5.1 Feudalism and the Manorial System

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 1

AGE 3: The Time of monks and knights

5.1 Feudalism 

What is this lesson about?

In the Early Middle Ages, many people were farmers. Serfs worked and lived on a manor that belonged to a lord. They had little freedom. Famines were very common.

Word Duty

Feudal system - medieval government system based on the bond between a lord and his vassal.

Fief - the land a lord lend to a vassal

Nobles - the most important lords that served under a king

Pledge fealty - to swear loyalty

Knights - vassals who became military specialists

Manorial system - system in which lords provided security to their serfs in return for their services.

Manor - large piece of adjoining land.

Domain - large farmhouse where the lord lived

Serfs - farmers who depended entirely on their lord an were not allowed to leave the domain

Self-sufficient - when people are able to produce everything they need themselves

KEY WORDS

1. The feudal system had many advantages for both the
king and his nobles.

How did the king profit from this system?

2. How did the nobles profit from the feudal system?

3a. The feudal system can be seen both as political centralisation and political
decentralisation. Try to explain both views.

On the one hand it can be seen as political centralisation, because:

3b. On the other hand it can be seen as political
decentralisation, because:

4. Some vassals decided to become military specialists.

How are these vassals called?

1. Peasents
2. Serfs
3. Knights
4. Nobels

5a. True or False?

Knights had important governing positions.

1. True
2. False

5b. In the Later Middle Ages, knights
gradually received more respect.

1. True
2. False

5c. Knights usually lived in their own castles.

1. True
2. False

5d. Knights became more important if
they converted to Islam.

1. True
2. False

manor farm

The place where the lord lived and from where he ruled the village. 

Many times the manor was fortified by walls. Sometimes the manor was built on top of a small hill and surrounded by a palissade. 

The manor farm consisted of the manor (= fortified farmhouse / castle) + some land with orchards, farming fields and work places around it. 

mill

The mill was where people grounded wheat and grain. 

It was owned by the lord.

Serf peasants could use the mill to grind their grain, but of course they had to pay the lord for this. The payment was not money, but a percentage of the produce of the peasant.

farm

The houses the peasants (= farmers) lived in were not as nice as the manor house. They were thatched roofed

The palissade surrounds the manor farm. If the domain is attacked the peasants can find shelter within the walls of the manor farm.

Peasants worked on farm land for the lord in exchange for protection and land.

church

The church is where holy events took place (weddings, sermons, funerals). The church is also where the sick would be taken care of.

Sometimes the lord used this place to speak justice. He could hand out punishments to criminals.

A Shepard worked with the livestock in the fields. This would help produce food and cloth for the village

orchard

the manor's orchard. 

servile duties

This meant that serfs needed to work for the lord two or three days a week. They worked the lord's fields, or built and repaired his palissade.

6. Travelling was quite dangerous in the Early Middle Ages. Who had to travel more: Free
farmers or serfs? Explain your answer.

7. Use the source.
How did the lord of the manor profit from
this system?

8. How did the serfs who lived on the manor
profit from this system?

A

A

congratulations