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Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More
The Rise and Fall of Feudalism in Medieval Europe
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For centuries, power in Europe was measured not by money or elections, but by land, loyalty and the ability to command armed men. Out of the ruins of the Roman Empire and the chaos of invasion came a system that created castles, knights, peasants, kings, and the medieval world itself. Yet it was a system that was highly unequal, deeply local, and surprisingly durable. Learn more about the rise and fall of feudalism on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Quince. Several months ago I moved into a new apartment and I've been buying new furniture as of late. And one of the other things I've been doing is shopping at Quint's for all my home decorating needs. From soft bedding and washable rugs to curtains, towels, decor and pieces that make a room feel more finished, Quint's has become one of those places I trust when I want my home to feel a little more comfortable and put things together without overpaying. 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And right now all plans are $15 a month, even the unlimited plan. It works on your current phone, your current phone number, and you can keep all of your contacts. That's why I recommend Mint Mobile to get your new wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.comeed that's mintmobile.comeed cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.comeed that's it. There's no catch. $45 upfront payment required, equivalent to $15 a month. New customers on first three month plan only speed slower above 40 gigabyte on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees, and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. Feudalism was not a single formal system invented at one time by one person. It was a loose set of political, military, legal, and economic relationships that developed in medieval Europe after the collapse of strong, centralized Roman government. At its core, feudalism was a way to organize power in a world where land was the main source of wealth, armies were expensive, government institutions were weak, and local protection mattered more than abstract national citizenship. During the Middle Ages, people did not use the term feudalism to describe what they were doing. The term comes from the Latin word feudum, which roughly translates as land granted to a lord in exchange for specific obligations. The term feudalism was not used until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was coined by scholars who were seeking to describe the economic and social system of medieval Europe. While the term feudalism offers a simple, practical definition of the era's social structure, it has limitations. By grouping all feudal practices into a single term, we're assuming that all feudal systems function the same way, but in reality, they differed from place to place. So as I discuss feudalism today, it's important to note that it is a generalization about multiple practices, rather than a blanket description that covers every instance. Feudalism was a highly hierarchical system that's often depicted as a pyramid. At the top were monarchs. They designated lots of land and granted titles of nobility. In return, the nobles owed the monarch military and political service. In return, the nobility had different levels, with lesser nobles owing allegiance to greater nobles. Nobles of all levels often had knights who were minor landholders who owed allegiance to them. Below, the nobles were peasants who lived on and worked the land. During this time, peasants were commonly called serfs. In exchange for their labor, the nobles promised them protection and a small plot of land on their property. To put it bluntly, life as a serf was awful. They were not free laborers who could come and go to different lands and work as they pleased. Instead, they were legally tied to the land and had little ability to move up in society. Serfs were unable to own land, and the only land that they were allowed to work was that designated by their lord. They had to grow their own food and live off of it, while providing the rest of their harvest to their lord as payment. Serfdom is similar to, but functionally different from slavery. The two practices certainly have similarities, but the differences are very important. Serfs were typically divided into two groups, the the half villains and the villains. And villain does not refer to a bad guy, and it's spelled totally Differently, the villains and half villains essentially had the same farming. The only difference was that half villains had half as much land as their counterparts. Both groups performed similar labor tasks and were expected to meet the same quotas. Serfs also needed their lord's permission for things like getting married or changing their occupation. Both groups were among the lowest rungs of society. They lived in mud huts with straw beds and typically had very few rights. The farmers were the backbone of feudal society, as they made up the majority of the population and constituted the heart of the economy. If you were part of the peasant class and not a serf, the only other option was to be a freeman. Freeman were not legally bound to the land like serfs, but rather acted like tenants who rented the land. They owed little to their lord and mostly maintained their independence. The main difference between serfs and slaves is that serfs were bound to the land, whereas slaves were considered to be personal property. As a result, serfs could not be separated from their families and sold. The entire group had to stay together because they were all attached to the same plot of land. Additionally, nobles were required to do certain things for their serfs. The nobility had to protect them from raids, could not require them to work on Sundays or holy days, and had to ensure that they were adequately housed and fed and usually could not require them to serve in the military. Serfs usually didn't perform military service because they lacked training and couldn't afford the armor, weapons and horses required for medieval combat. The origins of serfdom and feudalism can be traced back to the fall of the Western Roman empire around the 5th century. The first serfs are believed to have been the descendants of Roman slaves after slavery had been eliminated by the spread of Christianity. After Rome fell, there were very few organized governments in Europe. The lack of organized government was dangerous as people faced raids by hostile neighbors, foreign threats, bandits and other outside forces. People sought protection from these threats and turned to large landowners for help. The landowners agreed in exchange for the promise of loyalty and service. This exchange gave the lords