Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • Free Essays • My Term Papers • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - History Other feudalism feudalism The Feudal Revolution swept across Europe causing significant changes in the political landscape. The revolution began from middle 10th century and reached its peak around the 12th century. Feudalism was a contractual agreement among the upper classes by which a lord gave land to his men, vassals, in return for military services. Feudalism originated in Germany around 450 AD after Germanic tribes conquered Rome. Its origins were between the Rhine and Loire River. Feudalism soon spread to Italy, England, and most of central and eastern Europe. The numerous flaws of the feudal system such as subinfeudation and homage, would eventually lead to its downfall in 1660. Feudalism was initially used as a method of local defense. In the times of uncertainty that plagued eastern Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire, feudalism provided public power and armed forces in the hands of private landowners. The feudal system made for a formidable defense against Moslems, Vikings and other invaders. Early feudalism mainly evolved to allow monarchs to maintain large armies of mounted troops by giving them land in exchange for their services. Later feudalism consisted of a more political relationship between Lord and Vassal. The bond between lord and vassal allowed wealthy landowners the ability to field an army quickly when needed. The relationships in the feudal system resemble a pyramid. The lowest vassals are at the base and the lines of authority flow up to the peak of the format, the king. Lords and vassals were meshed together in a web of mutual obligations. The vassals owed their lords a specified number of days annually in military service and in protecting the castle. At the top of the pyramid was the lord, which meant that he accrued much of the benefits. He was the owner of all the land within his designated region. The basic piece of the feudal relationship was the feudal contract. The contract was not in writing which often lead to disputes in duties and obligations. There were no firm borders placed upon territories held by a lord. The boundaries of ownership were constantly changing hands. The entire area of the kingdom was broken up into smaller pieces of land. The smaller pieces of land were called fiefs. They were granted to the vassal by the lord. Larger fiefs were often divided into smaller fiefs which were ruled by inferior vassals. The process of division and subdivision was known as subinfeudation. The problem with subinfeudation is that it tends to weaken the unifying strength of the territory. The scattering of power throughout the fief reduced its efficiency as a whole unit. In the beginning of feudalism, the knights image was in question. At first, he was considered to be a professional thug. Early 9th century his image would undergo a major transformation. Armies of foot soldiers, who were really farmers and herdsman most of the time, were proving to be inept in defending parts of Europe. A permanent fighting force was necessary in defending territory. This is where knights came into being. Knights eventually became most important in medieval times. They were characterized by their elaborate ceremonies of knighthood that became a permanent fixture of the feudal system. The dubbing of a knight was the part of the ceremony which displayed courage and trust of the inducted person. Knights eventually became one of the most superior fighting forces, far better than infantry men. Excellent swordsmanship and horse back riding skills allowed knights to be successful in repelling Vikings and Hungarians in the 9th century. Knights were scarce at first but their numbers grew. Their man objective was to defend against sudden attack. They lived together in strategic locations, often placed on a hilltop fortification. These fortifications eventually would change into elaborate castles that remain in Europe today. The weakness of feudalism was exposed early in its existence. Problems in inheritance became a severe weakness. If a lord could not bargain or keep a deal he and the vassal previously agreed on, the feudal contract was violated. In the event that this happened, the personal trust and nature of the feudal contract was gravely eroded. Also, the fact that the lords could field an army so quickly was detrimental to a central governing body. Another problem with feudalism was the conception of homage. A man who was a vassal of more than one lord would chose one as his supreme lord. This once again undermined the feudal contract that was vitaly important to the system. Personal loyalty was pushed aside for individual satisfaction. Strong lordships, such as kings in France and England, plagued the local governments that were necessary for a healthy feudal system. The constant division of land and ownership due too subinfeudation and inheritance, would further lead to the decay of the feudalism. Feudalism would survive beyond the close of feudal inhabitancy in 1660. The influence remains in present day Europe. Feudal remnants remain in English constitution. The main concept of twentieth century libertarianism stems from the feudal revolution. The idea of private ownership and rights of the individual are directly taken from the feudalism. Centralized government exposes the short comings of feudalism. For feudalism to last eight centuries, was remarkable. To think that Europe could be ruled on the bases of verbal commitment and trust was extraordinary. Bibliography: Word Count: 887
Copyright © 1998-2008 College Term Papers, INC All Rights Reserved. DMCA Notifications and Requests