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The rise of feudalism in medieval europe
Feudal system on economy
Peasants'work life in the middle ages
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The Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, was a difficult time period for many, struggling daily. All of the disease was unbearable, causing death each day to many people. The peasants, who were at the bottom of the feudal system, struggled the most with personal hygiene. The feudal system was basically how people were organized through social class in the Middle Ages, at the bottom being the poorest, and at the top being the richest. The three main groups consisting in the feudal system were kings, peasants, and knights. In the Middle Ages, not everybody was equal. Kings owned almost everyone and everything, Knights fought and received land in exchange, and the poor peasants lived a dreadful life each day. Kings were at the top …show more content…
of the feudal system. They were the most important out of everybody, they ruled all people, all land, and the village (Alchin). Kings were the wealthiest of all (Macdonald 30). They lived in a manor, with peasants serving them (“Social Classes”). The king was very powerful as he “owned all the land, and governed the people” (Park 6). They had great feasts, including pig and bird. The kings were in charge of everyone in the castle: the cook, farmer, steward, and the servant. At these big feasts, the king sat at the highest table farthest from the kitchen. His household and guests sat on benches that stretched down the hall with the poorest being farthest from the high table. At feasts they had music for entertainment including instruments such as the trumpet, recorder and the lute (Park 10-11). Kings had a good life ruling everyone, and never getting told what to do. They got to tell everyone what to do, and they were the most powerful in the land. Peasants were the poorest of all, each day they lived a dreadful life being told what to do each day, working until they collapsed.
Peasants took care of the land for everybody (Alchin). They worked and lived in the estates of noblemen and knights, they farmed the land all through the changing seasons (Eastwood 5). In winter, wood was cut and fences were built by the peasants, they also had to maintain and fertilize the fields (Park 12). In the spring, “peasants plowed the fields and planted seeds into the ground”. These would grow and be harvested in the fall. They also took care of newborn livestock, such as baby lambs. In summer, wheat was harvested. The sheep were trimmed for their wool and the grass was cut for cattle feed. In fall oats were harvested, pigs were let free to fatten on acorns, and grapes were pressed to make wine (13). In every season, peasants worked very hard and received very little in exchange. Knights fought to protect the village and revived land in exchange. Knights came from high rankings family. If a knight performed well in battle, “they were granted land in exchange by a king”. The knight would swear allegiance to his lord - the Oath of Fealty. Fealty and homage were key elements of feudalism. The knight swore that he would fight for his manor to protect all and stay loyal. A Knight who proved valiant in battle could become wealthy. The most wealthy and powerful knights then joined the nobility
(Alchin). It is clear that each day many suffered because of the feudal system in the Middle Ages. Peasants suffered through personal health, working many hours each day. Knights fought daily to protect their Manor, and the cruel kings told everyone what to do, being served each day. The feudal system caused many to suffer and die. The feudal system was not a fair way to run the manor, but that is how life was in the Middle Ages, and it was unfair and tragic.
The middle ages took place around the 10th century. During this time period the social structure was divided into 4 classes which made up the feudal system. The lowest class that made up the majority was the peasants, which also included the serfs. The
The serf daily life starts off by waking up as an early as 3am. After they will eat breakfast, which was usually pottage. Working in the fields was than their main job. This includes reaping, which is cutting crops for harvest, sowing, ploughing, haymaking, threshing, hedging and more. They farm because they had to work his lords land and paid the lord a certain dues in return of the use of the land. The payment can be money or food etc. The serfs had to pay 3 days a week, and if they didn’t work then they are punished or resign to a new owner. There other jobs for the serfs such as craftsmen, bakers, farmers, and tax collectors. Women had to maintain their household, and assists their husband. Usually the women serf can only be a maid, servant or nun.
The person in charge of the peasant he "owned" was known as a lord. A lord and peasant were very courteous towards one another because of the fact that a lord, no matter what, could not evict a peasant and also a peasant was unable to decline work (Gilberts para. 1). A peasant would work three days a week on his lord's land. Peasants proved to be very precious to their "landowner because of the work" they were capable of achieving.
