Roman Feudal System

Jenna Lopez 3/25/15

3rd Quarter Project (Feudalism) Colesanti Pd. 8

The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in significant change. Western Europe fell into a state of chaos and disorder and lacked a strong central government. As a result, feudalism and the manor systems developed. The feudal system was a loosely organized system of government where local lords would govern their own land but owed service to a greater lord. The manors were self-sufficient and were the center of feudal society. As the Roman Empire fell apart the kings would grant their land (otherwise known as fiefs) to lords and nobles/vassals in exchange for their loyalty. These lands developed into manors and usually contained a castle, a small village, farmland,

In return for protection, the serfs would tend to the land. By doing this, they would thus for be considered serfs and would never be able to break out of serfdom. Overall, there were many outcomes socially, politically, and economically as a result from the feudal system. Socially, the feudal system was positive because it created a need for all citizens. Even though there was a separation between classes, each class helped one another in different ways. The Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World states “strictly speaking, feudalism refers to the medieval dependency/service relationship between lords and their vassals or to the political subordination and service of lesser lords to higher lords or princes.” This quote shows how the classes in these societies were dependent on one another. They trusted that each class in the feudal society would do their part in order to keep their manor running properly. Although, the separation between these classes was very large and had a

At the time when feudalism developed, Rome was in complete chaos and had a very weak government and army. Many peasants felt unsafe because they could not count on the army for protection, so they turned to the feudal system and went into serfdom which provided them with the security they needed. The book Feudalism, Monarchs, and Nobility describes the rise of the feudal system by saying “the medieval feudal system was characterized by the absence of public authority and the exercise by local lords of administrative and judicial functions formerly (and later) performed by centralized governments…” (Nagle. Pg. 9). This quote shows how the feudal system was formed out of a need for centralized government and attempted at performing functions that the centralized government once did. This feudal system gave many citizens a form of safety and government in times when they needed it most. Another positive feature of this system was that power was broken up. Instead of having one king or emperor control all of the land, nobles were given different parts of Europe which makes it easier to focus and manage one area of