feudal system

• • king had ultimate power
  • tenants in chief were powerful but answered to king
  • under-tenants much less powerful; answered to tenants & swore loyalty to king
  • peasantry did farming + very little power
• • feudal system developed as a way of ensuring that kings had troops without having to pay for them
  • william needed soldiers to maintain control but they were expensive
• • william granted land to tenants
  • land carried requirements to give troops when king needs
  • under-tenants give military service for land
  • under-tenants provided land to be worked on for peasants
• | role of tenants

  • military: expected to fight & put down any opposition to norman rule
• | role of tenants

  • social: provide knights for king; it was up to them how they used their land to do so
• | role of tenants

  • social: each honour (large land owned by under-tenants) had its own court to settle disputes with land
• | role of tenants

  • economically important: owed king a share of all revenue made & kept some for themselves
• | role of tenants

  • political: served on royal council, advising king upon request
• | role of knights

  • superior to other military units
• | role of knights

  • important in suppressing opposition in england
  • castles operated as places for knights to retreat to for defence
• | role of knights

  • social importance, replacing thegns; would've been local lord of the manor
• | nature of feudalism

  • king owned all land
  • when a landowner died, the heir had to prove loyalty to king before they were allowed to reclaim it & pay king for right to use land- aka RELIEF!
• | nature of feudalism

  • relief system encouraged loyalty to the king
  • can threaten landholders with relief to make it impossible for heirs to take over land
• • reliefs quickly became a source of discontent because king could use them to make money & reward loyal followers
• | homage

  • ceremony taken place when william granted land to a tenant
  • i become your man
• what was relief?

  having to pay the king to reclaim land
• why was the relief system useful for the king?

  to ensure loyalty