A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things

Feudalism was a social, political, and economic system that dominated medieval Europe, particularly between the ninth and 15th centuries. It emerged in the aftermath of the collapse of the Carolingian Empire and the subsequent period of political fragmentation and instability.

Under feudalism, society was structured around a hierarchical system of land ownership and loyalty. The king or monarch granted land (known as fiefs) to nobles (lords) in exchange for military service and other forms of support. These nobles, in turn, granted smaller parcels of land to lesser nobles or knights, who pledged their loyalty and service to their lord. At the bottom of this hierarchy were the peasants or serfs, who worked the land and owed labor and a portion of their crops to their lord in exchange for protection and the right to use the land.

Key features of feudalism included a decentralized power structure, an agrarian economy, reciprocal obligations, social hierarchy, and military service. Under feudalism, political power was distributed among a network of lords and vassals, with the king having limited control over distant territories. The economy was primarily based on agriculture, with serfs working the land and producing crops for their lords.