Feudalism Mini Historiography

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Feudalism Mini-historiography:
Historian Elizabeth A. R Brown clearly outlines her reservations about the terms feudalism and feudal system. Feudal system is a synonym used to mean feudalism in literature referring to medieval England. Other historians including Professor Thomas N. Bisson have previously expressed concern about the use of the tern feudalism when he presented a paper titled ‘Institutional Structures of the Medieval Peace’ without once using the contested terms. Professor Bisson paper ignited a conversation about the phrase that lived in the minds of many a historian. The first record of such doubts is by Frederic William Maitland who boldly states that Henry Spelman, …show more content…

Utility refers to the fact that the terms are considered useful because they perform several functions. The terms are said to be useful to scholars as well as students because they assist in analyzing, evaluating, and categorizing the medieval past. They help in setting apart one historical circumstance from another and align identical situations in various countries even if they hail from different historical times. Defending the use of feudalism in this manner is supported by the argument that students are more receptive to simplified terms to help them deal with complex studies. They can be initiated to complications later when they are graduates and scholars. For this purpose, feudalism is useful for beginning students who requires charts and diagrams to understand complicated situations although they have to unlearn this later in life. The utility function of feudalism proposes the term as indispensable because it makes up for deficiencies in the human thought process which is unable to comprehend complex issues in reality. It is fair that scholars have abstractions in the same way scientists apply them …show more content…

What the terms have been able to accomplish including wide use by historians, economists, and students will remain for eternity but it is possible to teach students that the word feudalism should be used with specific reference to fiefs. The essential element is to ensure that all parties understand that the words are mere constructs coined in the seventeenth century after which it gained popularity with historians, teachers, and lawyers alike. The areas that enjoyed fully developed monarchies must be paid the same attention with those that experienced it only for a fleeting period, in a way that allows England, Italy, France, and other areas the same respect as area which reacted differently to similar or dissimilar circumstance as opposed to being called normal or abnormal. Students as well as scholars will get the necessary push to reconsider the generalized models of feudalism and investigate the subjects and areas that are yet to be examined and find answers to problems that are yet

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