Feudal System Diagram
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+feudal+system+pyramid&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1680&bih=853&tbm=isch&tbnid=hkMKexYpLfa25M:&imgrefurl
=http://davidsonhistory.wicomico.wikispaces.net/The%2BFeudal 2BSystem&docid=PUg3kSHqKhAAIM&imgurl=http://davidsonhistory.wicomico.wikispaces.net/file/view/image002%25255B1%25255D.jpg/301056166/image002%25255B1%25255D.jpg&w=341&h=331&ei=JGq7UOvdK8ShyAGC0YDABg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=275&vpy=226&dur=2766&hovh
=221&hovw=228&tx=169&ty=96&sig=107847580593108372814&page=1&tbnh=113&tbnw=116&&ndsp=26&ved=1t:
429,r:16,s:0,i:137
The feudal system was a way of government based on obligations between the lord or king and vassal.
At the top of the pyramid is the King. The king owned all the land. He made grants of land to his supporters. The supporters had to swear on an oath of loyalty to the king. The king gave large estates to his friends and relatives. These estates known as the fief included houses, barns, tools, animals, and serfs or peasants. The king also promised to protect the vassal on the field or in the courts. In return the nobles who were granted the fiefs swore an oath of loyalty to the king. The king may ask for men to fight a war, money, or advice.
The lords were second from the top of the pyramid. The country was divided into thousands of knight’s fees. Each was supplied with a manor and had to provide one knight to the king. Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe. During homage, the lord and vassal entered into a contract in which the vassal promised to fight for the lord at his command, whilst the lord agreed to protect the vassal from external forces.
The vassals were third down. Each of the king's vassals was also a lord or tenant in chief with vassals of his own. Each vassal would be an overlord to those he granted fiefs while remaining a vassal of the king. The subtenants in turn subdivided the land. Sometimes there were many levels of lords who had vassals under them. The most important promise of the vassal to the lord was the military. The vassal usually served as a knight.
The knights were fourth down from the top of the pyramid. Many knights were professional warriors who served in the lord's army. In return, the lord provided the knight with lodging, food, armor, weapons, horses and money.
The peasants were at the very bottom of the Feudal system. Life on a manor was extremely hard for a peasant. It consisted of work and family life. There was a division of the peasants into free and a type of indentured servants. Peasants, or serfs, farmed the land and provided the vassal or lord with wealth in the form of food and products. The peasants were bound to the land, so it was in the vassal's interest to protect them from invaders.
Conclusion:
The feudal society was constructed for one reason: security. The nobles wanted the security of maintaining control over their kingdoms, so they were forced to delegate power to local control. The peasants wanted security from marauders and barbarians from neighboring lands. They also wanted security from invading armies. However, all this came at the great expense of the common man. He gave up many freedoms for his security. The question we ask you is: Was it worth it?
http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hifeudal.html
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/middleages/feudalsystem.htm
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/knight1.htm
=http://davidsonhistory.wicomico.wikispaces.net/The%2BFeudal 2BSystem&docid=PUg3kSHqKhAAIM&imgurl=http://davidsonhistory.wicomico.wikispaces.net/file/view/image002%25255B1%25255D.jpg/301056166/image002%25255B1%25255D.jpg&w=341&h=331&ei=JGq7UOvdK8ShyAGC0YDABg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=275&vpy=226&dur=2766&hovh
=221&hovw=228&tx=169&ty=96&sig=107847580593108372814&page=1&tbnh=113&tbnw=116&&ndsp=26&ved=1t:
429,r:16,s:0,i:137
The feudal system was a way of government based on obligations between the lord or king and vassal.
At the top of the pyramid is the King. The king owned all the land. He made grants of land to his supporters. The supporters had to swear on an oath of loyalty to the king. The king gave large estates to his friends and relatives. These estates known as the fief included houses, barns, tools, animals, and serfs or peasants. The king also promised to protect the vassal on the field or in the courts. In return the nobles who were granted the fiefs swore an oath of loyalty to the king. The king may ask for men to fight a war, money, or advice.
The lords were second from the top of the pyramid. The country was divided into thousands of knight’s fees. Each was supplied with a manor and had to provide one knight to the king. Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe. During homage, the lord and vassal entered into a contract in which the vassal promised to fight for the lord at his command, whilst the lord agreed to protect the vassal from external forces.
The vassals were third down. Each of the king's vassals was also a lord or tenant in chief with vassals of his own. Each vassal would be an overlord to those he granted fiefs while remaining a vassal of the king. The subtenants in turn subdivided the land. Sometimes there were many levels of lords who had vassals under them. The most important promise of the vassal to the lord was the military. The vassal usually served as a knight.
The knights were fourth down from the top of the pyramid. Many knights were professional warriors who served in the lord's army. In return, the lord provided the knight with lodging, food, armor, weapons, horses and money.
The peasants were at the very bottom of the Feudal system. Life on a manor was extremely hard for a peasant. It consisted of work and family life. There was a division of the peasants into free and a type of indentured servants. Peasants, or serfs, farmed the land and provided the vassal or lord with wealth in the form of food and products. The peasants were bound to the land, so it was in the vassal's interest to protect them from invaders.
Conclusion:
The feudal society was constructed for one reason: security. The nobles wanted the security of maintaining control over their kingdoms, so they were forced to delegate power to local control. The peasants wanted security from marauders and barbarians from neighboring lands. They also wanted security from invading armies. However, all this came at the great expense of the common man. He gave up many freedoms for his security. The question we ask you is: Was it worth it?
http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hifeudal.html
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/middleages/feudalsystem.htm
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/knight1.htm