Feudalism and Manoralism

Feudalism & Manorialism: Explore Medieval Europe's social and economic systems. Understand serfs, lords, and the feudal contract.

Essential Questions: What were feudalism and manorialism? Why did they develop in Western Europe? What effects did they have on people living in Medieval Europe? Objectives: Define what feudalism and manorialism were Describe what effects they had on people living in Western Europe. SeeList TWO things that you see in the image above. ThinkBased on your observations, what do you think about the image above? WonderWrite two questions about the image above. The Fall of Rome When the Western Roman empire fell in 476 CE, kings and emperors were too weak to maintain order. There was a power vacuum. A power vacuum is a condition that exists when someone has lost control and no one has replaced them. With the power vacuum in the western Roman empire, Europeans began fighting for domination. In addition to the fighting between Europeans, there were constant invasions by the Vikings, Muslims, and other groups. This was a time period of danger, violence, and instability. Feudalism Brings Protection To create a safer environment, a system of feudalism developed. Feudalism was a decentralized, or loosely organized system of rule based on land ownership. In Feudalism, kings divided up their land into fiefs and gave them to lords. Fiefs could range from a few acres to a hundred square miles. These lords gave fiefs to vassals. In exchange for the fief, the vassals pledged allegiance to their lord. This allegiance meant that they would raise armies to protect their own lands and fight for their lords. This exchange of pledges is called a feudal contract. This was an interdependent relationship with mutual feudal obligations. Feudalism Brings Stability Feudalism created stability through the manor system which established a clear social and economic structure called manorialism. Manorialism was an economic system structured around the feudal manor, or the lord’s estate. This estate included the lord’s landholding, farming lands, and peasant villages. Most peasants were serfs, or people bound to the land. Serfs were not allowed to leave the manor without permission. Serfs made repairs and farmed the land. In exchange for farming and repairs, serfs were protected by their lord in the event of a war or raid. The manor was self-sufficient which meant that the peasants produced most of everything they needed including food, clothing, tools and furniture. They did not need to trade with others for their basic needs. Fill in the blanks using the reading above. Fiefs Allegiance Feudal Contract Protection Farming and Repairs Manorialism Serfs and Peasants: Most peasants on a manor were serfs, bound to the land. Serfs were not slaves who could be bought and sold. Still, they were not free. They could not leave the manor without the lord’s permission. If the manor was granted to a new lord, the serfs went along with itKings (Monarchs):The king owned all the land and allowed the trusted nobles to govern a part of the land in return for other servicesRoman Catholic Church In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church carved out a unique position in Western Europe. It not only controlled the spiritual life of Christians but gradually became the most powerful secular, or non-religious, force in medieval EuropeDuring the Middle Ages, the pope was the spiritual leader of the Western Christian Church, based in Rome. Declaring themselves representatives of God on Earth, medieval popes eventually claimed papal supremacy, or authority over all secular rulers, including kings and emperors.The Church developed their own body of laws, known as canon law, as well as its own courts. [...] Anyone who disobeyed Church law faced a range of penalties. The most severe and terrifying was excommunication. Those who were excommunicated could not receive the sacraments or a Christian burial, which condemned them to hell for eternity.Knights and Vassals: For medieval nobles, warfare was a way of life. Rival lords battled constantly for power. Many nobles began training in boyhood for a future occupation as a knight, or mounted warrior. In the later Middle Ages, knights adopted a code of conduct called chivalry.Nobility (Lords): Below the monarchs were powerful lords such as dukes and counts who held the largest fiefs. Each of these lords had vassals. Directions: Using the text above, place the following social classes in the correct ranking on the social pyramid. Roman Catholic Church Kings (Monarchs) Lords Knights and Vassals Serfs and Peasants Which social class had the greatest amount of power in feudal Europe? What specific powers did this class have? Which class of people made up the bulk of the medieval population? If you were a serf, what would be your opinion of the feudal system? Why?