Feudalism developed in Western Europe between the 9th and 12th centuries AD. As central royal authority weakened due to invasions and civil wars, powerful local lords gained influence. Kings granted lands to lords in exchange for military service, establishing a hierarchy of obligations between lords and vassals under the feudal system. This system shaped the development of manors, castles, and social/political relationships in medieval Western Europe.

1. FEUDALISM
1. CHURCH, FEUDALISM & MANOR WERE
THE MOST CHARACTERISTIC
FEATURES OF MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN
SOCIETY
2. FEUDALISM WAS THE BLEND OF BOTH
GERMANIC & ROMAN CUSTOMS
3. FRANKISH KING CHARLEMAGNE HAD
SUCCEEDED IN CREATING A WELL
ORGANISED & EFFICIENTLY
GOVERNED CHRISTIAN EMPIRE
WHICH INCLUDED MOST OF WESTERN
EUROPE

2. 4. THE GRANDSONS OF CHARLEMAGNE
DIVIDED HIS EMPIRE BY THE TREATY
OF VERDUN IN 843
5. I. CHARLES THE BALD GOT THE
REGION OF FRANCE
II. LOUIS THE GERMAN OBTAINED
THE REGION OF GERMANY
III. LOTHAIRE RETAINOD THE MIDDLE
STREP OF TERRITORY FROM ITALY TO
THE NORTH SEA
6. RENEWAL OF INVASIONS IN THE 9TH
CENT. BY THE THREE GROUPS
I. NORTHMEN, DANES, VIKING & THE
NORSEMEN FROM NORTH
II. SARACENS FROM THE SOUTH
III. MAG YARS OR HUNGARIANS FROM THE
EAST

3. 7. THE DESTRUCTIVE RAIDS OF THE NEW
INVADERS BROUGHT CONFUSION TO
WESTERN EUROPE
8. INABILITY OF THE FRANKISH KINGS
TO MAINTAIN PEACE & ORDER, &
CUSTOM OF DIVIDING THE KINGDOM
AMONG THE MONARCH’S SONS
CREATED MORE CONFUSION
9. EMPIRE SPLIT INTO PRINCEPALITIES
& KINGDOMS, THE LOCAL LANDED
GENTRY GREW IN POWER AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE KING
10. THE KING WAS FORCED TO GRANT
LANDS TO POWERFUL NOBLES TO
MAKE SURE THE NOBLES WOULD NOT

4. DESERT TO THE KING’S ENEMY, THE
NOBLES IN TURN WERE EXPECTED TO
PROVIDE TO THE MONARCH WITH
MOUNTED KNIGHTS
11. A COROLINGIAN LAW IN 847 ORDERED
EVERY FREEMAN TO PLACE HIMSELF
UNDER A LORD, A PLAIN RECOGNITION
ON THE PART OF THE CENTRAL GOVT.
THAT IT WAS NOT ABLE TO AFFORD
PROTECTION TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
REALM
12. THE DISINTEGRATION OF CENTRAL
POWER & THE GROWING NEED OF
PROTECTION, SERVED TO CREATE IN
WESTERN EUROPE A NEW CONCEPT

5. OF GOVT.-FEUDALISM BY 900 AD.
13. IN THEORY, FEUDALISM WAS
CHARACTERISED BY THE
FOLLOWING FEATURES:
I. THE EXERCISE OF GOVERNMENTAL
FUNCTIONS BY NUMEROUS LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
II. A DISTINCTIVE FORM OF
LANDHOLDING
III. ELABORATE SYSTEM OF PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIPS
IV. A MILITARY SYSTEM
V. CERTAIN JUDICIALAGENCIES

6. 14. PRECARIUM : THE WEAK LAND
OWNER, FEARING THE LOSS OF EVERY
THING GAVE OVER HIS LAND TO A
STRONGER NEIGHBOR, WHO
PERMITTED HIM TO CULTIVATE IT
15. BENEFICIUM : WHEN THE LAND WAS
GRANTED TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER
ON THE CONDITION THAT HE RENDER
MILITARY SERVICES
16. COMITATUS : WAS A RELATIONSHIP OF
MUTUAL PROTECTION WHEREIN
THESE WARRIORS SWORE SOLEMNLY
TO AID THEIR CHIEF LOYALLY AT ALL
TIMES

7. RELATION OF LORD & VASSAL
1. ACT OF HOMAGE : THE LORD SITTING
& THE MAN KNEELING BEFORE HIM
WITH HEAD UNCOVERED, THE VASSAL
PLACED BOTH HANDS IN THOSE OF
THE LORD & SAID, “I BECOME YOUR
MAN, TO KEEP FAITH WITH YOU
AGAINST ALL OTHERS.” THE LORD
THEN HELPED HIM TO HIS FEET,
KISSED HIM ON MOUTH, & PROMISED
TO TAKE HIM AS HIS VASSAL. THE
VASSAL THEN SWORE UPON SOME
SACRED OBJECT AS AN OATH OF
ETERNAL FIDELITY TO HIS LORD,
CALLED THE OATH OF FEALTY

8. 2. NEXT RITE WAS THAT OF INVESTING
THE VASSAL WITH THE FIEF BY A
SYMBOLIC ACT ON THE PART OF HIS
LORD
3. A LANCE, GLOVE, STICK & A BIT OF
STRAW WAS HANDED OVER TO VASSAL
TO SIGNIFY THE HIS RIGHT OF
PRIVATE JURISDICTION OVER A FIEF.
IT WAS CALLED INFEUDATION
4. OBLIGATIONS OF LORD:THE LORD
WAS OBLIGED TO
1. TO PROTECT HIS VASSALS FROM HIS
ENEMIES

