Verified Document

Feudalism Can Be Described As The Series Essay

Related Topics:

Feudalism can be described as the series of legitimate and military customs that prospered between the 9th and 15th centuries in medieval Europe. While there are controversies among scholars regarding the emergence of this government structure, its first definite form appeared in the 9th and 10th centuries in the Frankish lands ("History of Feudalism" par, 1). This concept was a system for structuring the society through relationships emanating from the possession of land in exchange for labor or service. However, feudalism and the involved system were not considered as an official political system by the people living during this period. As a series of reciprocal legitimate and military customs among the warrior nobility, feudalism mainly consisted of three major ideas i.e. lords, vassals, and fiefs. During the Middle Ages period, feudalism regarded as the law of the land and acted as the foundation with which the upper nobility classes would retain their control of the lower classes ("The Feudal Structure par, 1). While the kings, lords, and peasants were crucial to the rigid governmental structure, church leaders...

The origin and maintenance of the rigid government structure can be attributed to the great size of land that kings had under their control. Most of these kings control the lands on the belief that it was their divine right i.e. granted by God and passed on through inheritance.
With the lack of a quick communication system, there was no physical way for the kings to rule the land effectively. These difficulties were also fueled by the need to travel for several days from one part of the country to another even in small countries. Despite of these difficulties, kings needed to maintain their control of the land even through indirect means. Consequently, kings formed some sort of contract with their barons, their direct underlings, as a solution to the difficulties. These barons were in turn given large portions of the kings' lands, which were commonly known as manors or fiefs for their fealty and homage to the kings. The barons paid their homage and fealty by offering their support to the kings at all times, controlling…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited:

"The Feudal Structure of the Medieval World." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. .

"History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease - All The Knowledge You Need. Infoplease Part of Family Education Network, 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0858102.html>.

"Vassals." Middle Ages. The Middle Ages Website. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/vassals.htm>.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Industrialization Benefits and Negatives Feudalism Was the
Words: 857 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Industrialization Benefits and Negatives Feudalism was the primary economic base during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This was more of a patron system in which the means of production (land, any equipment, etc.) was owned by the Church or royalty. Workers then "leased" the right to work on the land, paying their tax in the form of product or service. However, with increased urbanization and tradecraft, ties to a feudal lord

Modern Political Thought
Words: 4396 Length: 12 Document Type: Term Paper

Politics Modern Political Thought The transition from a feudal serf economy to a capitalist market economy was one of the fundamental shifts which have produced modernity as we know it. This essay aims to understand how the authors of The Prince and Leviathan, Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes would think about the transition and how these two great minds would relate to the issue of capitalism. Capitalism is a funny game that

East Asian History
Words: 1353 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

history of Japan. First, it will describe the masculinization of Japanese culture during the Kamakura Shogunate period and explore why masculinization happened. Second, the changing roles and relationships with each Buddhism and Shinto in Japan from Nara through the Kamakura period will be explored. Third, Korea's relationship with China and Japan up until the 1600's will be compared and contrasted. Fourth, the kinds of social, political and cultural climate

Social Clevages & Political Quarrels
Words: 712 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

My views tend to classify modern societies first by their political system: socialist, democratic, representative, totalitarian, and then move more into demographics and psychographics. 1.2 Political Quarrels -Describe, in a 250-300-word post, one of the quarrels faced by the Britons or the French. Analyze the role of that country's history, geography, political institutions, and its culture in relation to the quarrel. For centuries, Britain and France have been at odds with

Medieval Architecture Medieval Design and
Words: 922 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

In England, the characteristics of what came to be known as English Gothic architecture and design is best illustrated by the Cathedral of Salisbury, built between 1220 and 1260 a.D. In order for this building to appeal to the citizens, the architects decided to construct it in a park, surrounded by verdant lawns and great stately trees. Unlike cathedrals and churches in France, this building does not reach high into

Europe Transformed 1500-1800 Discuss Political
Words: 859 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The British and French empires of the time used their settlement colonies for their natural resources, which represent the engine for the empire development and growth. Commerce was the way people earned a living, and famous mercantilist economists elaborated specific scientific documents- like Adam Smith - 'The Wealth of Nations'- in 1776. The invisible hand represents the way a market assures. The Protestant Reformation occurred in the 16th century as

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now