1 / 17

Feudalism

Feudalism. What is it? 1) Political and social system of Middle Ages 2) New way to get soldiers 3) System of vassals. What is a vassal?. Someone who is given use of land in return for military service See handout A vassal can be vassal to more than one lord (subinfeudation).

antoinette-jaydin
Download Presentation

Feudalism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Feudalism • What is it? • 1) Political and social system of Middle Ages • 2) New way to get soldiers • 3) System of vassals

  2. What is a vassal? • Someone who is given use of land in return for military service • See handout • A vassal can be vassal to more than one lord (subinfeudation)

  3. Feudal Contract • Both men must be nobles (free men and knights as well) • Unwritten rules that determined relationship between lord and vassal • Lord has land and wants military service • Vassal wants land and will fight • Made official by public ceremony (homage)

  4. Homage • 1) Oath of fealty (made by vassal) • Always stated in the negative, i.e. “I will not…” • 2) Investiture of fief (done by lord) • 3) Kiss

  5. Obligations • Lord • 1) Protection (physical and legal) • 2) Guardianship (of minors) • 3) Justice (if vassal is accused) A) Trial by battle B) Compurgation (oath taking) C) Trial by ordeal

  6. Obligations • Vassal • 1) Military Service (40 days/year) • 2) Counsel (attend court, judge peers) • 3) Relief (1 year’s income – payment to become vassal) • 4) Aids and Dues (hospitality, financial costs, etc.)

  7. Manorialism • Manorialism = economic system of Middle Ages • Most people lived on a manor (at least in the early Middle Ages); Consists of: • Seigneur (Lord of the Manor) holds fief containing manors which is… • Land worked by serfs – some free (all legally bound to work the vassal’s land) –*disregard much of what book says about peasant life span

  8. Life of Nobility • Most of Middle Ages activities centered around war • Actual fighting or hunting (practice for war) or tournaments (play war) • Families • Husband head of family – marriages often made to advance one’s wealth and land

  9. Knights • Chivalry • Age 7 = page • Age 12-14 = squire • Age 18 (usually) = knight • Marked by grand ceremony

  10. Castles, Peasants, and Cities(oh my)

  11. Where people lived • Not everyone lived in castles (most lived on a manor) • Castles for nobility (usually only for Kings) • Not all large, stone structures • First castles = motte and bailey • When weaponry changes, castles change • Not cozy, comfy places to live • Become ineffective at end of 100 Years’ War because of…

  12. Life in Castles • No soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and perfume hard to come by • Draftiness (motte & bailey had problems with rain) • Tapestries on walls, animal skins on windows • Light frequently from torches (no chimneys until 12th-13th century) • Floor covered with rushes (straw) • Food not so good (no forks!)

  13. Economy Changes • By 1000-1100 trade begins to revive (the Crusades stimulate desire for products such as high quality cloth, silk, spices, sugar, etc. • Trade Fairs • Trade leads to revival of cities (walled structures) which leads to decline of feudalism (peasants can leave because they have a place to go) • Trade creates 3 important developments: a manufacturing system, a banking system, and the practice of investing capital (p. 259)

  14. Towns and Cities • Townspeople had at least 4 basic rights • 1) Freedom • 2) Exempt status (no serf service) • 3) Town Justice • 4) Commercial privileges • Creates organization of guilds

  15. Cities • Crowded, dirty places • Generally small since walls were expensive to build • Fire danger great (wooden houses with candles for light and heat) • Bad smell (animal and human waste) • Bad water • Few baths (closed down because of public nudity) • Disease, such as…

  16. Black Death • 1348-1350 • Kills 1/3 of Europe’s population (20+ million) • 3 forms of Black Death • Bubonic (60%), Pneumonic (90%), Septicemic (100%)

  17. Spread of Plague • Blamed on Jews, witches, foreigners, or punishment of God • Really spread by • 1) Well-meaning stupidity (processions and public prayers, going to church, getting together with people) • 2) Attitude towards cats (agents of Satan) • 3) Change in rat population (brown rat replaces black)

More Related