Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 25 views

    Name Class Date

    Uploaded by

    api-245498585
    Medieval society in Europe was organized around a system called feudalism from the 1100s onward. Feudalism was based on a hierarchy of lords granting land and protection to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. At the top were kings, who granted lands to nobles, who became lords over their own estates and vassals. Peasants lived and worked on manors, the basic economic unit, and most were serfs bound to the land who had to work for the lord several days a week and pay fees in exchange for being allowed to farm their own small plots and receive protection.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Name Class Date

    Uploaded by

    api-245498585
    25 views2 pages
    Medieval society in Europe was organized around a system called feudalism from the 1100s onward. Feudalism was based on a hierarchy of lords granting land and protection to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. At the top were kings, who granted lands to nobles, who became lords over their own estates and vassals. Peasants lived and worked on manors, the basic economic unit, and most were serfs bound to the land who had to work for the lord several days a week and pay fees in exchange for being allowed to farm their own small plots and receive protection.

    Original Title

    Untitled

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Medieval society in Europe was organized around a system called feudalism from the 1100s onward. Feudalism was based on a hierarchy of lords granting land and protection to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. At the top were kings, who granted lands to nobles, who became lords over their own estates and vassals. Peasants lived and worked on manors, the basic economic unit, and most were serfs bound to the land who had to work for the lord several days a week and pay fees in exchange for being allowed to farm their own small plots and receive protection.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    25 views2 pages

    Name Class Date

    Uploaded by

    api-245498585
    Medieval society in Europe was organized around a system called feudalism from the 1100s onward. Feudalism was based on a hierarchy of lords granting land and protection to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. At the top were kings, who granted lands to nobles, who became lords over their own estates and vassals. Peasants lived and worked on manors, the basic economic unit, and most were serfs bound to the land who had to work for the lord several days a week and pay fees in exchange for being allowed to farm their own small plots and receive protection.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Name

    Class

    Date

    Medieval society was a network of mutual duties. Even kings and


    nobles exchanged vows of service and loyalty. These vows were part
    of a new political and legal system called feudalism, which was the
    basis of European life during the Middle Ages.
    Feudalism was a structure of lords and lesser lords, called vassals.
    Lords and their vassals exchanged pledges, which was called the
    feudal contract. In this contract, lords expected military service, payments, and loyalty from vassals. In return, they granted vassals protection and parcels of land, called fiefs, or estates. By the 1100s,
    many nobles lived in castles, which served as fortresses.
    All aristocrats had a place in this structured society. For nobles,
    war was a way of life. Many trained from boyhood to become
    knights. They learned to ride horseback, fight, and care for weapons.
    They competed in mock battles called tournaments. Noblewomen,
    too, participated in the warrior society. They took over estates while
    their husbands were at war, and might even fight to defend their
    lands. A few learned to read or write. All were expected to learn
    spinning, weaving, and the supervising of servants.
    Knights were expected to follow a code of ideal conduct, called
    chivalry. It required them to be brave, loyal, and honest, to fight
    fairly, to treat captured knights well, and to protect the weak.
    Troubadours, or wandering musicians, often sang about knights
    and ladies. Their songs formed the basis for medieval romances, or
    epic stories and poems.
    The manor, or lords estate, was central to the feudal economy.
    Manors were self-sufficient, producing all that their people needed.
    Most peasants on manors were serfs, who were bound to the land.
    Although they were not slaves, serfs could not leave the manor
    without permission. They had to work the lords lands several days
    a week, pay fees, and get permission to marry. In return, they were
    allowed to farm several acres for themselves and received protection
    during war. Their work was harsh, and hunger and disease were
    common. Yet they found times to celebrate, such as Christmas,
    Easter, and dozens of Christian festivals each year.

    Review Questions
    1. Describe the feudal contract.

    2. What were serfs required to do?

    67

    You might also like