The feudal compact
- feudalism is a term used by historians to describe gov system and the relationships between landowners and warriors
-Warriors were knights, would pledge to a lord, who would in turn give that knight land
- lord would grant a fief(property) to the knight, who would then become the lord's vassal ( servant) this was called the "feudal compact"
-The vassal must fight for the lord when he needs ut and attend his court once a month
Homeage and knighthood
-a vassal was requied to pay homage to his lord, usually this meant kneeling down and talking the lord's hands in his while speaking an oath of loyalty
-men were apprenticed to oolder knights before they could become a full knight themselves
-when a knight died , his fief would revert to his son, though his lord would be protector of that son if he was underage or if it was a daughter
-some clergy were known to fight as knights themselves
feudal states
- Barons were lords of large territories who ussually paid homage to a king
- often a baron's army could outnumber that of a king, which kept a check on the king's power
The manorial estate
- medielval society was divied into 3 estates ;: the clergy, the nobilty and the common people
- 3 field system
- villages sprung up on the around manors with small cottages for the peasants and a large manor house for the lord and lady
- used iron plow
-The lord was incharge he gave demands for people
-Women did women work
-Most peasents were serfs
The agrricultural boom after 1000 allowed for establishment of many town across europe
Most medievsal towns were surrounded by walls
Towns had main chruch and main marketplace
1. merchants 2. skilled craftsmen and artisans 3. unskilled laborers and apprentices
Guilds ment groups