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50

Ms. Gromada

World Civ II

25 September 2008

Medieval Society Under Feudalism

Volunteer soldiers, currency, and separation of church and state are standard for the

United States but rare and even unfamiliar in other parts of the world. Many developing

countries would be confused by such things. European countries are able to identify with at least

one of these paradigms; however this has not always been so. European history dates back for

thousands of years but the time of 500-1000 A.D., also referred to as the Middle or Dark Ages, is

argued to be the period when society was in one of the most disordered states that has occurred

in European history. It all began after the fall of the Roman Empire and steadily deteriorated

following the subsequent fall of the Carolingian Dynasty. The times leading up to this fall were

difficult, but even worse after; the people needed a change. The central authority was weak.

Legitimate currency and sustainable ways to make a living were few and far between. This time

lent itself susceptible to undergo the transformation of society that Feudalism brought. The

establishment of Feudalism became the principal social and economic structure as a result of the

chaos from the fall of the Roman Empire and Carolingian Dynasty; the people needed a way to

recover from these falls. Feudalism was the answer.

The Roman Empire is often characterized with a strong, central government being most

important. In the late 400s A.D., however, German invaders slowly destroyed the strong

government, until in 479 A.D., the Roman Empire finally fell, leaving Western Europe without

government and the people bemused. These Germanic invaders of the Roman Empire were
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relatively unheard of at this point. After the Roman Empire fell, the lands once making up the

area were split up. They began to attack the weak new kingdoms. The frightened people began

to look to Charles Martel for the security they were lacking. Charles Martel united Europeans by

uniting their land: the Frankish Kingdoms. He became the major domo, or “mayor of the

palace”, of the land, beginning the Carolingian Dynasty. Once the power was passed down to

Charlemagne, Martel’s grandson, the empire became “greater than any known since ancient

Rome (Beck et al. 356)”. It was after the death of Charlemagne that problems began to erupt all

over the European lands. The fall of Rome and the Carlogianin Dynasty resulted in “a general

weakening of one’s loyalty to the state (Kreis)”. More specifically in his Kingdom, his successor

was unable to control the “strong kings who dreamed of reuniting the Franks under their own

rule” and the spiraling-downward effect began (Kreis). Kings of these small Frankish kingdoms

were power-hungry as a result of the ineffective central government. The “central authority

could not perform its functions” and were unable to “prevent the rise of local powers (Nelson)”.

The social levels that were once fairly clear were now obscure, there were the kings and his

people; distinct classes had disappeared. The disappearance of social structure was the

beginning of Feudalism. Men began to gain power through landowning and ruled their areas

accordingly; another attribute of Feudalism. However, they were weak and this “quick-fix” of

power soon would be destroyed.

The cities and local lands of this time were fallible. Kings began to adapt to whatever

would work. Unknowingly, a form of Feudalism was beginning, but not understood by all

people. During this time, however, they hit many roadblocks on their way to try and restore the

once grand empire. The undetermined borders between kings’ land caused mini-wars and ill-

tempered people. “This situation was made worse by a renewed series of invasions” by barbaric
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German tribes and Vikings (Kries). The invaders were ruthless, destroying homes, stealing and

looting, and performing cruel behaviors. Invasions obliterated communication, trade, and travel.

The people were frightened for the lives of their families and the security of their goods. Many

lost all the wealth that was to their name and turned to the new landowners for shelter and

protection, a key feature of Feudalism. They emigrated from the cities to rural lands to avoid the

created chaos as much as possible. “The great landowners raised their own armies and built

castles to protect [their] open country (Kreis)”. This society began to become dominated by the

powerful, land-holding Lords and their Knights. They were served and sustained by the serfs

and peasants. Powerful individuals were the ones who came out on top; the others were on the

bottom all their lives. However, on these self-sufficient manors, all peoples began to feel the

security through feudalism they thought had completely disappeared. “The result was the

Europe developed a relatively new and effective set of institutions” that secured all people within

the manor, from serf to knight.

As a result of the economic turmoil, the society became moneyless. When many

migrated to the rural lands held by nobles, they had no way to remunerate their lords. The social

structure of Feudalism resulted in this lack of currency. The Lord, or landowner, who provided

the manor, defined the top of the manorial pyramid. His knights, who served as protection for

the communal manor “pledged to defend their lords’ lands in exchange for fiefs”, or granted land

on the estate (Beck et al. 360). The peasants and serfs ended the pyramid structure on the

bottom. These people, who mainly migrated from the cities, needed the land and protection they

had lost from invasions. Since a currency system was destroyed, their only way to compensate

their using of the Lords’ lands was to pay in their services and goods performed and made on the

manor. Each of these estates had “up to several thousand acres of land” that was divided for all
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who vowed loyalty to the Lord and his manor (Ross). The mutual relationship between all

peoples of the manor emerged, forming a distinct characteristic of the Feudal system in Medieval

Europe.

The emersion of Feudalism in the Medieval Ages was necessary for the protection and

stability of the society. The people had led themselves to this lifestyle ever since the fall of the

Roman Empire, distrusting a central authority. Many felt safe under this form of local ruling.

Over this time they became more religious because of their Lords’ outlook and began to accept

their position in life. No matter where a person was in the social pyramid, all united under their

chosen form of government; both knights and peasants among their own manor and even all

peasants across the lands. And this was what made it work: the people chose this government, it

may not have been initially what they had hoped for, but it proved itself effective and useful for

the times the people were facing; Feudalism was the answer.
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Works Cited:

Beck, Roger B, et al. "Chapter 13: Section 2." World History: Patters of Interaction. Evanston:

McDougal Littell, 2007. 358-363.

Kreis, Steven. "Lecture 21: Feudalism and the Feudal Relationship." The History Guide. 11 Oct.

2006. 21 Sept. 2008 <http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture21b.html>.

Nelson, Lynn H. Medieval History. Course home page. 1 Jan. 2001. U of Kansas. 21 Sept. 2008

<http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/feudalism.html>.

Ross, David. "Feudalism and Medieval Life." Britain Express. 21 Sept. 2008

<http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm>.