“Feudalism was a political, economic, and social system in which nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king” (Doc. 1) "Social" life in the Middle Ages was the only kind of life people knew. Whether nobility, craftsperson or peasant your life was defined by your family, your community and those around you (OI). “The Church protected the Kings and Queens (OI).” “The King is above Nobles, Nobles above Knights, and the Knights are above serfs (Doc.1).” “ Nobles provides money and knights. Knights provide protection and military service (Doc. 1).” Social network, your village and your local nobility, was your family (OI).” “From the moment of its baptism a few days after birth, a child entered into a life of service to God and God’s Church (Doc.3).” “Every Person was required to live by the Church’s laws and to pay heavy taxes to support the Church (Doc.3).” “In return for this, they were shown the way to everlasting life and happiness after lives that were often short and hard (Doc. 3).” In conclusion, this is what it was like in the Middle Ages from a social
Feudalism helped large land owners protect their land from Germanic invaders and Vikings. In Feudalism the Nobles promised to help fight the kings enemies. The King gave land to nobles under him. The Nobles were called Vassals of the King and the Vassals fought for their King and other Nobles who were Knights. A serf was someone who farmed the lands and serfs had to pay rent and taxes to nobles. The King gave fiefs that were large land grants to Vassals. Vassals also gave fiefs to Knights and Knights gave protection to serfs. Knights were heavily armed soldiers who rode horsebacks. The manor was isolated. Mostly all of the people in the Feudal system lived on the manor which included the castle, church, village, and the surrounding farm land
All throughout history and even in modern day countries have been structured by a social class system, however sometimes terrible disasters can set off this social balance. The Black Death was an appalling pandemic that swept through Europe killing thousands of medieval Europeans. Feudalism was a social system based on each level giving and getting products and services to keep the medieval society and it’s people alive. All classes during the Black Plague were affected, noble or serf, this caused a monumental power shift and the social classes never to be the same again. With feudalism’s tight social structure, the Black Death in the late 1300s demolished the population and feudal ties in medieval Europe.
Feudalism is a system of land ownership and duties that were used in the Middle Ages. Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of his land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. Rulers in all society wanted to create law and order and ensure that people make good use of the society’s resources. That is why feudalism was created. Monarchs had to accept limits on their own personal power. They also needed to respond to expectations that other groups in society have a say in decision-making. People began to use medieval courts for problems that had previously been solved by trial by combat.
Europe’s social structure in the Middle Ages consisted of feudalism. A hierarchical society of Kings granting land to nobles, who would then give a fief to a knight in return for service. The knight would then have peasants or serfs working on their fief. However, as the plague spread, many peasants died and their labour could not be replaced. This loss of workforce had a significant impact upon the economy as grain was not being harvested and livestock roamed free. The agrarian economy had been severely damaged, the land became uncultivated and returned back to its natural state. This rural collapse eventually led to food shortages in towns and cities.
In the Medieval Period, life was either very great or very bad, according to your class. Only 2 classes existed during this time: the nobles, such as kings and knights who lived inside the castle, or the peasants, such as working-class people who lived in often unspeakable conditions. The peasants treated the nobles with the utmost respect, for if they didn’t, then the nobles could have them beheaded. (Sanders, p 34). The nobles were almost always the ones who owned land, and the peasants worked on this land in exchange for a small portion of it, in a sense, rented out in exchange for the labor. Peasants often worked 16-hour days as long as they could see into the nighttime and got very bad nourishment. The noble was not interested in the health of the peasants working on his land, as there was a significant supply of others who were very willing to take his or her place.
As time progressed the feudal system was created. It was designed to divide the lands and protect from attack. The king first gave a fief or a piece of land to a royal vassal. As proof for this exchange in land a vassal would swear to the lord to be his man all the days of his life and protect him against "all men who may live or die." Next came investiture. Investiture was a symbolic gesture when a King or a lord presented a royal vassal or a vassal a stick, a small rod, or a clod of earth to show that he has given him a fief. Now this royal vassal was in charge of a huge piece of land. In order to defend it he would then divide his land into smaller pieces. He would take these smaller pieces and give them to warriors or who agreed to be his own vassals. Thus, the royal vassal became a lord to other vassals. The vassals now under this lord would now divide their lands and grant fiefs to warriors of their own. Last in the dividing of land was the knight whose parcel of land was too small to be divided.
The work of serfs and freemen allotted time for the overlords and knights indulge in other activities, as well as incentives the overlord uses to prompt the knight to join his army. Peasants were an important part of how the king forms an army. Though they were not part of the feudal relationship of vassal and lord, they supported the entire feudal structure by working the land with labor. “Their labor freed lords and knights to spend their time preparing for war or fighting” rather than making the lords and knights watch over the land and do some work of their own (Focus on Feudalism 2:20-2:30). If the knight joined the army that the king was creating, the agreement that was made with the king was an insurance-type deal; that if the knight were to become a soldier, his whole family would be protected through this (C. Smith).
Feudalism It is common knowledge that feudalism was used during the medieval era, but not many people know how it worked, what were some of its’ benefits, or even its’ downfalls. This research paper will clarify all of these points, and hopefully give you a better understand of this form of government. Feudalism started in 1066, after William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxons. William the Conqueror used this technique of exchanging land for military services, to award his generals for helping him conqueror the British Isles.
The peasants in the castle had to provide meals and undertake menial tasks for their lord. Most of the peasants that worked in the castle were women, they were expected to cook, clean, and wait on the lord. Other peasants/ servants would help out with the horses and kitchen staff. the horses had to be fed, groomed and their stables kept
Land is Money is Power is History One hundred years from now, historians will look back at the 2000s and try to make sense of what happened today. The good historians will quickly find what happened and move on to why it did. History should be more than a list of events and dates. History is made up of patterns, and more importantly, people making choices. Understanding history is understanding why people make the choices they do.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.