Land and Government in the Feudal Society
Last Updated    12/7/2007     12/6/2007

Power was based on the ownership of land.
Charles Martel began giving his soldiers fiefs, estates, as a reward for service.
Soldiers would get income from their estates and pay for battle equipment.
After 800, the kings of Europe gave land for military service.

The Rise of Feudal Territories
Central government collapsed after the death of Charlemagne.
Kings were weak.
They could not rule their own kingdoms.
Kings began to depend on nobles for food, horses, and soldiers.
Some nobles were more powerful than the kings.
They collected taxes, raised armies, enforced laws, and coined their own money.

Beginning of Feudalism
Around 900, nobles began protecting their people and lands from the Vikings.
They built forts and fenced their lands.
Peasants asked for protection.
They gave the nobles their land and promised to work for them.
The peasants ended up giving away their freedom.
By 1000, their were thousands of feudal territories.
They were the size of a Greek city-state.
The noble that owned the land had the power to make laws and the people obeyed them.
Peasants had no say in government.
Peasants had fewer rights than clergy and nobles.
People believed it was God's will.
Few tried to improve their life.
People remained in the group they were born in.

Lord and Vassal
Feudalism was based on loyalty.
Nobles that served other nobles were vassals.
Nobles were vassals to the king.
The king coud be a vassal to another king.
An Act of Homage was a ceremony were a vassal pledged loyalty to a lord.
The lord gave his vassal a fief.
Each knight divided up their land and gave it to their own knights.
Each knight needed a hids, or 1500 acres.
The lord had the right to govern the people on the fief.
The lord promised to protect his vassal from enemies.
Vassals helped the lord in battle.
Vassals brought their own knights.
Military duty was 40-60 days.
Vassals made payments to lords.
Vassals attended the lord's court.
Vassals provided food and entertainment.
If a vassal failed in his duties, the fief was taken away.
When the vassal died the fief was passed on to his oldest son.
He then performed the Act of Homage.

Bibliography
"Feudalism." Wikiipedia On Line Encyclopedia. 6 Dec. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalism.

Greenblatt, M. and Lemmo, P.S.; "Human Heritage." Glencoe McGraw-Hill, New York, New York  2001.

Snell, Melissa. "The Origins of Knighthood in Europe." 7 Dec. 2007. http://historymedren.about.com/cs/knightsarmor/a/kl2origins.htm.