1 / 21

Feudalism and the Manorial System

Feudalism and the Manorial System. Feudalism. Feudalism: a political system with small, local, and independent leaders (local lords) The System: Powerful nobles (Lord) grant land (fief) to lesser nobles (vassal)

patty
Download Presentation

Feudalism and the Manorial System

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 and the Manorial System .

  2. Feudalism • Feudalism: a political system with small, local, and independent leaders (local lords) • The System: • Powerful nobles (Lord) grant land (fief) to lesser nobles (vassal) • Vassal promised loyalty, military assistance, and other services to the lord of the fief • Vassals could further divide the land and grant it to others such as knights, who would fight for them in war • A vassal could also be a lord

  3. Feudalism • Fiefs became hereditary • Primogeniture: system of inheritance from father to eldest son • Women: generally did not control land, but often had a fief as part of her dowry • Kings: every land holder was a vassal to the king, but only controlled those who lived on his feudal lands • The church: was part of the feudal system with their own fiefs and vassals

  4. Warfare • Common during the Middle Ages • Most were small, private fights between feudal lords with a handful of knights • A few large conflicts involving entire regions broke out • Knights wore armor • Chain mail until gun powder was developed • Later, overlapping metal plates were worn • Horses were large

  5. Feudal Justice • Trial by Battle: a duel between accusers • Compurgation (Oath Taking): accuser supported by others who swore or took an oath of truth that the accuser was guilty/innocent • Trial by Ordeal: outcome of an ordeal determined the accused guilt/innocence

  6. The Manorial System • An economic system followed by people living on manors (large farming estates) • Farms were self-sufficient • A lord and several peasant families shared the land of the manor • The lord generally kept 1/3 of the land for his home (domain) and peasant families gave the lord some of their crops as well as help farm the lord’s land.

  7. The Manorial System • Manor Villages • Usually located near a river or stream to power the village mill • Peasant Life (serfs) • Life was difficult • Serfs could not leave the land without permission from the lord • Life expectancy was short (disease, starvation, warfare) • Most peasants lived, worked, and died where they were born.

  8. The Manorial System • Nobles’ Lifestyles • Today’s standard of living is better than kings and queens of the middle ages (It wasn’t as glamorous as what is in the movies) • A lord spent most of his days looking after his land and dispensing justice among vassals and serfs • A lord or vassal depended on his wife and children for help. • Marriage was viewed as a way to advance one’s fortune (dowry)

  9. Castles • Early Middle Ages: built of earth and wood (Later: made of stone) • Usually built on hills or other places difficult to attack • A ditch or “moat” was dug around a castle if only flat land was available (often filled with water) • A draw bridge could be lowered across the moat and raised for protection

  10. Castles • “Keep”: main part of castle • Strong tower containing storerooms, workshops, and perhaps barracks and the lord’s living quarters • Great Hall: place where the lord accepted visitors • Castles had thick walls with small windows and no glass

  11. Chivalry • A code of conduct that dictated a knight’s behavior toward others. • To become a knight, a boy had to be born of nobility • Boys first became a “page” or attendant for a knight to learn to care for weapons • In teenage years a page became a squire or full assistant to the knight • After proving himself in battle a squire would become a knight in an elaborate ceremony

  12. Coat of Arms • A symbol on the knight’s shield to distinguish himself from others

  13. . .

  14. . .

  15. . .

  16. . .

  17. . .

  18. . .

  19. . .

  20. . .

  21. . .

More Related