8.

2 Feudalism and the Manor Economy

A New System of Rule

Invasions caused European governments to be too weak to maintain law and order Feudalism
Evolved to replace governments Powerful lords gave lesser lords (vassals) land in exchange for their services and loyalty

Vassals were granted fiefs (estates) with peasants to work the land The vassal pledged loyalty to his lord as well as military service, money and advice

Lords, Vassals, & Knights

System of heirarchy
Monarch
Dukes, counts (most powerful lords)
Vassals (lesser lords) Knights (vassals of vassals) Peasants (the rest of the people)

Vassals could pledge loyalty to more than one lord Vassals owed their primary allegiance to their liege

The World of Warriors

Knight a mounted warrior occupation many nobles trained for
Training began at age 7, knighthood reached at age 21 Training involved horsemanship, weaponry and armor-keeping Laziness was met with beatings

 Training for knighthood (contd)

Fighting tournaments replaced warfare by the 1100s Local lords would be invited to a regional tournament to demonstrate their fighting skills Losers could be held for ransom or even killed on the battlefield Eventually, tournaments acquired a more ceremonial nature

 Castles.
Fortified homes to withstand attacks Keep (tower) surrounded by a fence Became grander and stronger over time By the 1100s, wealthy castles featured elements such as:
Stone construction Wide moats High walls Drawbridges Towers Strategic geographical locations Portcullis Battlements Thick wooden gates

 Roles of Noblewomen
Lady became lord when husband was doing battle Supervised vassals, managed household Eleanor of Aquitaine
Queen of France and queen of England Leading force in European politics for 70 years

Daughters of nobility were sent away to be trained in:

Spinning Weaving Servant supervision

 Chivalry
Code of conduct adopted by knights and nobles (but not peasants) Encouraged bravery, loyalty, honesty Fair fights and generosity toward enemies Called for women to be protected/cherished

The Manor
Peasants and lords.
Serfs - people bound to farm land; neither slave nor free Lords protected serfs from Viking raiders but also collected money from them

 A narrow world.
Peasants rarely left the manor Each manor was self-sufficient Half the land was left fallow each year to improve ground fertility