The Feudal System

What was the feudal system?

The feudal system is the name given to the way Norman society was structured.

What was the hierarchy of the feudal system?

The feudal system was a hierarchy of four main classes, or groups.

• ❖ The king was at the top of the system.
• ❖ Tenants-in-chief, important landholding lords, were less important than the king but more powerful than the under-tenants.
• ❖ Vassals, or under-tenants, who were often knights, were less important than the tenants-in-chief but more powerful than the peasants.
• ❖ Peasants were the lowest class in Norman society.

What did the king do in the feudal system?

The king had ultimate power in the feudal system. He owned all the land, and demanded loyalty from everyone who received it.

What did the tenants-in-chief do in the feudal system?

The tenants-in-chief received large areas of land from the king. In return, they promised to provide him with troops when they were needed. Land that was given under these circumstances was called a fief.

What did the vassals do in the feudal system?

The under-tenants, or vassals, received areas of land from the tenants-in-chief. In return, they gave military service to the tenants-in-chief.

What did the peasants do in the feudal system?

The peasants received small strips of land from their lords, which they farmed for themselves. In return, they had to do 'boon work' on the lord's land for some days of the week.

What about slaves in the feudal system in Norman England?

The Normans thought that slavery was wrong and gradually ended the practice in England.

What role did the Church have in the feudal system?

The Church played an important role in the feudal system.

• ❖ It was a major landholder and owned up to 25% of English land. Church tenants did boon work for the church, and the church collected the taxes for the king.
• ❖ Bishops owed the king military service, so the Church gave land to knights and made sure it could provide soldiers when needed.
• ❖ Bishops were the head of cathedrals and the area around them, known as the diocese. They helped to enforce the king's laws.
• ❖ Royal clerks were recruited from the Church to write legal documents, and important churchmen sometimes acted as judges.