Feudalism was a medieval Europe social system in which the nobles held land in exchange for services such as protection and labor from the peasants for them to live in the lands. As a novel social system, it had features such as the existence of the castles, Manor, demense, the feudal society, the knight, the feudal lords had certain rights and duties, the duty of vassals, the ceremony of homage and the investiture.
The Castle
They were the places where the feudal lords lived and were also known as forts. The existence of the castles was the dominant characteristic of feudalism. Within the castles, there were the homes and courts of the lords. The castles also acted as storage facilities for weapons and farm produce, provided shelter for the ordinary people, and protected them from external attacks.
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Manor
The Manor was the land that was associated with the castles and was like a small estate with which the church, residential houses, and cultivated land were associated. The number of manors a feudal lord had was an indication of his strength.
Demense
After land was distributed among the serfs, demense was the portion that often remained and belonged to the feudal Lord, and he could use it in whichever way he wanted.
The Feudal Society
The feudal society was divided following a pattern of a pyramid. At the top of the model existed the king, who never had that much power. Below the king existed the Feudal Lords, followed by Vassels, who were independent. The bottom was occupied by the serfs who had no lands and depended on the lords and provided them with labor.
The Knight
They were the warriors who protected the weak from enemies. Male relatives of lords were trained and educated to become knights, after which they became servants to other established knights until they had mastered the art. They were then taken to church and made full knights.
The rights and Duties of the Feudal Lords
The feudal lords had the central role of protecting their subjects from external attacks while working in the government, diplomacy, and the army. Other were traders while some administered estates. The enjoyed rights, which included owning the land of a vassal who died and left a minor heir until he became of age, but there was no heir then the Lord took the land.
The Vassals
The Vassels accompanied their masters to war, were present in the courts whenever needed, and provided a compulsory 40 days milliary service to their lords in a year. They also facilitated transactions such as dowry and ransom payments.
Ceremony of Homage
The ceremony of homage was organized to strengthen the bond between the lords and vassals, in which the Vassal took a loyalty vow to the Lord.
Investiture
The investiture was a sanction in which legal document, a little earth, and a flag were handed over to the Vassal was given during the Homage Ceremony by the Lord.
