Feudalism

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 522.

William organized his English kingdom according to the feudal system which had already begun to develop in England before his arrival. The word “feudalism” comes from the French word “feu”, which the Normans used to refer to land held in return for duty or service to a lord. The basis of feudal society was the holding of land, and its main purpose was economic. The central idea was that all land was owned by the king but it was held by others, called "vassals", in return for services and goods. The king gave large estates to his main nobles in return for a promise to serve him in war for up to forty days. The nobles also had to give him part of the produce of the land. The greater nobles gave part of their lands to lesser nobles, knights, and other "freemen". Some freemen paid for the land by doing military service, while others paid rent. The noble kept "serfs" to work on their own land. These were not free to leave the estate, and were often little better than slaves.

There were two basic principles of feudalism: every man had a lord, and every lord had land. The king was connected through this "chain" of people to the lowest man in the country. At each level a man had to promise loyalty and service to his lord. This promise was usually made with the lord sitting on his chair and his vassal kneeling before him, his hands placed between those of his lord. This was called "homage", and has remained part of the coronation ceremony of British kings and queens until now. On the other hand, each lord had responsibilities to his vassals. He had to give them land and protection.

When a noble died his son usually took over his estate. But first he had to receive permission from the king and make a special payment. If he was still a child the king would often take the produce of the estate until the boy was old enough to look after the estate himself. In this way the king could benefit from the death of a noble. If the entire noble's family died the land went back to the king, who would be expected to give it to another deserving noble. But the king often kept the land for some years, using its wealth, before giving it to another noble.

If the king did not give the nobles land they would not fight for him. Between 1066 and the mid-fourteenth century there were only thirty years of complete peace. So feudal duties were extremely important. The king had to make sure he had enough satisfied nobles who would be willing to fight for him.

1) The word “feudalism” comes from____________________________________________.

2) The basis of feudal relations was______________________________________________.

3) “Lord – vassal” relations implied ______________________________________________.

4) “Vassal – serf” relations implied ______________________________________________.

5) Basic principles of feudalism “every man had a lord, and every lord had land” implied _________________________________________________________________________.

6) The "homage" ceremony implies ______________________________________________.

7) The King managed to make an extra profit by_____________________________________.

8) The king had to have enough satisfied vassals because______________________________.

TEXT 4. Read the text and use the information to fulfill the task following the text.

The Great Plague was one of the many reasons for the decline of the feudal system. The Great Plague, The Bubonic Plague, Black Death, The Black Plague are some of the names for this epidemic.

The economy was probably hit the hardest of all the aspects of Europe. The biggest problem was that valuable artisan skills disappeared when large numbers of the working class died. Therefore, those who had skills became even more valuable than the rich people. The society structure began to change giving formally poor laborers more say. The peasants and artisans demanded higher wages. Serfs seeking liberation from tilling their lord's land were told by decree and statue to return to their master's duties. Serfs began to leave their land and not engage in the planting of crops. Unattended crops and stray animals died of starvation because of the lack of care. Farming communities became rare. The lack of sufficient law enforcement personnel promoted lawlessness. The horror of the Black Death took on a new victim, the economy.

How did the Black Death affect European society? It affected Europe's population and also its economy. Changes in the size of society led to changes in trade, church, music and art, and many other things. The Black Death killed off a massive portion of Europe's population. The plague is more effective when it attacks weakened people and Europe at the time was already weakened by exhaustion of the soil due to poor farming, the introduction of more sheep which reduced the land available for corn, and persistent Scottish invasions. Fleas infected with the Bubonic Plague would jump from rats to travelers, killing millions and infesting the continent with world-shaking fear. Normal people were tormented by the threat of death, causing them to change their views on leisure, work, and art.

As a result of death in the church, written language was almost lost and whole churches were abandoned.

Soon after the last eruption of the Black Death, the views on children changed. Although carrying on the family name was still considered important, the birth rate dropped. Children were considered "not worth the trouble" to raise. It took four hundred years before Europe's population equaled the pre-Black Death figures. The demand for agricultural workers gave survivors a new bargaining power. Workers formerly bound to the land could now travel and command higher wages for their services. In addition, people left rural areas and migrated to cities for higher wages. The economic structure of land-based wealth shifted. Portable wealth in the form of money, skills and services emerged. Small towns and cities grew while large estates and manors began to collapse. The very social, economic, and political structure of Europe was forever altered. One tiny insect, a flea, toppled feudalism and changed the course of history in Europe.

Agree or disagree with the following phrases. Explain your choice.

1) The economy was probably hit the least of all the aspects of Europe.

2) Changes in the size of society led to changes in trade, church, music and art, and many other things.

3) As a result of the plague, written language was developed.

4) As a result of the plague, the birthrate rose.

5) The Great Plague toppled feudalism and changed the course of history in Europe.

6) There were only negative consequences of the Black Death.