History of Feudalism

 Feudalism 

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At a time when the notion of individual freedom is hardly conceivable and scientific knowledge is embryonic, it is the social system and religious conceptions that determine how men and women live and how they perceive the world Surrounds them.

Medieval society is a highly hierarchical society, based on the hereditary transmission of power, titles and wealth. In the XII ^thcentury, society is divided into three classes or orders: clerics and churchmen, warriors (knights and lords) and "workers", who are farmers, craftsmen, etc. Two of these classes compete for power: the warriors and the men of the Church. In fact, however, none of these three classes is more important than the others, since they are interdependent. Indeed, those who work need the protection of warriors, who in return need the fruits of the labor of the peasants and the products of the craftsmen. As for the men of the Church, They need both the protection of knights and the work of peasants and craftsmen. In return, the other two orders need the Church to ensure the well-being of their souls and to obtain "eternal life."

Thus, feudalism is a particular moment in Western history which is the direct consequence of the dissolution of public authority, assumed until then by the king. Indeed, the weakening of the monarchy in IX ^th century changed the political relations and, gradually, the power to command, to do justice and to tax the common people is divided between small autonomous cells built around the castles. The lords of these domains (which are sometimes very large) usually separate them into smaller plots, which they cultivate by free peasants.These parcels of land are called strongholds - in fact, the word "feudalism" appeared in the XVII ^thcentury to describe what is related to the feud. ^{This means that society and economy of the XII th} century are based on the exploitation of peasants by the aristocracy under the lordship. Even if the land does not belong to them, the peasants can retain the fruits; They must give part of their harvest to the lord and pay for various services (among other things, to cross the bridges and to use the seigneurial mill).

Feudalism is thus an economic and political regime: the king divides his lands into fiefs which he distributes to his barons on the express condition that they defend them. In turn, the barons divide these spaces into smaller territories, which serfs (free peasants) cultivate for them.It is a whole pyramid that is built then, each man holding his land of another, more powerful than him.

Between them, the men are bound by the oath of fidelity, pronounced during the ceremony of the homage. It is a contract binding two people by an oath of protection and work (the strong protects the weak, who works for him). The most powerful lord, the suzerain, receives the homage of the weaker lord or the simple peasant, who becomes his vassal. In return, he invests it with a fief. During the ceremony, the vassal, unarmed, kneels before his suzerain, places his joined hands in his in sign of submission and declares himself his "man".The suzerain raises him up, gives him a kiss on his mouth (sign of peace) and hands him an object (a stick or a lance, often) symbolizing the fief - it is the investiture. Then the vassal swears on the Gospels or on relics that he will be faithful to his suzerain. In the early days of feudalism, the fief returned to the suzerain at the death of the vassal. He may then give it to another of his vassals or to the descendants of the deceased.Gradually, however, the vassals became accustomed to transmit it as an inheritance to their descendants, so that the fief became hereditary. But just as the vassals relay it to all their sons and daughters, they mortise and impoverish the estates.

The two persons united by homage have duties to each other, they have reciprocal obligations. The vassal owes to his suzerain the service of ost (military assistance: he must join his lord with his men, in case of war), the service of court or council (he must sit in the court or the court) and aid to four cases, that is to say a special financial assistance (for ransom, the arming of the eldest son, the marriage of the eldest daughter or the departure for the crusade) ¹. The suzerain, on the other hand, owes to his vassal a helper and protection and must not commit any injustice towards him. To this protection is usually added the duty of maintenance, that is to say that it is up to him to provide his vassal with what to live, which he does most often by investing him of a fief. In fact, The landlord often plays an economic role by setting up the territory by building mills and ponds, setting up an administration, with "officers", collectors of royalties and judges. ^{Thus, before organizing itself around the church, the nascent city is organized around the castle ... often far from the image that is made 2} .

The bond of tribute unites the two men all their lives, unless one or the other fails to fulfill its obligations. A person who knowingly breaks the contract may be accused of felony; For the vassal, this accusation may lead to the confiscation by the suzerain of his fief.

The feudal organization may have caused some problems. Indeed, what to do when one is bound to several lords who make war between them? It is the concept of homage-lige which answered this thorny question: this is the main tribute, the one to be respected as a priority. (But it has even happened that some vassals see themselves in a situation where the two lords of which they were the men-liges enter the war ...)

The king, of course, is above this socio-political organization, since he is "chosen by God." In fact, the king, at the beginning simple suzerain, is conferred a superior authority, an authority incontestable by the coronation. However, the heredity of the fief causes the power of the king to diminish since certain lands escape him; His revenues diminish as much, as the men at his disposal for the service of Ost. By not possessing military power to enforce his divine right, he is often rather a symbolic figure than an almighty king as we shall see later (like Louis XIV, for example).

1. Bishop Fulbert of Chartres in the early XI ^th century, wrote that "the fundamental obligation of the vassal [was] not to do anything that could cause damage to the lord in his body, in his property in his honor" . This changed at the end of the Middle Ages, where the vassal must give several days a week to help his lord in various tasks, such as haying, building or rebuilding walls and fences, etc.

2. In the ^10th century, the castle is a wooden tower or keep, surrounded by a palisade from which the peasants will take refuge in times of war. It is generally located at a height (at the top of a hill or artificial eminence called the "motte", which symbolizes feudal power). Didier MÉHU, In Gratia Dei. The paths of the Middle Ages (Québec, Museum of Civilization and Fides, 2003, p. 140), gives a brief history of the evolution of the castle throughout the Middle Ages very interesting. 

Ref. : Marc BLOCH, The Feudal Society , Paris, Albin Michel (The Evolution of Humanity), 1968 [1939], p. 209 ff., By Jean FLORI, La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE, Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p. 160-161 and theDictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY).Museum of Civilization and Fides, 2003, p.140), gives a brief history of the evolution of the castle throughout the Middle Ages very interesting. Ref. : Marc BLOCH, The Feudal Society , Paris, Albin Michel (The Evolution of Humanity), 1968 [1939], p.209 ff., By Jean FLORI, La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE,Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p.160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY).Museum of Civilization and Fides, 2003, p.140), gives a brief history of the evolution of the castle throughout the Middle Ages very interesting. Ref. : Marc BLOCH, The Feudal Society , Paris, Albin Michel (The Evolution of Humanity), 1968 [1939], p.209 ff., By Jean FLORI, La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE,Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p.160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY).Makes a brief history of the evolution of the castle throughout the Middle Ages very interesting. Ref. : Marc BLOCH, The Feudal Society , Paris, Albin Michel (The Evolution of Humanity), 1968 [1939], p.209 ff., By Jean FLORI, La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE,Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p.160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY).Makes a brief history of the evolution of the castle throughout the Middle Ages very interesting. Ref. : Marc BLOCH, The Feudal Society , Paris, Albin Michel (The Evolution of Humanity), 1968 [1939], p.209 ff., By Jean FLORI, La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE,Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p.160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY). La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE, Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p. 160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY). La Chevalerie , Luçon, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1998, p. 26-29, by Jean SURET-CANALE, Panorama of World History , Paris, Marabout (Practical Knowledge), 1996, p. 160-161 and the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, History and Society , Paris, Encyclopædia universalis and Albin Michel, 1997, p. 334-344 (article "Féodalité", written by Georges DUBY)