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The social impact of feudalism
The social impact of feudalism
Social influence of feudalism in medieval Europe
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Response Paper: Social Relations in Medieval Europe Ultimately, every human shares the common link of being a social creature. However, throughout the existence of humanity, many different approaches to the organization of societal relationships have been employed. A twenty-first century perspective of social relations in feudal Europe, for example, can raise many questions, as the meaning of many institutions and relationships has changed considerably. Understanding social relationships in the Middle Ages today and answering the question of their influence in other aspects of life involves considering feudalism as a part of larger historical movements and considering its impact on spheres beyond simple interpersonal exchanges. During the …show more content…
Bishop Adalbero, while advocating the tripartite society, mentions some of the hardships it leaves to the serfs: “This luckless breed possesses nothing except at the cost of its own labor…the serf never sees an end to his tears and his sighs” (Adalbero, Tripartite Society). Peasants and especially serfs tended to have restricted personal freedoms due to their lower status, and generally relied upon the land, protection, and legal assistance of their lord (Backman, 325-326). Because they had little, they were disproportionately troubled by concerns such as the famine described by Ralph Glaber. Due to crop failures, the poor were forced “under the sway of a devouring hunger, to collect all sorts of carrion and other things which are horrible to mention to eat,” and cannibalism was not uncommon during the desperation of this famine (Glaber, Famine). Even if famine or other natural phenomena did not trouble them, vassals often had to contend with poor treatment from their lords. According to William of Jumièges and Wace, some peasants thought that “lords did them nothing but harm and they could get nothing out of them…[and the lord] did not keep any agreement with them,” a serious disrespect of the mutual obligations of feudal relations (William, Rebellion). Though some peasants attempted to band together against this mistreatment, their lords reacted strongly against any uprising. The lord Ralph, for instance, forced his vassals to “abandon what they had undertaken” by physically torturing rebellion leaders to the point that “they were not seen anywhere without being easily recognized” (William, Rebellion). These two sources address some of the problems in medieval European social relations. While most of the pro-feudalism texts are by nobles or church leaders, these are both by monks and therefore may be more in touch with the feelings of the average
Davis gives various examples of the social norms that peasants lived under during the sixteenth century. When Sanxi, Guerre’s father, and his family decided to leave their village, Davis states that the majority of men who leave their village do so because they “were usually not heir to their family’s property, as was Sanxi Daguerre, but younger brothers who could not or would not remain in the ancestral household” (Davis 6). This highlights the idea that being the heir to the family’s inheritance is a great indicator of how one’s life as a peasant would carry on. It is very likely that if one is the heir, then the individual shall stay at their property and assume the role as head of the household once the “s...
There are many distinct differences between Medieval society as illustrated by Achen in 800 AD and Roman society as illustrated by Pompeii in 79 AD, with some similarities. There are many aspects to examine, such as education, religion, tolerance, social classes, materialism, view of time, infra-structure, trade and cities.
A final topic focused and reformed by Catherine II and Peter I was the peasantry. During the time of both rulers, the lower classes did not benefit from their “reforms”. Peter I forced peasants to work on major projects, serve for life to others of higher class, or educate the sons of nobility. While Catherine II advocated the abolition of serfdom and cruel treatment of peasants, she failed to enhance the lives of the people and, instead, gave away thousands of state peasants who became serfs.
One of the reasons the serfs led an uprise against the government in the early 1520s was a wanting for economic equality. In a letter written from a Count to a Duke, describes the attacks the peasants were planning and executing in which they attacked the houses of the nobility (Doc 11). The peasants started with the most wealthy individuals and stealing possessions from wealthy areas (like consuming all that was available in the monasteries) and then continued to attack other rick noblemen is descending order of wealth. This systematic approach of attacking the wealthy, and the wealthiest first, shows the dislike by the peasants for the economic system at the time. In addition, in an article written by peasants, called Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants, the peasants demanded better compensations for the services they provided their lords (Doc 2). They believed that they were being severely underpaid and were suffering conditions almost equal of that to a slave. They believe that they are simply demanding what is, in their opinion, just. On another instance, in 1525, in a letter written to the Archbishop of Wurzburg by an unknown source, the peasants demand a wealth redistribution (Doc 8). Lorenz Fries, the chief advisor to the Archbishop, discusses that the secret lett...
