Chapter 9Section 2

Feudalism

Objectives:

• List the Invaders of the Carolingian Empire• Explain Feudalism

The Invaders

• The Carolingian Empire fell apart soon after the death of Charlemagne in 814.

• Divided among his grandsons into 3 major sections: the west Frankish lands, the eastern Frankish lands, and the Middle Kingdom.– Local nobles gained power– Invasions were common

• The Muslims attacked the southern coast of Europe.

• The Magyars settled into central Europe in the ninth century, settled on the plains of Hungary.

• Vikings from the Northmen of Norsemen of Scandinavia.– Germanic people, love of adventure, search for

war spoils.

• Vikings known for the shipbuilding.• In 911, the ruler of the west Frankish land

gave the Vikings a band of land, forming a section of France known as Normandy.– Frankish policy to settle the Vikings and convert

them to Christianity.

Objectives:

• Explain Feudalism• Explain Nobility of the Middle Ages• Analyze the role of Arisoticratic Women in

society

The Developments of Feudalism

• Invaders threatened safety and tore central governments were torn apart.

• People turned to local landed aristocrats to protect them.– To survive it was important to find a powerful lord

who could offer protection in exchange for services.

– Led to a new political system known as feudalism.

Knights and Vassals

• Central Idea: Vassalage– A man who served a lord in a military fashion was

considered a vassal.• For almost 500 years, warfare was dominated

by heavily armed Calvary, or knights.– Great Social prestige

• Land was the most important gift that could be given to a vassal.

Feudal Contract

– Loyalty to the lord was the chief virtue.• A grant of land given to a vassal was called a fief.– Vassals who held fiefs held political authority.

• The lord-vassal relationship was based on honor and required no servitude.

• A set of unwritten rules, called a feudal contract, determined the relationship between the lord and his vassal.– Example: Military Service, Financial Payments– Vice Versa: Granting land, defending, and legal protection.

Nobility of the Middle Ages

• Society dominated by men whose chief concern was warfare.

• Nobility- kings, dukes, counts, barons, bishops and archbishops formed an aristocracy that held political, economic and social power.– Knighthood was unifying, but divisions were based on

wealth.• Twelfth century nights competed in tournaments,

which included the joust.– Viewed as training for war.

• Influenced by the Catholic Church, an ideal of civilized behavior known as chivalry emerged in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.– Code of Ethics for Knights

• Defend the church and helpless people, treat captives as honored guests.

• Idea that one should fight for glory, not for material rewards.

Aristocratic Women

• Women could legally hold property, but most remained under the control of men.

• Lady of the castle had to manage the estate finances and help.

• Responsible for overseeing food supply and maintaining all other supplies needed.

• Strong women in history:• Eleanor of Aquitaine- married at 15 to Louis

VII of France. He had their marriage annulled, and 8 weeks later married Duke Henry of Normandy, who soon became King Henry II of England. – Created a cultural court.– Had eight children (5 sons), 2 of which would

become kings of England (Richard and John)

Closure:

• Today I learned…• For Example….• Therefore…• Clearly…

Classwork/Homework

• 9-2 Worksheet• 9-2 Assessment Page 296 1,2, 4-6