Feudalism

1
Feudalism

• I. After the Fall of Charlemagne
• 1. No strong central government
• 2. Cities became unsafe
• 3. Money became worthless
• -What did people value when
• became worthless?
• -LAND
• 4. Landowners became rulers
• -Land Lords or Lords
• -Lords maintain law and order
• -Manorial System
• -Feudalism

2
II. Feudalism

• 1. Lords
• a. Powerful landowners
• 2. Knights / Vassals
• a. Warriors who protected Lord
• given land as payment
• 3. Fief / Feud
• a. Land given to a Knight or Vassal

www.answers.com/topic/feudalism
3
II. Feudalism continued

• 4. Lord Knights Contract
• a. Knight Promised
• -Military protection
• -Payment of taxes
• -Entertain the Lord
• -Protect Lord from capture
• b. Lord Promised
• -Land
• -Military equipment
• -Maintain roads, buildings
• -Issue law and order
• -Serve as a Judge

  Feudal System
4
II. Feudalism continued

• 5. Breakdown of Feudalism
• a. Boost in trade
• -rebuilt cities
• -new jobs available
• b. Money increased in value
• -people left manors
• -find city jobs
• c. Invention of armor piercing arrows
• -Knights became obsolete

www.geocities.com/.../peasants_revolt.htm
5
III. The Manorial System

• Self-sufficient
• Able to run by itself, without outside
  support
• 1. Manor-
• a. Plot of land owned by the Lord
• -Including the Castle or Manor House
• 2. Serfs-
• a. poor working class who worked on the Manor
• 3. Castle-
• a. Fortified mansion designed to repel
  attackers
• 4. Lord Vassal Contract
• a. See slide 3
• 5. Tournament
• a. Contests between Knights
• -joust, race, games, etc
• -entertain the Lord