Late Medieval Europe was a very different time from what Europe is today. It was a time where social mobility was unthinkable; people lived in fear of their creator, and were always trying to please their creator. In addition, Medieval Europe was an unhealthy and unhygienic state, where sickness and disease was rampant. It was a place where women had little to no rights, and minority groups were frequently falsely accused of many problems that were out of their control. For example, they were blamed for drought, which usually resulted in their unjust persecution because they “angered” God. Overall, Europe was the last place one would want to live unless you were of the nobility. On the other hand, Europe was also a major trading power, engaging
The rise of feudalism in Europe has also been debated about by historians. A feudal society may have formed in the later Merovingian dynasty where a variety of capitularies slowly made the peasant more reliant, and subservient to his lord. Tho...
...n Society In Medieval Europe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Mlambo, Alois. "Peasants and Peasantry." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 1727-1730. World History in Context. Web. 17 De c. 2013.
The medieval man felt that all men are equal in the sight of God and that all are equal in the sight of God and that even the humblest has an infinite worth. If a man had to work, this was not to degrade him but it was a source dignity. Having a job was to be able to take of his family and necessities. A person's property and family was to be used to gra...
This problem is expressed concisely in documents two, eight, and eleven. Document two is written in a peasant’s point of view (“we”). It is titled the Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants. The document explains what the peasants economically desired. They wanted lords to “no longer try to force more services or other dues from peasants without compensation” (Doc. 2). They also thought that “peasants should, however, help lords when it is necessary and at proper times when it does not disadvantage the peasant and for a suitable compensation” (Doc. 2). In 1525, the chief advisor, Lorenz Fries, wrote in a secret report to the Archbishop of Würzburg the demand of the “rich sharing with the poor” (wealth redistribution) and that they should see each other as “brothers” (equality). The document sounds as if it is an idle talk. The way the document is presented (the scratching of his head) calls into question Fries own personal association. There is no proof whether or not the peasants did actually desire economic equality. In 1526, a letter to Duke Albert of Prussia was given by Count Wilhelm von Henneberg (Doc. 11). The letter is in the point of view of a noble. It somehow shows bigotry against the peasants. The document, however, is written in a way that convinces others to believe that the peasants’ attacks on the rich Christian monasteries were done in order to consume the monasteries’ possession and later the noblemen’s houses. This caused the more rebellions to come. Peasants’ did this in response to the unequal distribution of
Shawna Herzog, History 101-1, Class Lecture: 11.2 Society in the Middle Ages, 27 March 2014.
During the Middle Ages, feudalism served as the “governing political, social, and economic system of late medieval Europe.” Feudalism consisted of feudal liege lords giving land and protection to vassals, common men, in exchange for their allegiance and military service. Although this principle may at first sound like a fair trade, it in actuality restricted the entire society and took away every bit of their independence. In essence, this system could even be compared to a “mini-dictatorship” because the common people relied on ...
Print. "The Middle Ages: Feudal Life." Learner.org. Annenberg Foundation, 2012. Web.
There are a multitude of understandings and interpretations of the concept culture. A common definition may be a, “cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving”(Hofstede). An explanation that may be used to discuss the culture of the Middle Ages. Furthermore, it may be used to examine the changes in key aspects, such as, religion, gender roles, and social norms during the time period of approximately the 500s to the 1500s.
Markus Fischer, “Feudal Europe, 800-1300: Communal Discourse and Conflictual Practices”, International Organization Vol. 46, No.2 (Spring 1992), pp. 427-466.