Feudalism

Feudalism came to as a government containing kings, vassals, knights, lords, lesser lords, and peasants. Feudalism is a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided theirlands among lesser lords in exchange for military services and pledged loyalty.
The relationship between lords and vassals was established by customs and traditions. A lord granted his vassal fief orland, which ranged from a few hundred acres to a square mile in which it included peasants to work the land. The vassal pledged loyalty and military service to his lord. Besides granting an estate,Lords also promised to protect their vassals in return vassals pledged 40 days military service each year and certain money payments in advance each year.
Everyone had a place in a feudal society. Belowthe Monarchs were the most powerful lords-Dukes and Counts- who held the largest fiefs. Each of these lords had vassals in turn they had their own vassals. Sometimes a lord was also a vassal to amore powerful lord but had less powerful ones below him. Because vassals often held fiefs from more than one lord feudal relationships grew very complex. A vassal who pledged loyalty to several lordscould have serious problems if his lords quarreled with one and other.
The manor was the heart of a lord's estate. On this land the peasants worked to farm crops. Most manors included more than onevillage. Most peasants who worked the manor were serfs, who were bound to the land. Serfs were not slave but were not free. They could not leave the manor without the lord's permission and if the manorwas granted to a new lord the serfs went with it.
Mutual rights and responsibilities tied peasants and their lords together. Peasants had to work seven days a week farming the lord's domain. They alsorepaired roadways, bridges and fences. And when peasants married they paid their lord. Since money had largely disappeared from medieval Europe, the lord was paid in eggs and in chickens.
Feudalism...