Transcript Vassals
Life in Medieval Europe: A look at Life and the Feudal Hierarchy 8th Grade Social Studies 08-09 WHY WAS FEUDALISM NECESSARY? A New Order • Feudalism • A political and economic system in which large landholders gave protection to people in return for their service to the landholder • Filled two needs – Peoples need for protection – Landowners need for defense • Lasted until around 1450 • orders of authority or hierarchies developed between different classes The Feudal Hierarchy • Monarch • Lords • Vassal • Knight • Guildsmen/Craftsmen • Peasants/Serfs • either a king or a queen which was typically in power based on lineage • powerful noblemen and women who owned large tracts of land (fiefs) • a person who is given a manor from a lord or king • a specially trained soldier who fights for a lord and vassal • men who learned from a relative how to produce a particular good for the manor • poor farmers who work the manor’s farmland in exchange for protection The Feudal Hierarchy Freeman (Guildsman/Craftsman) Serfs/Peasants The Feudal Hierarchy Vassals Knights LABOR PROTECTION Freeman (Guildsman/Craftsman) Serfs/Peasants The Feudal Hierarchy Lords LAND AND PROTECTION LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE Vassals Knights LABOR PROTECTION Freeman (Guildsman/Craftsman) Serfs/Peasants The Feudal Hierarchy Monarch LOYALTY AND SERVICE LAND Lords LAND AND PROTECTION LOYALTY AND MILITARY SERVICE Vassals Knights LABOR PROTECTION Freeman (Guildsman/Craftsman) Serfs/Peasants The Monarch • Monarch • was a king or queen who ruled over a strong central government. • considered god-like in their kingdom. Feudal Lords and Ladies • Feudal Lords and Ladies • considered to be noble in Feudal Europe • granted fiefs (large tracts of land) by the king or queen • citizens were expected to pay homage to the lord and lady with the Oath of Fealty • in return the lord or lady would raise an army to protect them in times of trouble Lords • Lords • owned hundreds to thousands of acres • gained wealth through rent, taxes, services and food from craftsmen and serfs • lived lavishly in his castle and met regularly with his court to discuss issues around the fief Lady • Lady • dealt with the management of crops, animals and property • ruled over hundreds of employees and servants • served the manor as a nurse since doctors and surgeons were few and far between Vassals • Vassals • former knights who paid homage to their lords were rewarded for their service with manors • each manor contained a smaller castle and the ability to thwart enemy attacks with certain defenses Feudal Contract LORDS GIVE SERVICE TO GIVE PROTECTION TO VASSALS Knights • Knights • specially trained soldiers who paid homage and said the Oath of Fealty to both their lords and vassals • were given all the same rights and privileges as lords Craftsmen • Craftsmen • people that worked in each manor producing goods for the manor’s self-sufficiency • had special skills so their work was in high demand • many lived in wooden homes and had enough income to support their family Serfs • Serfs • owned no land to pass on to future generations • lived in mud and stone huts, sometimes wood and stone homes • gave most of their harvests to their vassal or Church • men typically worked the land or were called to fight, while women produced food and clothing for their own household Comparing Serfs to Lords Serfs • Ate eggs, bread, poultry, some meat, and vegetables • Wore wool and animal skin clothes • Benefited from their beasts of burden, selling some crops, and bartering what little they had Lords • Ate meat, game, fish, pastries, spices, and vegetables • Wore wool, silk, and linen clothes • Acquired wealth from rent, taxes, services and products from their fief, and the prizes of conquest. Quick-Write Assignment • Quick Write #11 : Based on your notes describe why paying homage and taking oaths, like the Oath of Fealty, would be such an important part of Medieval Life.