more power and in turn centralized their control. The practice was known as a fief, a land grant made by someone in exchange for service and loyalty. The system between the serfs and the nobility was also known as the manorial system or manorialism, because the manor you worked on was supposed to be self sufficient and provide everything a serf might need. The earliest written work on feudal practices in Europe was the Libri Feudorum, or the Book of Fiefs, first codified in Italy between the years 1100 and 1250. The work defined feudal law and its place within civil law. The book basically covers what I just described. Nobles ownership of land and the peasants ability to live and work there, subject to their agreement with their lord. In addition to the nobility, the Church also held a significant role in feudal systems. As the main religious body, it often held political power within the state. The Church's social influence was powerful enough to establish the legitimacy of the feudal system. Because the Church deemed it legitimate, the peasantry accepted its terms. As previously mentioned, different countries implemented feudal systems in different ways. The French and Russian versions of feudalism were mostly similar to what I've just described. The French version was led by a king, and the Russian version is led by a czar. Both leaders held absolute power over the state, and land holding nobles were granted land for their loyalty and expected to provide labor or military support to retain their lands and titles. But there was a difference in the French and Russian variants of feudalism. The Russian version included a more direct involvement by the Church, as the Russian Orthodox Church was a major landowner at the time and played a more direct role in the state. In France, the Church was certainly powerful, but they were considered to be a separate institution from the crown. However, the main difference between Russian and French feudal societies lies in how the serfs were tied to the land. Despite the French feudal system being very restricted, the Russian version was even worse. In Russian feudalism, serfs were tied to their plots of land by a 1649 legal code. This code made peasants and their descendants bound to a piece of land in perpetuity. This benefited the Russian state by creating a large source of revenue as well as a supply of conscripts for war. In contrast, French peasants had many more rights. While they were still tied to the land, they had some mobility and legal protections from the state. Russian serfs, however, had almost no political or property rights whatsoever. Additionally, the onset of feudalism differed in the two countries. In France, the practice evolved from a decentralized network of treaties between local nobility in the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire. Power in the system was then consolidated and inherited through the Catholic Church. In contrast, Russian serfdom was far more centralized. The Tsar created the system to secure revenue from an established base that didn't change over time. With that secure base, he was able to maintain an autocratic rule over a nobility and peasantry that served him loyally. Another major difference between France and Russia was how long the respective systems lasted. The French abolished feudal practices during the French Revolution in 1789. The feudal obligations and privileges literally ended overnight, replaced by new property laws and civil rights. In Russia, the feudal system was abolished significantly later. Tsar Alexander II emancipated serfs in 1861. Yet despite ending the practice, in theory, the very little actually changed in Russian society. While the system in name was abolished, many of the practices remained the same. The newly freed serfs were required to buy land from their previous landlords using government loans. They were required to make redemption payments to the government for the next 49 years, leaving them no opportunity to improve their social standing. In large part, the insistence on keeping the feudal system alive in Russia for so long was a major reason it was unable to industrialize as quickly as other European powers. In the 19th century, the end of feudalism was a gradual process. In most other places. As the Middle Ages came to a close, many free peasants began buying land. This plot of land was small, but it did allow for increased trade and production. As trade increased, the government began to realize that areas still under the feudal system were generating less revenue than those with free men. And it became clear that a healthy workforce of laborers performed better than a depressed group of serfs. This led to the gradual change of serfs becoming free laborers. One of the first countries to completely abolish serfdom was England. In the mid 14th century, the Black Death killed an estimated 1/3 of the population of Europe. In England, an estimated 2 to 3 million people died. Those who had survived the plague emerged in a significantly more powerful position as their labor had become more valuable. But this meant that they could demand better working conditions and more money. In England, this was expedited by the peasants revolt of 1381. This event saw the peasant class march to London to demand that the nobility abolish serfdom and free all workers. To force the government's hand, the mob began to burn down buildings and destroy homes until their goal was met. While the Peasants Revolt was eventually put down by King Richard ii, the movement drew significant attention to the plight of serfs. Over the following years, fewer and fewer peasants entered into serfdom. In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I finally ended the practice and freed any remaining serfs. And this set an example for other countries, such as France and Scotland, to eventually end serfdom as well. Feudalism was a system that was born out of necessity in an age when central authority was weak, protection was local, and land was the foundation of wealth. It provided structure to a fragmented world. It tied kings to nobles, nobles to knights, and peasants to the land that they worked, creating a society built on obligation, hierarchy, and survival. Feudalism eventually faded, but its legacy can still be seen in Europe's castles and its noble families, many of which can trace their lineage back to the Middle Ages. In a very real sense, feudalism defined the medieval period, and its end signaled the start of the modern world. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ashe. My big thanks go to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible, and I also want to remind everyone about the community groups on Facebook and Discord. This is where everything happens that's outside of the show. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups, you too can have it read in the show.