Feudalism In The Military

1471 Words6 Pages
The military was a very important part of society in the Middle Ages and feudalism helped keep it functioning. A overlord usually helps create the military. They issue an announcement to local vassals. These vassals the prepare themselves for the upcoming war. The vassal and his men then march and join the king’s army (Nardo 28). Feudalism was based on loyalty. Those who fight are loyal to the Lord and his manor and he will fight to protect them. The vassal usually collects some of the people he rules to help. These peasants prepare the best they can to help. The military helped protect the manor from incoming attacks. The army usually consisted of two groups. The first group were vassals and knights. They were more elite and usually road on…show more content…
Manors were self-sufficient societies meaning the different classes had to provide for it. Manors were run by lords. Every village had a lord but they were usually not a residence; they were only a residence if they only owned one manor (Gies 44). The villages usually had less than 600 people living in it (Cels 6). The people who live in it produce everything. They produce their own food, clothing, and make their own tools (Cels 6). They used fields inside the manor and meadows and forests that surrounded the village to help them (Cels 5). They planted crops like wheat and rye in the field that could be used to make bread. Their livestock grazed in the meadow. Their livestock could be killed for food or they could get wool from sheep for clothes. The forest provided wood. The wood would be used for building and fueling fires. The acorns from trees were used to feed their pigs. The stream nearby also supplies water to the crops and to drink (Cels 5). Since people in the Manor provide for themselves it was a permanent residence and they made buildings that could help them make the things they needed. The church was usually the largest building and was the center of the people’s lives. The church was usually next to the manor house. The manor house was usually large and made of stone. The main room was the Great hall which was used for meetings and was also used for a dining room for the lord, his family, and important…show more content…
Without all their hard work the manor would have been disastrous. Serfs worked constantly. They rarely had a minute to take a break (Hazen 2). If they did not work the manor would have collapsed. They did not have any power but without them no one would have power. They kept everything running. Farming helped keep the economy high. Once serfs met their own needs and the amount they owed the lord, they could sell the rest (Hazen 1). They earned money selling crops and livestock. They worked on fields all the time to earn what they needed. Serfs couldn’t be sold separately from the land they were bound to (Hazen 1). They did lot more than just farming for the manor. They ran errands and gave up a lot to take on the responsibilities they had (Hazen 2). Without them, almost nothing would get done. They gave up livestock, crops, and some of their money just to be safe from the outside world. Most of what they had would go to the lord (Hazen 1). Everyone relied on them. If they did not do everything they did, a ripple effect would occur. There would not be enough food and supplies, the economy would slowly die, and then everyone would suffer. Without farmers the economy and the manor would have

More about Feudalism In The Military

Open Document