[ Feudalism ]

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Feudalism
HIST1002 Tradition and Transformation in Western
History
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Feudalism ??

• Marc Bloch, Feudal society
• Carl Stephenson, Medieval Feudalism
• Ganshof, Feudalism
• Sidney Painter, Medieval Society, French
  Chivalry
• Rushton Coulborn, Feudalism in History
• Joseph Strayer, Feudalism in Western Europe
• Brain Tierney, Feudalism Cause or Consequence
  of Anarchy / Decentralization, in Great Issues
  in Western Civilization
• Hoyt

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Background

• After the fall of the Western Roman Empire m of
  Western Europe the Barbarian West ( Title of
  a book by Wallace-Hadrill)
• Structure
• Roman Law
• Peace Order
• Impossible to maintain orderly central govt. over
  large areas
• Split into small units
• in small self-sufficient villages
• no other choice
• a new pattern of social political, economic
  life emerged feudalism different from
  ancient Chou (Zhou) China

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Other Causes Background

• Spiritual monastic movement
• (mountain retreat) ????
• barbarian custom
• e.g. Germanic comitatus
• Medieval Feudalism in Western Europe
• NOT planned to be introduced BUT just reaction
  to chaotic conditions different from Ancient
  Chou China
• Chinese Feudalism from top
• Medieval European Feudalism NOT from top

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Main Characteristics(??)

• Feudalism anything but systematic
• all kinds of variations
• differed from place to place, from time to time
• e.g. France 8th century (Charlemagne) ? England
  11th century (William the Conqueror)
• 18th century term, after 1789 France Revolution
  ancient Regime (?the Middle Ages)

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Feudalism The Major Force

• the major force relationship of mutual loyalty
  individuals lord vassal
• personal different from Roman institutional
• Joseph Strayer, Feudalism in Western Europe

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Feudalism

• Scattered political form
• ??(private possession)
• A vassal held from his lord an estate of land (
  fief??) in exchange with military service
  protection / contribution
• A warlike aristocracy. Feudal lords enjoyed
  fighting. When there was no external enemy to
  fight, they cheerfully fought one another in
  fighting tournaments ---hereditary
• ---marriage
•  contract (????) between lord vassal (knights)

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Rushton Coulborn, The Idea of Feudalism, in
Feudalism in History

• Feudalism fundamentally, a political structure
• Feudalism political contract between lord
  vassal

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Carl Stephenson, Medieval Feudalism

• Political, lord vassal contract

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F. L. Ganshof, Feudalism

• Political, Carolingian Franks, military
• But,
• Warrior aristocracy 10 of people (upper
  stratum)
• 90 of people (majority) farmers

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????

• Emphasize on the socio-economic
  aspects/characteristic
• Seignorialism
• (manor) ??

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Marc Bloch, Feudal Society

• Economic ??????????????
• A subject peasantry
• System of land tenements services replacing
  salaries rents
• Specialized warriors
• Ties of obedience (loyalty / service)
  protection
• Fragmentation ? disorder, decentralization
• Personal leadership

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Summary

• constructive response (C.W. Hollister)
• social phenomenon

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Feudalism
?? (?) (?)
Feudalism by their intrinsic nature (stratified pyramid, hereditary, primogeniture) gave rise to violence ? decentralization, anarchy. R.W. Southern, Joseph Strayer, C. Warren Hollister Feudalism a constructive response to the difficult problems of the age that produced it.   Hoyt Feudalism brought order out of chaos in a crucial period of European development provided military security, social order, reconstruction of political authority on a local regional basis. ? Feudalism was the result, not the cause, of decentralization.
? May be, at the same time, BOTH cause
consequence of decentralization?