2 ESO bil. B/C prof.

Zoi Mella
Feudalism in Europe
The feudalism
Feudalism was the main political, social and economic system in Western Europe
during the period from the ninth to the thirteenth century.
The feudal system began in the ninth century, after the death of Emperor
Charlemagne (814), when Europe went through a period of instability. Kings were
incapable of defending their territory and so they gave all their power to the local
noblemen. The peasants also had to seek protection from the nobles and in
exchange they offered their land and they worked for them.
The system of feudalism extended throughout Europe. The land was divided into
many kingdoms. However, the kings did not have that much power because nobles
(counts and dukes) governed their own territories.
Economy and society
The feudal economy was based on agriculture. The fiefs or manors were large areas
belonging to the king, nobles or the clergy. The lord rented the land to the peasants
who had to give him part of the harvest.
Feudal society was divided into three classes or social groups:
1. The nobility were the military group.
2. The clergy were the religious group.
The nobility and the clergy were privileged classes, because they did not work and
they did not pay taxes.
3. The peasants, most of them farmers, were the largest group and worked to
provide for the other two groups. The peasants had no privileges.
Everyday life for peasants and nobles
The majority of the people who lived in the fiefs were peasants. Life was hard for
peasants. All the family worked in the fields. The children and the elderly did the
easier jobs, like carrying wood or taking care of the animals. The men did the
harder jobs. Women helped in the fields and took care of the younger children and
did the domestic tasks.
The nobility were quite a small social class. They were divided into two groups
depending on their wealth and power:
- The members of the high nobility were the direct vassals of the king; they
were dukes, counts, marquises and barons.
- The lower nobility was composed of knights and people who owned and kept
horses and weapons.
As knights they would have to serve the king or the lord with his troops. In times of
peace they would spend their time training for war, attending tournaments, hunting
and riding.
Noblewomen married the man chosen by their parents. They spent their lives
bringing up their children, supervising the servants and praying.

2 ESO bil. B/C prof. Zoi Mella

The church
During the Middle Ages the population was Christian and so the Christian Church,
had enormous political, economic, social and cultural power.
There were two types of clergy:
- The secular clergy were priests and their bishops. They lived among the rest
of the population, and they were all men.
- The regular clergy were monks and abbots, and also nuns and abbesses.
They lived in monasteries.