The Middle Ages

Feudalism in Europe

Key Terms

• Lord• Fief• Vassal• Knight• Serf• Manor• Tithe

Invaders Attack• Invasions destroyed the

Carolingian Dynasty.• Vikings invaded from the North,

raiding villages and monasteries• Magyars attacked from the East,

coming from present-day Hungary and excellent horsementaking captives as slaves

• Muslims attacked from the south with goal of conquering and settling in Europe

Protecting Lands• Widespread disorder and

suffering• Kings not able to defend

their lands• People turned towards

local rulers who had own armies, instead of centralized leaders, like kings

• Rulers that could fight invaders gained followers and political strength

Feudalism

• System of a king giving land to warriors in exchange for pledge of loyalty to the king

• Based on rights and obligations• A lord, or landowner, gave land called a fief to

a vassal , who pledged loyalty to the lord.

Feudal Pyramid

Feudalism

• Kings were at the top of the pyramid and controlled the kingdom

• Next on the pyramid was the wealthy landowners such as nobles and bishops who promised protection for the king in exchange for land

• Knights then promised to defend the lords’ lands in exchange for a fief

• Peasants were at the bottom of the pyramid and worked the fields in exchange for food and shelter.

Social Classes• Status determined prestige and power• 3 groups or classes• Those who fought (nobles and knights), those

who prayed (men and women of the church), and those that worked (peasants)

• Most people were peasants, and most peasants were serfs

• Serfs could not leave land where they were born, but were not slaves (could not be bought or sold, and were allowed to live peacefully as long as lord was provided food)

Manors• Economic piece to

feudalism• Manor was the lord’s estate• Lord provided serfs with

housing, farmland, and protection

• In return serfs tended land, cared for animals, and tasks to maintain the estate

• All peasants owed lord a few days of labor per week and portion of their grain

Taxes on Peasants

• Taxed on all grain ground in the lord’s mill

• Avoiding tax by not using the mill would be treated as a crime

• Tax on marriage, and had to be approved by the lord

• Tithe-church tax of 1/10 of your income

Life of a Peasant

Reflection

• Describe the purpose of using feudalism.