Feudalism and Manorialism Power Point
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Transcript Feudalism and Manorialism Power Point
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Feudalism: a political system with small,
local, and independent leaders (local
lords)
› The System:
Powerful nobles (Lord) grant land (fief) to lesser
nobles (vassal)
Vassal promised loyalty, military assistance, and
other services to the lord of the fief
Vassals could further divide the land and grant it to
others such as knights, who would fight for them in war
A vassal could also be a lord
Fiefs became hereditary
› Primogeniture: system of inheritance from
father to eldest son
Women: generally did not control land,
but often had a fief as part of her dowry
Kings: every land holder was a vassal to
the king, but only controlled those who
lived on his feudal lands
The church: was part of the feudal system
with their own fiefs and vassals
Common during the Middle Ages
› Most were small, private fights between
feudal lords with a handful of knights
› A few large conflicts involving entire regions
broke out
Knights wore armor
Chain mail until gun powder was developed
Later, overlapping metal plates were worn
Horses were large
Trial by Battle: a duel between accusers
Compurgation (Oath Taking): accuser
supported by others who swore or took an
oath of truth that the accuser was
guilty/innocent
Trial by Ordeal: outcome of an ordeal
determined the accused guilt/innocence
An economic system followed by people
living on manors (large farming estates)
› Farms were self-sufficient
› A lord and several peasant families shared
the land of the manor
The lord generally kept 1/3 of the land for his
home (domain) and peasant families gave the
lord some of their crops as well as help farm
the lord’s land.
Manor Villages
› Usually located near a river or stream to
power the village mill
Peasant Life (serfs)
› Life was difficult
Serfs could not leave the land without
permission from the lord
› Life expectancy was short (disease,
starvation, warfare)
› Most peasants lived, worked, and died
where they were born.
Nobles’ Lifestyles
› Today’s standard of living is better than kings
and queens of the middle ages (It wasn’t as
glamorous as what is in the movies)
› A lord spent most of his days looking after his
land and dispensing justice among vassals
and serfs
› A lord or vassal depended on his wife and
children for help.
› Marriage was viewed as a way to advance
one’s fortune (dowry)
Early Middle Ages: built of earth and
wood (Later: made of stone)
Usually built on hills or other places
difficult to attack
› A ditch or “moat” was dug around a castle if
only flat land was available (often filled with
water)
A draw bridge could be lowered across the
moat and raised for protection
“Keep”: main part of castle
› Strong tower containing storerooms,
workshops, and perhaps barracks and the
lord’s living quarters
Great Hall: place where the lord
accepted visitors
Castles had thick walls with small
windows and no glass
A code of conduct that dictated a
knight’s behavior toward others.
› To become a knight, a boy had to be born
of nobility
› Boys first became a “page” or attendant for
a knight to learn to care for weapons
› In teenage years a page became a squire
or full assistant to the knight
› After proving himself in battle a squire would
become a knight in an elaborate ceremony
A symbol on the knight’s shield to
distinguish himself from others
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