Download Chapter 13 Section 2

Chapter 13 Section 2
Feudalism and the
Manorial System
Feudalism
 900s:
most of Europe was
governed by local lords
 This political and social
organization led by these
independent leaders became
known
as feudalism
FEUDALISM
KING
LORD
KNIGHTS
PEASANTS
Feudalism
 A noble grants land to a lesser noble
– In return gets loyalty, military assistance,
and other services
 Fief:
grant of land given by a lord
 Vassal- person who receives the grant
 The vassal could divide his land and
give it to knights
– then the vassal becomes a lord
Feudalism
 Primogeniture-
a system of
inheritance from father to oldest son
 Women may receive land in a dowry
– Remains the property of her husband
 Lords:
vassals to the king
 Medieval church also practiced
feudalism
– granted fiefs in return for military
protection and service
Manorial System
Economic system; large farming
estates that included manor houses,
cultivated lands, woodlands, pastures,
fields, and villages
 Self sufficient societies: food, clothing,
and shelter
 Peasants:
– worked the land
-shared crops
– provided services
-paid taxes

Manorial System
 Located
along a
stream or river for
water power
 Houses surround the
castle for safety
 The village,
vegetable plots,
cultivated fields,
pastures, and forests
make up the outer
area
Peasant Life
Serfs- peasants;
could not leave the
land w/o the lord’s
permission
 Work: long hrs. in
fields
 Meals- black bread,
lentils, some
vegetables
 Short life
expectancies

Castles
Fortified base for the lord to protect the
surrounding country side
 Structures made of earth and wood, stone
 Usually built on hills
– If on flat land a moat was built
 The “keep”: a strong tower with
workshops, barracks,
and the lord’s living quarters

Warfare
Knights wore armor
in battle and were
heavily armed
 Chain mail- small
interlocking metal
links
 Iron helmets, a
sword, large shield,
and a lance

Feudal Justice
Trial by battle- a duel between accuser
and accused; determined guilt or
innocence
 Compurgation- supporters swear that their
person was telling the truth
 Trial by ordeal- accused had to either:

– carry a piece of hot iron
– plunge his hand in a pot of boiling water
– survive extended immersion in cold water
Chivalry
A
system of rules that dictated
knights’ behavior towards others
 Young boys work as pages/squires
under a knight
– Learn knightly manners and care for
weapons
– Takes care of the knight’s horse, armor,
and weapons
 If
the squire proves himself in battle=
knight
Code of Chivalry
Be courageous in battle
 Loyal to friends and keep his word
 Courteous to women and the less powerful
 Required to extend courtesy only to his
own class

Coat of Arms (Heraldry)
A graphic symbol that identified a knight Represented his personal characteristics
in battle
 Painted or stitched onto the knight’s
shield, his outer coat, or his horse’s
trappings
 Passed on through the generations

Royal Spanish Coat of Arms
Prince Charles of Wales
City of Pittsburgh