feudalism

History

2022

We explain what feudalism was, its exercise of power and what feud was. In addition, its characteristics, when it arose and how it ended.

The fiefdom was a contract between the feudal lord and the vassal.

What was feudalism?

Feudalism was a social, political and economic system that prevailed during theMiddle Ages, from the 9th to the 15th century. It was characterized by the system of vassalage and is considered by many as the "Dark Ages", due to the bloodywars, epidemics and little scientific progress.

One of the main characteristics of the feudal system was the decentralization of thecan, exercised through nobles organized in fiefdoms, who had a relative independence from the monarch, but were subordinate to their king with close ties ofloyalty. The nobles inherited their titles, which were passed from generation to generation.

See also:Feudal mode of production

What was the fiefdom?

The wordfeudalism It comes from "fiefdom", the name given to the basic organization of the time. The feud was a contract between two people: thefeudal lord and the vassal.

In this "pact" mutual relations were established, the vassal received a land to inhabit and military protection in exchange for a relationship of dependence with the feudal lord. The vassal had to administer the land and take up arms in defense of his lord if necessary. In addition, he had to pay tribute to his harvest or production.

Within this structure there were also the peasants, who were those who worked the land and were under the total control of the feudal lord, so they were not considered free men.

During feudal times, land was the guarantor of money and, therefore, the most precious possession. Economic activities were restricted and consisted mainly of thefarming and in artisan production.

Origin of feudalism

Feudalism arises, first of all, with the decline of the Roman empire, which by losing large areas of land began to lose influence over the peoples.

The insecurity product of the constant barbarian invasions led to the decline of the cities and to the formation of the feudal structure, in which vassals placed themselves at the disposal of a feudal lord and received protection behind the castle walls.

All the social and moral ordering of the time was explained under the figure of God, since the king had lost political power and was only the divine representative on earth.

Faced with the incompetence of the monarchs to face the invasions and the subsequent political and social crisis, power came to be in the hands of the feudal lords, who became the highest social leaders. They had to regulate order and maintain peace within their structure, they imparted Justice, they charged taxes and they provided protection to the population from the castle, which was erected as a new symbol of power.

Characteristics of feudalism

The fiefdom was the social and political structure during feudalism.

Among the main characteristics of feudalism are:

  • The emergence of the vassalage relationship between a feudal lord and his vassals.
  • A society divided into three different social classes: the nobility, the clergy, and the Third Estate or the plain state.
  • The construction of walled castles.
  • An economy based on agriculture and cattle raising.
  • The frequent wars for the dispute of the territories.
  • The payment of taxes.
  • The Catholic Church as a great source of power.
  • The decentralization of political power.

Social classes of feudalism

During feudalism the social classes were static, that is, it was a closed social system in which there was no Social Mobility rather, society was divided into estates. Within this structure, which was pyramidal, were:

  • The royalty. Formed by royalty and feudal lords, they had most of the land and political power. This stratum was usually accessed by lineage.
  • The clergy. Formed by religious who represented the Church and fulfilled ecclesiastical, political, educational and / or social roles, and had privileges.
  • The Third Estate. Made up of most of the population, citizens that they were not nobles or clergy, they did not have privileges and they paid taxes. It was a very varied group made up of peasants, merchants and bourgeoisie.

End of feudalism

The historical process that marked the end of feudalism does not have an exact date, it was developed in a disparate way by different parts ofEurope from the fourteenth century.

There are several causes that led to its end, among which are:

  • Emergence of the bourgeoisie. Many historians agree that trips to the East for commercial purposes generated a new social class: the bourgeoisie, made up of free men, but not nobles.
  • Demographic decline. The population decreased as a result of the plagues and wars, which led to a drop in the workforce available.
  • New ways of economic development. The saturation of the land led to the search for new forms of economic expansion, among which the industry, its emergence marked the passage from the Middle Ages to the Modern.
  • Discontent of the peasants. The pressure and overexploitation of labor by the feudal lords, the inefficiency of the agricultural system of the time and the low population generated the reduction of available labor force.
  • Growth of cities. The cities received people expelled or who did not want to belong to the feudal system.

Follow with: Modern age

!-- GDPR -->