Questions and Answers
What was Feudalism?
What is a feudal contract?
An exchange of pledges that created a relationship between lords and vassals.
Who is a vassal?
A lesser lord who swore loyalty to more powerful lords.
What does a fief include?
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What is a knight?
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What is chivalry?
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What is a manor?
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What defines a serf?
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Study Notes
Feudalism
- A decentralized political and economic system where local lords managed landholdings to offer protection against invasions by the Magyars, Muslims, and Vikings.
- Developed due to the inability of kings and emperors to maintain order during times of invasion.
- The structure and implementation of feudalism varied by region and evolved over time.
Feudal Contract
- An established exchange of pledges that defined the relationship between lords and vassals, focusing on loyalty and military service in return for land.
- A powerful lord granted a fief, an estate that included land, buildings, and peasants to work the land, to their vassals.
Vassal
- A lesser lord who pledged loyalty and service to a more powerful lord, receiving protection in exchange.
- Vassals were granted fiefs, which included land and peasants, through the feudal contract, rooted in customs and traditions.
Fief
- An estate given to a vassal by a greater lord as part of the feudal contract.
- Fiefs varied greatly in size from a few acres to hundreds of square miles, encompassing land, towns, and peasants.
Knight
- A mounted warrior trained from the age of seven to fight, ride, and maintain weapons and armor.
- After rigorous training, a boy was ceremonially dubbed a knight and participated in battles and tournaments using swords, lances, and axes.
Chivalry
- A code of conduct for knights during the Middle Ages emphasizing loyalty, bravery, and fairness in battle.
- Mandated the protection of the weak, including noblewomen and peasants, though its application largely excluded commoners.
Manor
- The central unit of feudal economy, typically comprising one or more villages and surrounding lands.
- Manors were predominantly populated by peasants, including serfs who worked the land and were tied to it.
Serf
- Peasants bound to the manor, lacking freedom but distinct from slaves, as they could not be bought or sold.
- Required permission from their lord to leave the manor and transferred with the manor to any new lord if one was assigned.
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Description
Dive into the key concepts of Feudalism in this chapter 7, section 2 overview. Understand how local lords and vassals interacted in a decentralized system to provide protection against invasions. This quiz will help reinforce your knowledge of this critical historical structure.
