al times feudalism was not the term used to describe that current social order. Vassalage was the original ‘feudal’ name and vassal was the name given to the holder of tenure of land. Property holdings were the true measure of wealth, and the King essentially owned all of the land in his territory. Land was used by a King to gain power and wealth. Further acquisition of property, however, came with a price; it required a solid army to do battle to gain other territories. A modern medieval army required leaders who were motivated and in turn could motivate their charge to carry on in often brutal warfare. It was expected that the vassal, or local dignitary, would participate in battle as a knight or heavily armed cavalryman in return for privileges and grants of land. This established the vassal in a higher social class, above that of the common man or peasantry. As the vassal moved in the higher social circles, he saw himself as above manual labour and would recruit the peasantry to work the land and raise cattle. Power undertook a circuitous route and the feudal state was a society of connections. If a person was not well connected, as was the case for the peasantry, life could be extremely difficult. Power and wealth were hereditary, which ensured that people could not move between social classes. If you were born into peasantry, invariably you would be a peasant for life. Such forced social structure inevitably led to much contempt amongst the peasantry. The underlings generally pledged their allegiance with much disdain. Individually the elite ruled their fief with a heavy hand. Throughout Europe, the people feared for their lives as crooks and the elite (quite possibly the same people) alike raped and pillaged the territories. The nobility filled their castles with stolen bounty and many crusaded against their own people. Fortunately, a structural change of society was in the wind.Afte...
