Feudal System

 The Feudal system was a pyramid shaped system used in Medieval castle life, based on the belief that land belonged to God. However, Kings managed the land and used it as they wished. For military services, kings granted land for Nobles and Knights. Everybody else had to pay for the land. They did this by:

• Completing chores that needed to be done
• Providing trained soldiers
• Providing clothes and weapons for soldiers

The Feudal System Pyramid

About the Feudal System Pyramid 

        In the feudal system pyramid, it was possible to move up in rank, and of course that was what everyone wanted to do.The King ,of course, is at the top of the system. However, if the King was unjust or wicked, the Pope had the right to make judgments against the King, depose the King, forfeit the kingdom and place another ruler in his place! We can all understand that this is a rightful decision.

The End of the System in England

     The system worked well for many of hundred years. The end of the system came when rich nobles were allowed to pay for soldiers rather then fight themselves. Life changed and Mercenaries were hired from all over Europe. These Mercenaries had allegiances, except to money. People throughout Europe were afraid of these fighting men. The threat of these Mercenaries led on to the hiring of skilled, trained soldiers - the standing Armies of the Medieval Fuedal system in England.           

Why did the System end?

There are many reasons why the feudal system ended. These include:

1. The Crusades and the travel during the Middle ages made new trade options

2. The economy changed; it went from a land based economy to a money based economy

3. Black Death- the population decreased by 1/3

4. Peasants realized what they are worth and they wanted changes, agreements were granted but ingored by Nobles

5. Due to more trade, there was a need for more towns

6. Peasants moved away from the country into new towns, and eventually were allowed to buy their freedom

7. Land was rented and the rights of lords over labor decreased

8. The Feudal Levy was unpopular and as time went on, Nobles wanted to pay the King instead of fighting and raising troops

9. Armed men were paid, and Medieval warfare was financed by taxes and loans

10. When nobles became weaker, the King took back their lands and power

11. A centralized government was established
 

Rights & Privileges

 

     Feudal System Rights & Privileges were only available to the upper classes of nobility. The Right of Safe Convoy was a right that feudalists had the greatest interest in seeing. Violation of this right was considered the most horrible crime.

     The Rights of Knighthood were owned by Knights. The right allowed Knights to be awarded double rations when taken prisoner during a war. This right also allowed knights to claim a one year delay when a creditor wanted to seize their land. Along with that, the right also allowed a knight to never have to submit to torture unless the penalty was death. The Right of Common Oven required Serfs to use the mill, the oven, and the lord.   

Nobles

    Everything was a source of privilege for the Nobles. The Nobles had a thousand pretexts so that they could establish taxes on their vassals. If a Noble became a prisoner of war, his life would be saved by his nobility. The Feudal System Right of Hunting was held dearest to the Nobles. Nobles along with Lords were given the Right of Jurisdiction. This right gave judicial power to the Lords and Nobles in cases that began in their field.

    Nobles possessed the right of wearing spurs. Knights were also allowed to wear gold or silver spurs depending on what their rank was. Another right for Nobles was the Right of Having Seats of Honor in Churches. Along with all those rights, there was another one. That right was the Right of Disinheritance. This right let Nobles decide what items they wanted to take from a person who died on their land even if the Noble had no direct heir to the person who had died.

    As you can tell, the Nobles had a lot of rights that belonged to them and only them. Yet, these are not all of them. There are still more. One of them is the Right of Treasure Trove, which gave the Noble complete power to own any minerals or treasure found on their land.

    Besides that, there was also the Right of Shipwrecks. The Right of Shipwrecks was only for Nobles and let them appropriate the contents of ships that wrecked on shores that were part of their property. The final right given to Nobles was the Right of Shelter. This right was a principal that was administered upon a Noble. This right meant that when a great baron came to the Nobles’ land, the Noble’s Tenants had to give the baron and his group:

·       Shelter

·       Provisions

·       Food

Vassals

        The vassals were generally thought of as "taxable and to be worked at will". Vassals were not allowed to study because the kings and councils would not allow them to. Vassals served the Nobles.