feudalism

Everyday

Feudalism was the system in medieval Europe in which the king gave land to lords in return for loyalty and soldiers, and peasants (serfs) worked the lords' land in return for protection and a place to live. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about the Middle Ages, especially after William the Conqueror's Norman Conquest of 1066, feudalism is drawn as a pyramid: king at the top, then barons and bishops, then knights, then peasants at the bottom. Similar systems existed in Japan. It explains why lords had castles, knights fought and peasants had few rights. Phrases: «the feudal system», «feudal lord».

Examples

• Feudalism came to England with the Normans in 1066. tree →
• Under feudalism, peasants worked the lord's land. tree →
• The feudal pyramid had the king at the top. tree →
• Knights promised to fight for their lord under feudalism. tree →
• Feudalism slowly ended after the Black Death. tree →
• Japan also had a kind of feudalism with samurai. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Adjective: feudal. Say «FYOO-dul-izm». Historians today argue the picture of a neat pyramid is too simple, but it is a useful model for learning.