Feudalism and the Manorial System in Medieval Europe

1. • Focus: -Feudalism is a form of government that started in the middle ages. -Feudalism only occurs when there is a weak central government because the king ends up giving away some of his land.

2. The Middle Ages - Europe Feudalism Manor System

4. Social Structure – Feudal Europe King or Queen – rulers of the kingdom or empire King/Queen Nobles – Lords who control the land Nobles Knights – fighters who also have control over land (lesser lords) Knights Peasants – majority who worked the land and served others Peasants

5. Medieval Society - Europe • Kings and Queens • Rulers • Nobility • Lords who controlled the land • Knights • Fighters who have land and control it like the nobility – (knights are in a sense nobility as well) • Clergy • Church officials • Peasants • Majority of the population • Worked the land and served the nobles, knights, and clergy

6. Feudalism • Political and social system based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty, military assistance, and other services.

7. Feudalism • Developed as a result of frequent invasions in western Europe. • Kings and nobles needed a way to protect their lands.

8. Feudalism • Lords divided their lands into estates called fiefs • Fiefs (land) given to vassals (a person granted land in return for loyalty or military service) • All nobles were vassals to the king

9. Systems of Vassalage • Knights – Mounted warriors who protected lord’s lands – Given land for their services – Chivalry • Code of Chivalry: • Ethics followed by knights: honesty, fairness in battle, loyal, proper treatment of women

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11. Feudal Obligations • Provide military service • Remain loyal and faithful • Give money on special occasions • Give Land • Protect from attack • Resolve disputes between knights

12. • Women’s Roles and Rights(?) – Similar to most societies at this time, women were granted lesser rights than men. – Women were expected to submit to men and obey. – Women performed domestic duties, i.e. cooking, cleaning. – Serf women worked in the fields. HOWEVER, some women of higher rank wielded great power.

13. • Reasons for Mistreatment of Women – The treatment of women was primarily based off of religious aspects. – Women were viewed as beautiful and fragile, but they were also viewed as the cause of Original Sin – Eve, in the bible.

14. Witchcraft Emerges • Medieval Europeans were very superstitious and religious – Any trouble: crop failures, bad weather, sickness, etc. was blamed on witches – Women were mainly accused because they were believed to be weaker than men and more susceptible to possession by demons or the devil. – “Witches” were examined, sometimes forced to confess, tortured, and executed. European witch hysteria would continue through the 17thcentury.

15. Women’s Lives Were Difficult • Marriages of the upper classes were not for love but for political positioning • Childbirth was very difficult and risky because of the lack of medicine • The safest place for a woman? – Become a nun: no abuse from men, no childbirth • Later, women would become prominent rulers and queens, but in general, they had few rights.

16. Religion • Christianity – Catholicism • Lives were dominated by the church. • Monasteries and convents became important, rich, and powerful. • The lives of Medieval people including various orders of monks and nuns were dedicated to the Catholic church and religion.

17. Closure • Explain why feudalism developed in western Europe. • What was a knight’s obligation to the lord? • What was the lord’s obligation to the knight?

18. Manorial System • An economic system in the Middle Ages that was built around large estates called manors • Included a village and the land surrounding it

19. Manorial System • Manors were self-sufficient – Most things needed for daily life were produced on the manor

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21. Manorial System • Serfs – Peasants who lived and worked on the lord’s manor – Were not allowed to leave the manor or marry without the lord’s permission – Were allowed to farm on the manor in return for work • Lords were required to protect the serfs

22. Manorial System • The life of a serf was harsh – Worked long hours – Few lived past 35 – Based on heredity • You were a serf if you parents were

23. Manorial System • The Harshness of Manor Life – Peasants pay taxes to use mill and bakery; pay a tithe to priest • Tithe—a church tax—is equal to one-tenth of a peasant’s income – Serfs live in crowded cottages with dirt floors, straw for beds – Worked long hours • raising crops, livestock; feeding and clothing family – Poor diet, illness, malnutrition make life expectancy 35 years – Serfs generally accept their lives as part of “God’s plan”

24. Manorial System • Freemen – skilled workers who paid rent to nobles and could leave the manor • Example: blacksmith and millers (a person who operated a grain mill)

25. Manorial System Let’s see how much you remember! 1) Everyone owed loyalty to the ________. 2) Nobles were near the top of the social hierarchy. They got _______ from the king. 3) Lesser nobles (knights) gave _________ _________ in return for land 4) _______ were bound to the land. They worked in return for ____________. 5) __________ were skilled workers. They paid rent to the ______ and were free to move if they wanted to. 25

26. Check Your Answers 1) Everyone owed loyalty to the king. 2) Nobles were near the top of the social hierarchy. They got land from the king. 3) Lesser nobles (knights) gave military service in return for land. 4) Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection. 5) Freemen were skilled workers. They paid rent to the nobles and were free to move if they wanted to.

27. Closure • What was the Manorial System? • How were manors self sufficient? • Explain why feudalism developed in western Europe.