World History / Unit 4: The Byzantine Empire, the Islamic World and Medieval Europe
4.4 Early Medieval Europe and Feudalism
Notes
After Rome fell, Western Europe entered the Middle Ages (about 500 to 1500), a time of smaller kingdoms and local power.
- Trade and cities declined. The Franks became the strongest Germanic kingdom.
- Charlemagne united much of Western Europe and was crowned emperor by the pope in 800 CE. He encouraged learning in monasteries.
- After his empire broke up, attacks by Vikings, Magyars and Muslims led people to seek local protection.
- Feudalism: a king granted land (fiefs) to lords, who gave land to knights (vassals) in return for loyalty and military service.
- Manorialism: the manor was a self-sufficient estate. Serfs farmed the lord's land and could not leave; in return they received protection and a place to live.
| Group | Gives | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Lord | Land, protection | Loyalty, military service |
| Knight (vassal) | Military service | Land (fief) |
| Serf | Labor, crops | Protection, housing |
Practice
Why did feudalism develop in Western Europe?
Local lords provided defense in exchange for service.
A serf on a medieval manor:
Serfs were not enslaved but were tied to the manor.
Charlemagne's crowning by the pope in 800 CE showed:
It joined political and religious authority in the West.
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