Feudalism

word of the day

n


historical
the dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection.

New American Oxford Dictionary

the legal and social system that evolved in W Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries, in which vassals were protected and maintained by their lords, usually through the granting of fiefs, and were required to serve under them in war

Collins English Dictionary

A system of obligations that bound lords and their subjects in Europe during much of the Middle Ages. In theory, the king owned all or most of the land and gave it to his leading nobles in return for their loyalty and military service. The nobles in turn held land that peasants, including serfs, were allowed to farm in return for the peasants' labor and a portion of their produce. Under feudalism, people were born with a permanent position in society.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition


fief [( feef )]

Under feudalism, a landed estate given by a lord to a vassal in return for the vassal's service to the lord. The vassal could use the fief as long as he remained loyal to the lord.


Feudalism is the general term used to describe the political and military system of western Europe during the Middle Ages. At that time, there was no strong central government and little security, but feudalism fulfilled the basic need for justice and protection.

Feudalism is often confused with manorialism. Manorialism was the system of organizing agricultural labor. It refers to the economic relationship between the lord of a manor and his peasant tenants. Feudalism, on the other hand, was mainly a political and military system. Both the lord and his subjects, called vassals, were aristocrats. The lord gave vassals land in return for military and other services. The lord and the vassals were bound through ceremonies and oaths.

The word feudal comes from a Latin term for fief. The fief was the estate or land granted by a lord in return for a vassal's loyalty and service. Some fiefs were large enough to support one knight. Others were great provinces of a kingdom, such as the province of Normandy in France. The church, which owned large fiefs, was also part of the feudal system.

In the A.D. 400's, Germanic tribes conquered the West Roman Empire and divided it into many kingdoms. The Germanic peoples were loyal only to their tribal chiefs or to their families. Their customs replaced many Roman laws, and the strong central and local governments of the Romans disappeared. Such changes and further invasions resulted in general disorder and constant warfare in the years following the fall of the West Roman Empire. Feudalism helped establish order in Europe under these conditions.

WorldBook