3.3 Feudal system -TEACH-

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1

clerics

aristocrats / nobles

peasants

boeren

geestelijken

edelen

AGE 3: The Time of monks and knights

3.3 Feudalism and the Manorial system

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First make a note in your notebook.

Lesson 3.3:Feudalism and the Manorial system

• The three estates (de drie standen)
• Estate : a group to which you belonged from birth.

• There were 3 estates:
• 1st estate: CLERGY (geestelijkheid)
•           Who? everybody who worked for the Catholic Church
•           For example: monks, priests, bishops, the pope
•           Task: PRAY for the people

First make a note in your notebook.

• 
  
• 2nd estate: NOBILITY  / ARISTOCRACY (de adel)
•           who? rich land owners
•           for example: a count (graaf), a duke (hertog), the king
•           task: PROTECT the people

• 3rd estate: PEASANTS (de boeren)
•           who? everybody else
•           for example: peasants, craftsmen, merchants, soldiers...
•           task: WORK (mainly provide all the food)
• NOTE: About 95% of the population belonged to the 3rd estate.

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

 HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

PEASANTS / SERFS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

PEASANTS / SERFS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

&

PROTECTION

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

PEASANTS / SERFS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

&

PROTECTION

LOYALTY

FOOD & SERVICES

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

Free PEASANTS / SERFS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

LOYALTY

FOOD & SERVICES

LOYALTY /

 MILITARY SERVICE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

&

PROTECTION

MONARCH

(KING/EMPEROR)

HIGH NOBLES

(DUKE, COUNT)

LOWER NOBLES & KNIGHTS

PEASANTS / SERFS

A PIECE OF LAND (FIEF) ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

PART

 OF THEIR FIEF 

ON LEASE

&

PROTECTION

LOYALTY /  

MILITARY SERVICE

LOYALTY / ADVISE / MILITARY SERVICE

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

LOYALTY

FOOD & SERVICES

First make a note in your notebook.

In the Feudal System:

• the person above you was your lord ( = leenheer)
• the person below you was your vassal (= leenman)

• So from the bottom upwards, everybody was loyal to   the monarch.

First make a note in your notebook.

Peasants (boeren) & serfs (horigen)

• They are both farmers. 
• The difference:

• Peasants are free farmers and have their own farmland. But they must pay taxes to their lord
• Serfs are not-free farmers. They are bound to the lord's land must work for the lord in exchange for protection

A

A

Feudal System

Manor System

First make a note in your notebook.

The Manor System:

• = a deal between the serfs and their lord.

• The manor = the land on which the lord and the serfs lived.
• In short: the serfs used the lord's land and worked for him in exchange for protection

manor house

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.

The Manor

A. where the lord lives

B. Domain: where the peasants live

The manor system:

a deal between the lord and his serfs