Feudalism

Introduction

The term Feud has a German origin; it means a piece of land. In Medieval Europe, the absence of any central power created a society where conflicts were common among small forces. People who had more lands and resources were seen as more powerful. Church also became of the major powers in that era. Medieval European society has been termed a Feudal society by scholars like Bloch.

The term Feudalism describes the social and economic relationship of medieval society. Feudal structures were found in France, England Germany and Italy. The land was the main source of power and other feudal lords went to wars for Land control. Lords of the land often provided a small portion of their lands to nobles for their support and in exchange for their military services. To whom the land was granted was known as a Vassal. Feudalism in the economic sense meant an agricultural relationship between Peasants and Lords. Peasants cultivated their one lands as well as their lord's land and in exchange, they received military protection from the lord. The lord also acted as the judiciary of his subjects. Feudalism had its roots in the Ancient Roman Empire, but it spread to the whole of Europe in the 11th century.

What is Feudalism?

• Feudalism has been originated from the German word ‘Feud’ which means ‘A piece of land.

• Historians have described medieval European society as a feudal society.

• Feudalism is a social relationship, which is based on land. It defines the relationship between a lord and peasants, who work on the land of lords and in return he gets security.

• The feudal society emerged due to a lack of any strong central authority and many small rulers or lords started occupying land and resources.

• There were many wars fought for the lands.

• Between the 9th and the 15th century, Feudalism was prevalent in European countries like England, France, Germany and Italy.

• Rulers often had Vassals with whom they provide a piece of land for military help.

• French scholar Baloch described peasants as an integral part of feudal society.

Origin of Feudalism

• After the fall of the Roman empire, the political units of Europe were fragmented and thus many new small rulers and Lords emerged and gain control of the land.

• Between the 5th century and 15th century the social relation of Europe was based on the relationship between Lord, Vassal and Peasants.

• Vassals were nobles who helped rulers in administration and provided warriors and soldiers and in exchange, the ruler gave them a piece of land.

• The peasants were obliged to provide service to their lords, Men used to work in fields and women and children used to work in the castles.

• In England, Feudalism was at its peak in the 12th century, when the king had absolute power. He was the owner of all of the lands and all the nobles, knights, vassals and peasants merely held the lands and they work for the king.

• In France, the 11th century was a period of Feudal revolution and fragmentation of big empires. It was completely different from other European countries like England and Germany.

• Roots of Feudalism could be found in Ancient Rome, during the time of French king Charlemagne.

Development in The 19th and 20th Centuries

• In the 19th century, Marx and Engels in their theory defined the Middle Ages as the feudal society or feudal mode of production.

• According to Marx, feudal society came after primitive society and later capitalism and socialism.

• Marx defined feudal society as exploitative for peasants, here lords with control of all the lands merely used peasants as a tool of production.

• Madox and Bloch saw feudalism as a feudal society where peasants were as subject to the ruling warrior class and the warriors were compensated in the land, not money.

• American historian Joseph Strayer saw feudalism as a precursor of the modern nation-state.

Criticism of Feudalism

There were many ill effects of feudalism, some of them are the following −

• Feudalism discouraged the unification or formation of any big political entity. The feudal lords often divided the lands among themselves and declare themselves free.

• Feudalism stopped the formation of any big kingdom because the landlords swore their loyalty to those lords who gave them land, not to the king.

• There was no sense of allegiance to a single country, small lords often fought with each other and knights often fought for the nobles who gave them more money and lands.

• In feudal society, there was negligible trade and growth happened. This was the reason the medieval period was known as the dark age. There was no trade and interaction of common folks with other communities.

• Lords and Vassals often misused their power and they exploited the peasants for their comfort.

• Feudalism gave rise to social inequality; the position of nobles and Vassals were made hereditary and the same was for other class. The peasants were treated badly and they were considered inferior to nobles.

Conclusion

The term feudalism has to be originated from the feud, which means a piece of land. It has also gained its meaning from the ‘fief’ which means land. Historians like Bloch have described feudalism as a feudal society. The feudal society consists of Peasants, Vassals and Rulers. Feudalism is a social arrangement between lord and peasant. Economically the relationship was based on agriculture and the peasants would practice agriculture on the lands given to them as well as on the lands of lords. In exchange for the services of Peasants, the lords gave them military protection. Feudalism was a system of government where it lacked bureaucracy and all the actions were directly taken by the ruler. Mounted soldiers and the Vassals were only the only instruments of administration other than the king.

FAQs

Q1. What were the effects of feudalism?

Ans. Feudalism had many ill effects, some of them are −

• Lack of political unity.

• No trade and development.

• Inequality.

• The exploitation of peasants.

Q2. When was the first feudal society emerged in Europe?

Ans. Feudalism was introduced in Ancient Rome in the 8th century by the french king Charlemagne.

Q3. How Bloch described feudalism in medieval Europe?

Ans. Bloch described the period between the 9th century to the 14the century as a feudal society. He described society based on social relations, hierarchy, land management and popular culture.

Q4. Who was the major shareholders of medieval Europe?

Ans. In medieval Europe, the main shareholder of land was feudal lords, and their vassals and another major power was Church. Church had its land where it enjoyed full control.

Q5. What were the three orders in medieval Europe?

Ans. Medieval Europe was classified into three orders by historians, there were, Peasants, landholder nobles and priests.