Feudal Society Political Structure

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Feudal SocietyPolitical Structure
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WHY WAS FEUDALISM NECESSARY?
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Whos got the Power?

• Power based on owning land
• Charles Martel started giving soldiers fiefs
  (land) as rewards for service
• Soldiers got money from fiefs to buy equipment
  and horses for battle.
• Due to this, ownership became tied to military
  service.

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Charlemagne

• Stands out during Middle Ages.
• Tries to bring back Roman Ideals.
• Ruled the Franks, who were becoming a powerful
  group of people.

Whos Your Daddy?
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Europe after Charlemagne

• No central government at this time.
• Kings weak Nobles gained power.
• Nobles soon began to give land to peasants by
  promising to protect them for their loyalty.
• By 1000 AD, W. Europe divided into thousands of
  feudal territories.
• Peasants had no voice in government Nobles
  controlled land AND people.

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Relationship Between Lords and Vassals

• Rigid class structure based on loyalty and
  service.
• Nobles consisted of lords and vassals all
  reported to King.
• Fiefs given to vassals by lords.
• Lords gave vassals right to govern people living
  on fief and promised to protect them from attacks.

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What is a Knight?

• Almost all nobles were knights.
• Training began at age 7, as a paige, under
  guidance of lady of the manor.
• Became squires at 15 and were trained by other
  knights.
• Those deemed worthy were dubbed knights.

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What about the females?

• Noblewomen called Ladies.
• Most marriages arranged.
• Women responsible for the house and children.

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Workers on the Manor

• 2 groups of peasant workers on manor
• Freemen- skilled workers paid rent and could
  leave manor when they wished. (Usually had skill
  needed on the manor.)
• Serfs workers bound to land by contract with
  the nobles. (Had no freedom - nobles property.)

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Angles, Saxons, and Magyars, Oh My!!

• Angles and Saxons (from England)
• Vikings (from N. Europe)
• Magyars (from Hungary/Central Asia)
• Their attacks made the fiefs have to defend
  themselves.

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Castles

• Built in response to the constant invasions.
• Best defense tactic for trying to invade castle,
  wait it out until people inside starve to death.
• In the long-run, they helped to strengthen the
  feudal system.

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REVIEW
Lets see how much you remember!

• Everyone owed loyalty to the ________
• _______ were really the most powerful. They got
  _______ from the king.
• Lesser nobles (knights) gave _________ _________
  in return for land
• _______ were bound to the land. They worked in
  return for ____________.
• __________ were skilled workers. They paid rent
  to the ______ and were free to move if they
  wanted to.

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Check Your Answers

• Everyone owed loyalty to the king.
• Nobles were really the most powerful. They got
  land from the king.
• Lesser nobles (knights) gave military service in
  return for land.
• Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in
  return for protection.
• Freemen were skilled workers. They paid rent to
  the nobles and were free to move if they wanted
  to.

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THE END
HISTORY NOTES