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The social, political, and economic systems of
the middle ages.
The Middle Ages or Medieval Period
( 500 CE -1500 CE.)
Fall of
the
Wester
n
Roman
Empire
Rise of
New
Kingdoms/
States
that are
not united
New
Kingdoms
are unable
to protect
themselves
from
Barbarian
Invasionsa need for
localized
protection
The
Rise of
Feudalism
in Europe
Vikings, Muslims and Magyars Invasion Map

Feudalism

A political and social system where
lords and serfs had specific
responsibilities.
This system existed because of no
strong central government. (There
were still kings– they were just weak!)
Feudalism

Lord- a ruler or wealthy person
(you lead)
Serf- a peasant (you follow)
Vassal- a knight (you protect)
Feudalism Continued!

The serf would give the lord their land
in exchange for protection.
The lord would give the land to a
vassal to protect the serfs
A grant of land was called a fief.
Commendation Ceremony
The act of
homage
Bareheaded
Weaponless
Kneeling
Hands
clasped
The oath of
fidelity
The Feudal Pyramid

Feudalism continued

Lords make promises to each other
called treaties
Some of these treaties come from
marriage
As more lords join together, some are
more important than others (barons,
earls, kings, etc)
Feudalism continued

 Kings were especially wealthy lords
 Upper nobility and clergy could be lords and vassals
 Lesser nobility (knights) were vassals
 Everyone else is a serf
Feudalism continued
 Everyone benefits!
 Fiefs were separated
into large farms known
as manors
 Typically a knight was
the lord of the manor
Manorialism

 Manorialism- the economic system of feudalism
 Economic system- the means of producing,
distributing, and consuming goods
 The lord of the manor relies on his serfs to provide
labor and goods for the manor
Manorialism Continued

Manorialism got its name from the large
farms that fiefs were broken into (aka
manors).
There was very little trade during this time
because it was unsafe to leave one’s manor.
 Since you can’t trade, you make or grow
everything you need
Manorialism continued

 Everything that was needed was produced on one’s
manor.
 Food, clothing, and shelter were all produced on the
manor.
 The land on the manor was shared by a lord and
several peasant families.
Manorialism continued

The lord kept 1/3 of the land for himself
which was known as his domain.
The peasants/serfs farmed the remaining 2/3
of the land.
In return for being allowed to work the land
the peasants gave the lord some of their
crops, farmed his land, and also paid taxes.
The Parts of a Manor

A manor house (where the lord lived)
Farming lands
Woodlands (to hunt)
Pastures (for cattle)
A village
A church
A home for the priests
A mill (used to grind grains into flour)
An oven.
Manorialism Continued
 Fields become
unproductive without
fertilizer (Nile, Yellow,
Tigris, and Euphrates
rivers provided new
soil, but not in Europe)
 The solution: crop
rotation
 3 fields in each manor,
only plant 2.
 1 lays fallow (without
crops)
Manorialism

Everything is produced in the manor
If you don’t grow it or make it, it isn’t there
Eventually the manors become towns (Paris,
London, etc)
As the towns get larger, jobs become
specialized (bakers, shoemakers,
blacksmiths)