3. Manorialism Was Characterized by All of Theseconditions EXCEPT

The Middle Ages WHAP/Napp
“Within these new kingdoms, a highly fragmented and decentralized society with great local variation emerged. In thousands of independent, self-sufficient, and largely isolated landed estates or manors, power – political, economic, and social – was exercised by a warrior elite of landowning lords. In the constant competition of these centuries, lesser lords and knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings and thus became their vassals, frequently receiving lands and booty [plunder taken in war] in return for military service.

Such reciprocal ties between superior and subordinate were also apparent at the bottom of the social hierarchy, as Roman-style slavery gradually gave way to serfdom. Unlike slaves, serfs were not the personal property of their masters, could not be arbitrarily thrown off their land, and were allowed to live in families. However, they were bound to their masters’ estates as peasant laborers and owed various payments and services to the lord of the manor. One family on a manor near Paris in the ninth century owed four silver coins, wine, wood, three hens, and fifteen eggs per year. Women generally were required to weave cloth and make clothing for the lord, while men labored in the lord’s fields. In return, the serf family received a small farm and such protection as the lord could provide. In a violent and insecure world adjusting to the absence of Roman authority, the only security available to many individuals or families lay in these communities, where the ties to kin, manor, and lord constituted the primary human loyalties. It was a world apart from the stability of life in imperial Rome or its continuation in Byzantium.Also filling the vacuum left by the collapse of empire was the Roman Catholic Church, yet another link to the now defunct Roman world. Its hierarchical organization of popes, bishops, priests, and monasteries were modeled on that of the Roman Empire and took over some of its political, administrative, educational, and welfare functions. Like the Buddhist establishment in China, the Church later became extremely wealthy, with reformers often accusing it of forgetting its central spiritual mission. It also provided a springboard for the conversion of Europe’s many ‘pagan’ peoples.” ~ Ways of the World

3. Manorialism was characterized by all of theseconditions EXCEPT:

(A) Most peasants were serfs.

(B) Manors and peasants depended on merchantsfor most necessities.

(C) Peasants were obligated to give their lorda portion of their produce.

(D) The lords protected the peasants.

(E) Levels of production and technology werelow and limited.

1. On borders, Rome faced external pressures: Germanic invaders

1. Romans, Gupta, and Han experienced difficulties regarding taxation

1. The Medieval Church

1. Yet frequent fighting among Germanic tribes in early Medieval period

1. A Germanic tribe united by King Clovis in late fifth century

1. After he died, his empire was divided among his sons

1. Yet empire helped western Europe solidify under common culture

1. Charles Martel led the revolt against advancing Muslim armies

1. Charlemagne (“Charles the Great”)

1. Was crowned by the Pope in 800 and became known as Charlemagne
2. Strong focus on arts and education but religious emphasis

1. The Holy Roman Empire: Name of Otto I’s Realm

1. However, had little in common with the original Roman Empire

1. In exchange for military service/loyalty, king granted land to nobles
2. Nobles or Lords then gave lands to lesser lords (vassals)
3. Estates granted to vassals called fiefs, known as manors: self-sufficient
4. An increasing number of peasants became bound to the land (serfs): needed protection which lord provided
5. Advances in agriculture: Three-field system with rotation of three fields: one for fall harvest, one for spring harvest, and one fallow
6. Most lords followed code of chivalry (honor system)
7. Land and title passed down via primogeniture to eldest son

1. But religious opportunities as nuns

The Magna Carta:

The Magna Carta was written by a group of 13th-century barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. It is concerned with many practical matters and specific grievances relevant to the feudal system under which they lived. The interests of the common man were hardly apparent in the minds of the men who brokered the agreement. But there are two principles expressed in Magna Carta that resonate to this day:“No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” “To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice.”

~ National Archives

How did the Magna Carta limit the power of the English king and how did it influence the development of modern democracies? ______

Analysis:

Describe the ways in which Christianity shaped postclassical European culture.

Excerpt of Free-Response Essay Sample Response:

“Christianity permeated many aspects of postclassical European life. Thechurch established itself as a higher power than individual monarchs, in part asa result of the investiture controversy. Universities, though allowing for somedisagreement, emphasized theology and trained countless clergymen; they alsoprovided the backdrop for the assimilation of Greek and Roman ideas intoChristianity. Finally, religious themes dominated art and architecture. As theMiddle Ages came to a close, however, the influence of the church declined.”

Rate this response and explain the reasons for this grade: ______

Questions:

1- What were the duties and obligations of serfs?

______

2- What were the duties and obligations of lords?

______

3- What did vassals owe their lords and what did lords owe their vassals?

______

4- What were the benefitsof the feudal system for medieval society? Disadvantages?

______

5- Why did feudalism develop, flourish, and ultimately end in Western Europe? ______