Feudal System and Manor System Quiz

The Feudal System/Manor System

• Feudalism was a social order in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, lasting until the mid-1400s.
• The Manor System was the basic economic system supporting feudalism.
• The fall of the Roman Empire led to the absence of a strong central government and chaos.
• Feudalism offered structure and protection to societies during this time.

How Feudalism Worked

• Frankish (French) chiefs owned large amounts of land in the 600s.
• Land was the most valuable resource in the absence of currency.
• Chiefs gave land to loyal people in exchange for oaths of loyalty.
• The system became more formalized, creating a strict social hierarchy.
• The hierarchy consisted of monarchs, nobles/lords, knights, and serfs/peasants.

The Feudal Hierarchy

• The King was at the top of the hierarchy and owned the land.
• Earls and Barons (nobles) were below the King, given land in exchange for loyalty and military support.
• Knights were skilled warriors, receiving land from nobles in exchange for loyalty, military service, and horsemanship skills.
• Peasants (serfs) were commoners who worked the land for the nobles in exchange for plots of land, some food, and shelter.

Monarch

• Monarch is another word for king or queen.
• Monarch owned the land in their territory.
• Nobles pledged loyalty to the monarch in exchange for land.
• Nobles who pledged loyalty to the monarch became vassals.

Noble/Lord

• Nobles were powerful individuals that played a major role in society.
• Nobles were typically wealthy, powerful individuals who controlled the land.
• The strength of the monarch was dependent on loyal nobles.
• Landless knights and nobles were major contributors to warfare.

Knight

• Knights were skilled warriors, typically trained in horsemanship and warfare.
• Knights served the nobles in exchange for land ownership.
• Knights directly served nobles, not the king, for loyalty and protection.
• Knights' allegiance was tied to the noble that gave land and protection.

Serfs/Peasants

• Serfs were commoners who lived and worked on the land of the noble.
• Serfs, in exchange for working the noble's land, received plots for living, food production, and shelter.
• Serfs were essentially tied to the land without permission from the landowners.
• Most peasants lived and died without substantial experience beyond two miles of their home.

Review

• Feudalism developed from the disorder caused by the collapse of the Roman Empire.
• Feudalism was a system based on land ownership and loyalty in exchange for protection and service.
• Serfs farmed land, receiving protection in return.
• The structure provided security in a time without a strong central government.

Weaknesses of Feudalism

• Nobles frequently challenged monarchs and each other, leading to continuous warfare.
• Monarchs depended on nobles for strength; disloyalty threatened a monarch’s position.
• Landless knights and nobles contributed to frequent conflicts.

Manor System

• A manor was a noble's estate, designed similarly across different areas.
• The Manor System managed land resources and its economy.

Goals of Manor System

• Manors aimed for self-sufficiency, producing their own resources.
• Security was a major concern, ensuring food and essential items were provided.
• Self-sufficiency for manors came from a need to avoid external threats such as war and potential shortages of supplies.

Why Self-Sufficiency?

• Frequent warfare between nobles, knights, and monarchs made external trade unreliable.
• Poor roads and limited trade further restricted access to outside resources which encouraged self-sufficiency.

How Did A Manor Work

• Manors were centered around a manor house, residence for the noble.
• Fields were sectioned to alternate between farming and fallow periods to sustain land fertility.
• Peasants worked noble land in exchange for small plots for themselves.

How Did the Manor System Support Feudalism?

• Manors provided income needed to support knights and soldiers.
• Land allocation ensured effective use of land by nobles.

Priest

• Each manor had a priest assigned to the church, who conducted various ceremonies and held a valued position due to their roles seen as essential to gaining entry to Heaven.