Socials 8 Europe's High Middle Ages 1 William/Feudal Flashcards
For what two reasons was the Battle of Hastings in 1066 a milestone?
- it was the first time the mounted, armored knight became the deadliest fighter in Europe. 2. Norman Feudalism was introduced into England by William the Conqueror
What are the three important facets of Feudalism?
Feudalism is a system based on land, loyalty and religious faith
What were the Middle Ages?
The middle ages were the centuries that followed the Battle of Hastings
What was the center of feudal life?
the center of feudal life was the manor
What is a manor?
The manor is a self-sufficient community where most people live out their lives as serfs or free landowners
What role did religion and church play in manor life?
Church and religion were central to life on a manor
What was the main purpose of a manor?
The main purpose of a manor was to support a knight, who was the lord of the manor.
What was the first thing William the Conqueror did?
He took land away from the British earls and gave them to Norman knights.
What area of England did William the Conqueror give Knight Barlow?
William gave Knight Barlow the entire North West of England as a prize for being his right hand guy during the Battle of Hastings
How was feudalism different from what the British knew?
The British were free people living in free villages.
How did the British feel about this new feudalism?
The resisted strongly, but William suppressed all opposition and by five years feudalism was throughout all of England.
What are the three ‘f’s of the Feudal system?
the three ‘f’s of the Feudal system are Fief, fealty and faith
What is a fief?
a fief is a piece of land, an estate given by the king
what is fealty?
Fealty is loyalty
What is faith?
Faith is religion
Under feudalism, what was the basis of all wealth?
Land was the basis of all wealth in feudalism.
What did knights have to give in exchange for land?
Knights had to give loyalty in exchange for land.
How did knights guarantee their loyalty?
The knights swore and oath of loyalty, and religious faith bound their oaths
What were the four obligations a knight had to his king?
- serve in the king’s army for about 40 days a year, 2. supply the king with extra knights if there was a war, 3. serve in the king’s court and give him advice, 4. give the king money on special occasions.
Why might a king demand money from a knight?
When his son was knighted or when his daughter was married a king would expect a knight to give him money.
What did the king (monarch) give the knight in exchange for loyalty?
The king gave the fief, gave protection and justice, he settled disputes between knights.
What is an oath of allegiance?
A ceremonial statement where a knight swore that he would be loyal
What is homage?
Homage is a formal acknowledgement of an agreement
What is a vassal?
a vassal is a lower status person
What is the basis of the feudal system?
the basis of the feudal system is the contract or agreement between lord and vassal
What is the feudal contract?
The feudal contract is the agreement between a lord and vassal, if both sides keep the agreement there is peace
What is a tenant?
A tenant is a holder of land.
what right did the lord of the manor have?
The lord of the manor had the right to take profits from his land
What was the difference between a serf and a freeholder?
A freeholder owned a tiny bit of land, they paid a yearly fee to the lord of the manor. Serfs were at the very bottom of the feudal pyramid, they had almost no power, like a piece of property.
could the lord of the manor take away a serf’s right to farm the land and live on the manor?
no, a serf had the right to farm and live on a manor
What is the Domesday book?
It was a research project set by William so he could see what was happening on the land and in England. It was sort of like a census.
