The Feudal System :: essays research papers

"The Feudal System"      The feudal system was a political, military, and economic system based on the holding of land. The system was real since the whole entire basis of rule from on the whole the civilizations before the place Ages was lost. Early Europe was in desperate need of such a system since they were changelessly being raided by the Vikings and other outsiders.     Man was nongregarious during the Middle Ages. Life was very harsh and everyone worked except the king. The usual spirit expectancy was 35. heap lived in small outlying(prenominal)ming communities. Everyone lived in constant fear of being raided by foreign invaders such as the Vikings. When they were non worrying about being invaded they were scared of plague and other animation conditions. Mans position in the world was unknown. Knowledge, wealth, and governing body had to be recreated. Cities were far and few between and much less populated and develope d the like todays cities. The Middle Ages was a religious age. Man clung to God as creator. People painstakingly built churches. Religion was what was the most important to people for a long time, and to be excommunicated was horrible.     As time progressed the feudal system was created. It was designed to divide the lands and protect from attack. The king first gave a fief or a piece of land to a proud vassal. As consequence for this exchange in land a vassal would swear to the over professional to be his man all the days of his life and protect him against "all men who may live or die." Next came investiture. Investiture was a symbolic gesture when a King or a ecclesiastic presented a royal vassal or a vassal a stick, a small rod, or a clod of earth to sight that he has given him a fief. Now this royal vassal was in charge of a huge piece of land. In order to fend for it he would then divide his land into smaller pieces. He would allow these sm aller pieces and give them to warriors or who agreed to be his own vassals. Thus, the royal vassal became a lord to other vassals. The vassals now under this lord would now divide their lands and grant fiefs to warriors of their own. Last in the dividing of land was the entitle whose parcel of land was too small to be divided.     Everyone in the feudal system worked except the king.