​Vocabulary Terms

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●Feudalism

●Middle Ages

●lord

●fief

●vassal

●Knight

●serf

●manor

●tithe

​The gradual decline of the Roman Empire in the west ushered in the  an era of European history called the Middle Ages, or the medieval period. It spanned the years from about 500 to 1500. During these centuries, a new society slowly emerged. It had roots in: (1) the classical heritage of Rome, (2) the spread of the Roman Catholic Church, and (3) the customs of various Germanic tribes.

​In the fifth century, Germanic invaders overran the western half of the Roman Empire. Repeated invasions and constant warfare caused a series of changes that altered the economy, government, and culture:

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• Merchants faced invasions from both land and sea. Their businesses collapsed. The breakdown of trade destroyed Europe’s cities as economic centers. Money became scarce. ECONOMY - NO MONEY.

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• With the fall of the Roman Empire, cities were abandoned as centers of administration. GOVERNMENT - NO GOVERNMENT

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• As Roman centers of trade and government collapsed, nobles and other city dwellers retreated to the rural areas, where they grew their own food. Cities were left without strong leadership. The population of western Europe -became mostly rural. CULTURE - PEOPLE MOVED TO RURAL AREAS.

​The feudal system was based on rights and obligations. In exchange for military protection and other services, a lord, or landowner, granted land called a fief (an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service).The person receiving a fief was called a vassal.

​The structure of feudal society was much like a pyramid. At the peak reigned the king or lord--a noble who held land. Next came the most powerful vassals—wealthy individuals who were granted land by a king or lord in exchange for services to that king or lord. Serving beneath these vassals were knights. Knights were mounted horsemen who pledged to defend their lords’ lands in exchange for fiefs. At the base of the pyramid were landless peasants who toiled in the fields called serfs.

​The manor was the lord’s estate. During the Middle Ages, the manor system was the basic economic arrangement. The manor system rested on a set of rights and obligations between a lord and his serfs. The lord provided the serfs with housing, farmland, and protection from bandits. In return, serfs tended the lord’s lands, cared for his animals, and performed other tasks to maintain the estate.