
A Quick Explanation of Feudalism for AP World History
Oct 6, 2023
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Feudalism was a political structure that existed in Europe from about the 800s to the 1500s. The early seeds of feudalism were planted even before the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Check out these slides to learn the basics of feudalism.
The Basics of Feudalism
Feudalism was a social system in Europe from around the fall of the Western Roman Empire to about 1500 CE.
In feudalism, the king owned all of the land. He gave large pieces of land to nobles in exchange for military service and loyalty. The nobles then gave pieces of their land to vassals. These pieces of land were called fiefs or manors. In exchange for the land, the vassals would pay taxes and provide soldiers to the nobles. There could be multiple levels of vassals, as a vassal could subdivide his land to subordinate vassals.
Peasants worked the land. They had no rights and could not even leave the land without permission from the vassal, often called a lord. The peasants received food, a place to live, and protection from their lord.
In feudalism, land equaled power. Women could not inherit land or titles, so they were powerless. If a woman did inherit a fief, she could not rule over it.
Feudalism Vocabulary
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Unit 1:The Global Tapestry
AP World History
