Lesson 1: Feudalism and Manorialism

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire and the invasions of the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims, kings could no longer defend their lands. A decentralized political system called Feudalism emerged to provide protection. It was structured like a pyramid based on the exchange of land for Loyalty.

At the top was the monarch. To raise an army, the king granted large estates called Fiefs to powerful nobles. In exchange, these nobles became Vassals, swearing a sacred oath of Homage to protect the king. These powerful lords then divided their land among lesser lords, creating a complex web of loyalty and obligation that held society together.

Warfare was central to medieval life. Lords hired professional mounted warriors known as Knights to defend their fiefs. Becoming a knight required years of training, starting as a page and then a squire. Knights were the "tanks" of the medieval battlefield, wearing heavy armor and fighting on horseback.

To control the violence of these warriors, a code of conduct called Chivalry developed. It demanded that a knight be brave, loyal to his lord, and protective of the weak and the Church. While not all knights followed this code, it set the standard for honor and refined manners in European society, influencing literature and songs of the era.

While Feudalism was the political/military system, Manorialism was the economic system. The center of life was the Manor, the lord's estate. Because trade had vanished and roads were dangerous, the manor had to be Self-Sufficient, producing everything from food and wool to iron tools.

The majority of the population were Peasants, specifically Serfs. Serfs were not slaves (they could not be sold), but they were bound to the land. They could not leave the manor without the lord's permission. In exchange for a small strip of land to farm and protection inside the castle walls during attacks, serfs gave the lord a portion of their crops and days of unpaid labor.