benefits of feudalism in the middle ages

If they did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. Their job was to maintain an army that was at the king's service. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors. They reported directly to the king and were very powerful. This made some Bishops very rich.īarons and Nobles- The Barons and high ranking nobles ruled large areas of land called fiefs.

Not only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people. The Catholic Church was very powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop powerful as well. When one family stayed in power for a long time, this was called a dynasty.īishop - The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese. When a king died, his firstborn son would inherit the throne. In return, the Barons pledged their loyalty and soldiers to the king. The king could not control all of the land by himself, so he divided it up among the Barons.

King - The top leader in the land was the king. Farms would then spread out from there which would be worked by the peasants. A small village would form around the castle which would include the local church. He lived in a large house or castle where people would gather for celebrations or for protection if they were attacked. The center of life in the Middle Ages was the manor. It started at the top with the king granting his land to a baron for soldiers all the way down to a peasant getting land to grow crops. Under the feudal system land was granted to people for service.

Benefits of feudalism in the middle ages