Rise of Feudalism

1. Rise of Feudalism Feudalism is a decentralized organization. Arises when central authority cannot, or will not perform its functions (collect taxes, enforce law, etc.) Or, when it cannot prevent the rise of local powers. In Europe this system arises after the fall of the Roman empire. Leaders were NOT willing to simply replace Roman rule with another centralized government.

2. Rise of Feudalism • At this time most of Europe was still tribal. • Government was a very personal idea, and small in scale (basically communities governed themselves). • After the fall of Rome, European society broke into 3 basic groups: • Aristocracy (rich landowners, who would invoke the feudal system). • Monasticism (the church) • Manorialism (the peasants). • The point being, each class has it’s own system.

3. Rise of Feudalism The military aspect came from the landowner themselves. The church assumed most of the land following the fall of Rome. The Church (Monasticism), would then grant large amounts of land to noblemen, who were trained warriors (in this time only the rich were warriors, peasants were not). Under the control of the church, the warriors (knights) agreed to except the land, with the promise of fighting for the church whenever called upon (this was the payment for the land). The knights, now wealthy landowners, created this Aristocracy (class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges), of landowners.

4. Rise of Feudalism With the aristocracy, power was land ownership (land = wealth = power). They answered only to the church (Monasticism). A wealthy landowner would ‘sub-divide’ his land, much like the church had done. Rather than buy the land, peasants would work it and live on it (again, much like the knights had done). Payment would be a large percentage, negotiated by each individual landowner, of the peasants annual crop.