Download Feudalism and Manorialism Power Point

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Feudalism: a political system with small,
local, and independent leaders (local
lords)
› The System:
 Powerful nobles (Lord) grant land (fief) to lesser
nobles (vassal)
 Vassal promised loyalty, military assistance, and
other services to the lord of the fief
 Vassals could further divide the land and grant it to
others such as knights, who would fight for them in war
 A vassal could also be a lord
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Fiefs became hereditary
› Primogeniture: system of inheritance from
father to eldest son
Women: generally did not control land,
but often had a fief as part of her dowry
 Kings: every land holder was a vassal to
the king, but only controlled those who
lived on his feudal lands
 The church: was part of the feudal system
with their own fiefs and vassals
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Common during the Middle Ages
› Most were small, private fights between
feudal lords with a handful of knights
› A few large conflicts involving entire regions
broke out
 Knights wore armor
 Chain mail until gun powder was developed
 Later, overlapping metal plates were worn
 Horses were large
Trial by Battle: a duel between accusers
 Compurgation (Oath Taking): accuser
supported by others who swore or took an
oath of truth that the accuser was
guilty/innocent
 Trial by Ordeal: outcome of an ordeal
determined the accused guilt/innocence
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An economic system followed by people
living on manors (large farming estates)
› Farms were self-sufficient
› A lord and several peasant families shared
the land of the manor
 The lord generally kept 1/3 of the land for his
home (domain) and peasant families gave the
lord some of their crops as well as help farm
the lord’s land.
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Manor Villages
› Usually located near a river or stream to
power the village mill
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Peasant Life (serfs)
› Life was difficult
 Serfs could not leave the land without
permission from the lord
› Life expectancy was short (disease,
starvation, warfare)
› Most peasants lived, worked, and died
where they were born.
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Nobles’ Lifestyles
› Today’s standard of living is better than kings
and queens of the middle ages (It wasn’t as
glamorous as what is in the movies)
› A lord spent most of his days looking after his
land and dispensing justice among vassals
and serfs
› A lord or vassal depended on his wife and
children for help.
› Marriage was viewed as a way to advance
one’s fortune (dowry)
Early Middle Ages: built of earth and
wood (Later: made of stone)
 Usually built on hills or other places
difficult to attack
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› A ditch or “moat” was dug around a castle if
only flat land was available (often filled with
water)
 A draw bridge could be lowered across the
moat and raised for protection
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“Keep”: main part of castle
› Strong tower containing storerooms,
workshops, and perhaps barracks and the
lord’s living quarters
Great Hall: place where the lord
accepted visitors
 Castles had thick walls with small
windows and no glass
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A code of conduct that dictated a
knight’s behavior toward others.
› To become a knight, a boy had to be born
of nobility
› Boys first became a “page” or attendant for
a knight to learn to care for weapons
› In teenage years a page became a squire
or full assistant to the knight
› After proving himself in battle a squire would
become a knight in an elaborate ceremony
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A symbol on the knight’s shield to
distinguish himself from others
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