History of Fuedalism

Following the fall of Rome, much of Europe plunged into a period of chaos and disorder. After the strong republic of Rome perished, there was no longer a central government to control European lands, and therefore a national military could not be organized. Meantime, outside invaders such as Vikings and Muslims began to terrorize towns, and people were left defenseless. As a result, poorer villagers took refuge on the lands of a richer nobleman. As cities and towns began to fade and more people started living on lands of a noble, Europe entered a feudal era. In this feudal era, life was based solely on the medieval manor and the obligations lords, vassals, and peasants had to make for each other.

Feudalism is a concept based upon the manor, a large estate that dominated life during the middle ages. In a feudal society, vassals would pledge allegiance to more powerful lords that in return would grant a fief of land. The fief of land included the manor, which included all the peasants, castles, and farmland on it. A vassal would be awarded this land by making a pledge towards a powerful lord. In the oath, a vassal would pledge loyalty towards the knight, as seen in the Homage Oath, taken by John of Toul. In his oath, John acknowledges that the fief he is receiving is from his liege lord. The liege lord is the lord who a vassal owes supreme loyalty to, as feudal warfare was common. Often times, vassals would receive land from more than one lord, and sometimes both lords would war against each other.

The concept of having a liege lord determined who you would fight for. As swearing to the liege lord, he promises military service should it be needed, as well as the service of the other knights on the land. The concept of military service was one of the main obligations of vassals to a lord. Obligations towards one another are shown on the chart. The vassal owes the lord loyalty, ransom if needed, and military service. Serving a lord in the military was often the main worry of a noble, because death would likely result in losing the family's lands. In return, the lord would owe the vassal a fief of land as well as protection. Protection was a huge issue during medieval times, with constant Viking and other invaders. The emergence of feudalism was due largely to this need for protection, and it was the binding factor that kept feudalism in tact.

Although the medieval manor contained many diverse roles in society, most people were either knights or peasants. Knights began training early, sometimes as early as the age of seven, and were taught in the skills of donning armor, riding horses, and using a sword. The knights' role was to protect the manor and to maintain the lands for their lord. These duties are expressed in John of Salisbury's quote from Policraticus in 1159. He states that a knight serves to protect the church and the peasants and to keep the manor safe for all on it. However, it was often necessary for a knight to give himself in and die for the safety of the province. Although a demanding position, being a knight was a key factor of middle age life and ultimately one of the most important positions to keep medieval society stable. Another important role in middle age life was that of the peasants. Peasants were bound to the land and were included in the fief.

Also called serfs, peasants had an equally laborious life as knights, yet their role differed greatly. As shown in the picture, nobles and knights could amuse themselves while the peasants did hard labor on the fields. As shown, the peasants lived in small cottages, yet these cottages made up medieval villages. During the day, peasants would work the fields, tend to the animals, or cultivate crops. Without peasants, medieval life could not have survived, because it was the peasants who ultimately provided food and grains for the manor. In return for their labors, the nobles and knights owed the protection that was coveted and needed by serfs.

Throughout the middle ages, feudalism dominated all aspects of life. Without a central government, lords had the stronghold over their individual fiefs. As feudal warfare increased, the possibility of service controlled the thoughts and worries of nobles. In addition, knights trained from very young to maintain the province and keep the land safe for peasants. In return, peasants were the only class to provide food. Without either group, middle age life would have collapsed because each contributed a vital part to society. The obligations and responsibilities towards one another were ultimately the bonds that kept medieval life stable and in tact.