Feudalism

Feudalism The feudal system was a way of government based on obligations between the lord or king and vassal. The king gave large estates to his friends and relatives. These estates known as the fief included houses, barns, tools, animals, and serfs or peasants. The king also promised to protect the vassal on the field or in the courts. In return the nobles who were granted the fiefs swore an oath of loyalty to the king. The nobles promised never to fight against the king. They also had to give the king whatever he asked for. The king may ask for men to fight a war, money, or advice. The nobles also gave the king a place to stay when he traveled. Each of the king's vassals was also a lord or tenant in chief with vassals of his own. Each vassal would be an overlord to those he granted fiefs while remaining a vassal of the king. The subtenants in turn subdivided the land. Sometimes there were many levels of lords who had vassals under them. The most important promise of the vassal to the lord was the military. The vassal usually served as a knight. This service lasted about 40 king, lord, vassal, serfs, land, war, peasants, nobles, fight, each, vassals, straw, people, included, hut, freemen, between, working, wood, serf, promised, peasant, own, noble, men, made, granted, gave, fiefs, few, family, estates, days, bound, animals