Feudalism - SS1 Government Lesson Note

Feudalism was a social and political system that existed in medieval Europe from the 9th to the 15th century. It was based on a hierarchical structure of power and relationships between lords, vassals, and peasants.

Under feudalism, the king or monarch was the supreme ruler and granted land, known as a fief, to lords in exchange for military service and loyalty. The lords, in turn, granted land to their vassals, who pledged loyalty and military service to the lord. The peasants, who worked the land, were at the bottom of the hierarchy and owed labor and taxes to the lord.

Feudalism was a decentralized system in which political power was distributed among a network of lords and vassals, rather than being centralized in a strong central government. The system also involved complex social and economic relationships, including the granting of privileges and obligations between lords and vassals. Feudalism declined in Europe with the rise of nation-states and centralized government in the 16th and 17th centuries.