lord or

wealthy knight

– Collected taxes

– Punished people

• Included large

house/castle,

pastures, fields,

and forests and

village

Manor Church

Pasture

Fallow Land

Life on the Manor

Manors • Peasants and serfs

– Allowed to farm land

on the manor

– Did not own land

– Largest group of

people

• Skilled workers

– Produced everything a

lord and manor may

need on site

REVIEW

1) Everyone owed loyalty to the ________

2) _______ were really the most powerful. They got _______ from the king.

3) Knights gave _________ _________ in return for land.

4) _______ were bound to the land. They worked in return for ____________.

5) __________ were skilled workers. They paid rent to the ______ and were free to move if they wanted to.

Let’s see how much you remember!

Check Your Answers 1) Everyone owed loyalty to the king.

2) Nobles were really the most powerful. They got land from the king.

3) Knights gave military service in return for land.

4) Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection.

5) Peasants were skilled workers. They paid rent to the lords and were free to move if they wanted to.

Medieval = Middle Ages Between two Classic

Ages

1. The Roman Empire

INSERT HERE

3. Renaissance Europe

THE END

HW

• Create and write a sentence for 10 of the vocabulary words we learned today that helps you remember what each is. (Thus, 10 sentences are expected)

Prompt

Give advice: How should your king and lord defend against Viking attacks?

Feudalism p. 242

• A system called “feudalism” developed as a response to the lightning-fast attacks of their enemies and a way for kings to keep order in their lands

Knight

• S define Knight p. 242

Nobles (nobility)

• Nobles: “of, belonging to, or constituting a hereditary class that has special social or political status in a country or state; of or pertaining to the aristocracy”.

Nobility is usually hereditary

• Hereditary: “The transmission of qualities from parents to offspring”

Nobles are part of the Aristocracy (Aristocrat)

• Aristocracy: “The upper class. The nobility”.

Lord

• Use p. 242 to define Lord under “Knights and Land” using the word noble in your definition

Vassal

• Use p. 243 to define Vassal.

Fief

• Fief: A piece of land given by a lord to a vassal in exchange for military service

William the Conqueror

• Use p. 244 to answer the following questions:

• Where was William from?

• William was from Normandy, in northwestern France –By the tip that sticks

Out

– Where we launched

our D-Day invasion in WWII

William the Conqueror

• Why was William called “the conqueror”?

• William conquered England (Britain).

William the Conqueror

• How did William reward his knights?

William the Conqueror

• How do you think this reward helped King William rule Britain?

Feudalism

• Define Feudalism using p. 243

Manor

• Define Manor p. 245

Peasant

• Peasant: “a member of a class of persons, as in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, who are small farmers or farm laborers of low social rank”.

Serf

• Serf: “a person in a condition of servitude, required to render services to a lord, commonly attached to the lord's land and transferred with it from one owner to another”.

After the Roman Empire

There is a POWER VACUUM – Vacuum: a space not filled or occupied;

emptiness; void

WEAK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

LACK OF EFFECTIVE LAW

VULNERABILITY

Threat of Invasion

Vikings

Magyars

Muslims

AND MORE!

No more large cities, trade, scholarship.

With all the disease, riots, outside attacks and starvation people fled the cities of the once strong Roman empire.

In Europe, people now lived on manors, self-sufficient communities consisting of a castle, church, village and surrounding farmlands.

In the Feudal Society, there were Kings and Queens, Nobles, Knights, and Peasants.

All of them had responsibilities to one another.

Finally, Some Leaders

Carolus Magnus = Charles the Great = Charlemagne

Unites a new empire based in Christianity

Falls apart after his death.

SECURITY first,

build from there…

Monarch

Owned all the land in the kingdom

Gave land or fiefs to powerful lords for protection

A Lord’s Duties

Because they couldn’t depend on protection from their kings, lords had to defend their own lands.

Had to send help to the king during times of war.

Many lords built castles, which provided security in time of war

Castles

Motte and Bailey Castle

13th Century Castle

Knights

To defend their lands, nobles needed soldiers. The best soldiers were knights, warriors who fought on horseback.

Nobles gave knights fiefs, or pieces of land, instead of money for their military service.

In return for the land, a knight promised to support the noble in battle.

Peasants and Serfs

Serfs were workers who were tied to the land on which they lived. Serfs were not allowed to leave without their lord’s permission.

Peasants paid rent to the lord and were free to leave the land.

Farm labor was hard, and peasants usually worked in the fields late into the night.

Peasants and serfs received protection in return for working the land.

Oath of Fealty

By the Lord before whom this sanctuary is holy, I will to he be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him, on condition that he will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to

him and chose his will.

REVIEW

1) Everyone owed loyalty to the ________

2) _______ were really the most powerful. They got _______ from the king.

3) Knights gave _________ _________ in return for land.

4) _______ were bound to the land. They worked in return for ____________.

5) __________ were skilled workers. They paid rent to the ______ and were free to move if they wanted to.

Let’s see how much you remember!

Check Your Answers 1) Everyone owed loyalty to the king.

2) Nobles were really the most powerful. They got land from the king.

3) Knights gave military service in return for land.

4) Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection.

5) Peasants were skilled workers. They paid rent to the lords and were free to move if they wanted to.