Life in Medieval Europe: An Intro

Fall of (Western) Roman Empire led to something called Feudalism

Feudalism = system of local control developed into a method of organizing power and government

When Western Rome fell, there was a lack of a strong central gov't

Local leaders took control of own area

Eventually powerful local leaders controlled larger areas of territory that grew into kingdoms

Feudalism operated as a Hierarchy = a system w/ differing levels of power

Monarch owns all the land in a kingdom & would divide the land into fiefs to be ruled by lords/nobles

Fief = a large piece of land and everything on it: forests, lakes, animals, fields, and even whole towns/villages

Lords/nobles served as vassals to the monarch

Vassals= a person who got protection & land from someone above them in exchange for loyalty & Service

Lords/Nobles would then divide smaller bits of land to lesser lords/nobles & Knights

Knight = One who received honor and land in exchange for serving a lord as a soldier.

Peasants/Serfs worked as farmers and were bound to the land that was owned by lords/nobles