The feudal system dominated Western Europe between the 10th and 13th centuries. It was a political, economic, and social hierarchy wherein lords provided land and protection to vassals in exchange for military service and allegiance. At the top was the king, followed by lords who divided their lands between a demesne for their own use and fiefs granted to vassals. Peasants lived in poverty at the bottom, working the lands to pay rents and taxes to their lord. The feudal system organized an agricultural economy with farming, livestock, and limited regional trade.