9. 2. TO ENSURE HIM JUSTICE AT FEUDAL
COURT
3. TO REFRAIN CORRUPTING NOBLES
WHO HELD LAND FROM HIS VASSAL
4. TO BUILD NO CASTLES ON THE FIEF
WITHOUT THE VASSAL’S CONSENT
5. TO REFRAIN FROM INJURING HIS
VASSAL’S HONOR BY ABUSING HIS
CHILDREN OR WIFE

10. VASSAL’S OBLIGATIONS
1. MILITARY SERVICE OF FORTY DAYS
EACH YEAR TO HIS LORD AT NO
EXPENSE TO THE LORD
2. LORD CAN ASK FOR THE PAYMENT OF
MONEY & CASTLEWARD SERVICE,
WHEN IT WAS ATTACKED
3. VASSAL WAS OBLIGED TO ASSIST THE
LORD TO HIS COURT & VASSAL WAS
OBLIGED TO BRING ALL HIS DISPUTES
BEFORE’S THE LORD’S COURT
4. THE LORD HAD THE RIGHT TO
DEMAND AT CERTAIN TIMES DEFINITE

11. MONEY PAYMENTS WHICH DRAINED
HIS VASSAL RESOURCES HEAVILY
5. INHERITANCE TAX WHEN EITHER THE
LORD OR THE VASSAL & HIS HEIR
SUCCEEDED
6. RIGHT OF HOSPITALITY, THE LORD &
HIS RETINUE HAD TO BE PROVIDED
WITH SHELTER, FOOD, &
ENTERTAINMENT WHEN PASSING
THROUGH THE TERRITORY OF HIS
VASSAL
7. WHEN A VASSAL FAILED TO FULFILLED
HIS OBLIGATIONS, THE LORD MIGHT
CONFISCATE HIS ESTATE, CALLED
FORFEITURE

12. FEUAL HIERARCHY :
1. IN THEORY FEUDALISM WAS A VAST
HIERARCHY
2. KING – ALL THE LAND IN HIS DOMAINS
BELONGED TO HIM
3. HE KEPT LARGE AREAS OF HIS
PERSONAL USE, & REST WAS
INVERTED TO THE HIGHEST NOBLES
4. DUKES, COUNTS & EARLS, HOLDING
LAND DIRECTLY FROM THE KING
WERE CALLED TENANTS – IN – CHIEFS
5. THEY IN TURN PARCELED OUT
PORTIONS OF THEIR FIEFS TO LESSER
NOBLES – VISCOUNTS & BARONS
KNOWN AS MESNE TENANTS

13. 6. AT THE LOWEST LEVEL WERE
KNIGHTS – HIS BIT OF
SUBINFEUDATED LAND,
SUFFICIENT ONLY TO SUPPORT
HIM & MAINTAIN HIS MILITARY
NEEDS WAS CALLED THE
KNIGHT’S FEE

14. CHURCH & FEUDALISM
1. MANY DEVOUT NOBLES, FOR THE
SAKE OF THE SOULS OF THEIR
ANCESTORS & THEMSELVES WOULD
BEQUEATH LANDS TO THE CHURCH
2. THE LAND WAS OFTEN HELD BY
FEUDAL TENURE & LOCAL CHURCH
OFFICIAL WHO OBTAINED THE FIEF
WOULD BECOME THE VASSAL OF THE
HEIR OF THE DECEASED NOBLE
3. THEY HAD TO PERFORM MILITARY
SERVICE THROUGH HIS
REPRESENTATIVE IN SECULAR

15. AFFAIRS – THE ADVOCATES
4. CHURCH OBTAINED MORE & MORE
LAND HELD BY FEUDAL TENURE ITS
OFFICIALS AS CHURCHMEN, OWED
THEIR LOYALTY TO THE POPE & TO THE
CHURCH, BUT AS VASSALS HOLDING
FEUDAL LAND THEY ALSO OWED
CERTAIN GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATION
TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LORDS
5. THERE WAS A SERIOUS CLASH OF
LOYALTIES HERE, WHICH CAUSED A
BITTER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE HEAD
OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM-THE KING, &
THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH-THE POPE

16. CASTLE
1. THE LIFE OF NOBLES CENTERED
ABOUT THE CASTLE
2. THE EARLIEST STRUCTURES
APPEARED IN THE NINTH CENT. &
WERE MORE BLOCK HOUSES BUILT
SOLELY OF TIMBER
3. IN 12TH 13TH CENT. WHEN CHIVALRY
WAS IN FULL BLOOM, MASSIVE
STRUCTURES OF STONES APPEAR
4. DONJON WAS THE IMP. PART OF THE
CASTLE SURROUNDED BY A YARD
CALLED THE BAILEY

17. 5. SURROUNDED BY WALLS PROTECTED BY
TURRETS & MOAT FILLED WITH WATER
6. THE ONLY ENTRANCE TO CASTLE LAY
ACROSS THE DRAWBRIDGE, WHICH LED
TO THE HEAVY IRON GATE CALLED
PORTCULLIS
7. CASTLES WERE BUILT FOR PURPOSE OF
DEFENSE, SO LACKS WINDOWS, THE
ROOMS WERE THEREFORE DARK &
GLOOMY
8. THE STONE WALLS WERE DAMP & BARE
EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONAL PIECES OF
TAPESTRY TO BREAK THE MONOTONY &
TO KEEP DAMPNESS OUT