1. The Decline of
Feudalism
Stephanie Ohtola
7th Grade Social Studies
World Studies: Feudalism and Transitions
Feudalism developed as a political system based on small local
units controlled by lords bound by an oath of loyalty to a
monarch. The decline of feudalism in Europe resulted from
interactions between the Muslim world and European states.
These interactions influenced the rise of new ideas and
institutions.
2. Causes
• Political
– Magna Carta
– Hundred Year’s War
– Peasants’ Revolt
• Cultural
– Muslim influence
– Crusades
• Social
– Bubonic plague
3. Magna Carta
• In the year 1199, John became the king of
England. Immediately, he created many
enemies.
– CATHOLIC CHURCH: Regularly fought with
clergy and imposed high taxes on church
property
– NOBLES: Heavily taxed barons and made arrests
without lawful judgement
– FOREIGN RELATIONS: Lost most of the land that
England had previously controlled in France
4. Magna Carta
• In June of 1215, angry nobles forced King John
to sign a document known as the Magna Carta,
which translates to “Great Charter”
– The nobles agreed that the monarch could continue
to rule and in turn, the monarch was required to
observe common law and traditional rights of the
Church.
– Initially, this document was intended to protect the
rights of nobles and the Church, however over time,
the people of England viewed it as a foundation for
the protection of liberty for all
5.
6. Hundred Year’s War
• England and France fought a series of battles between
1337 and 1453 over the ownership of land in France
– Early English kings had initially been feudal lords over
French fiefs, but French kings began to dispute this
arrangement
• The Hundred Year’s War forced monarchs on both
sides to create large professional armies and no longer
rely on nobles to provide knights
– The common people gained influence and power as they
were needed to serve as soldiers, workers, and taxpayers
• The war created a certain sense of nationalism on both
sides, replacing the loyalty that once existed for local
lords
Learn More About the Hundred Years War!
7. Peasants’ Revolt
• The peasants were heavily-taxed to fund the Hundred Years War
• They tried to appeal to the law courts and King, but were
unsuccessful
– By the mid-1350s, “treason laws” existed to punish any peasants or
wives that did not bend to their masters’ and husbands’ will
• A series of wide-spread revolts began to take place, including the
taking of the Tower of London in 1381
• The aftermath of the Peasants’ Revolt saw an improvement of the
treatment of common people. Parliament was forced to curtail
taxation. Lords began selling serfs their freedom in exchange for
money or contracts that detailed the length of service
Learn More about the Peasant's Revolt!
8. Military orders such as the Knights Templar were known for their chivalry, wealth, and participation in the Crusades
9. The Crusades
• In 1095, Pope Urban II called for crusade to win back the
Holy Land that had been conquered by Muslims
– This was in response to a cry for help from the Byzantine
Emperor Alexius Comnenus
– The Church treated Muslims as enemies
• There were four major crusades and many, many smaller
episodes
– Crusaders were not only knights, but also lords and vassals.
Many of which never returned from battle. This left the
manors and fiefs understaffed
– Lords needed to hire workers as well as trade with other
fiefdoms in order to survive, creating trade and towns that
supported it
Learn More About the Crusades!
10. The Bubonic Plague
• The Bubonic Plague first
hit Europe in the mid-
1300s and occurred
every decade well into
the 15th century, wiping
out a significant portion
of the population– nearly
a third!
• It is believed that the
disease spread through
fleas carried by rats that
lived on trade ships
coming from Central Asia
11. • During the Middle Ages,
people would go for many
months without bathing
• Homes were dirty and filled
with rats
• Trash, human waste, and dead
animals littered the crowded
city streets
• The plague was a bacterial
infection marked by vomiting,
fever, and massive black-and-
blue lumps called buboes
• With an estimated 24 million
deaths, the Plague had a
negative effect on trade and
the general economy, feudal
lords could no longer staff
their land, and the workers
that WERE available
demanded freedom, money,
and more rights. Many even
rebelled.
• With a weakened economy,
the manor system could no
longer be sustained and thus
resulted in a loss of power for
the lords, shifting the control
to the monarchy
Learn More About the Bubonic Plague!
12. Conclusion
• There were many reasons why
feudalism eventually dissipated:
– Political
• Magna Carta
• Hundred Year’s War
• Peasants’ Revolt
– Cultural
• Muslim influence
• Crusades
– Social
• Bubonic plague
• Feudalism was replaced by a
stronger central government that
focused on the power of the
monarch and influence of the
Church
• A decrease in population, shift in
job specialization due to long-
periods of war, and the
establishment of the Magna Carta
all contributed to the decline in
feudalism
• No single event is responsible for
this decline; several political,
cultural, and social factors
contributed to the abolition of
this institution
