Unit 8: Lesson 2: Feudalism and the Manor Economy Q&A

How do you think the opportunities available to a noblewoman and a peasant woman differed within the political and social system of feudalism?

A noblewoman could manage a manor for her husband, sometimes inherit land, and might even go to war or learn to read and write. None of these opportunities were available to a peasant woman; she worked with her family on a manor.

What were some of feudalism's advantages and disadvantages for medieval knights and peasants?

Each person had an established role with its benefits and obligations. Lesser lords could grant land to their vassal knights. Knight then were under their lord's protection, but had to provide military service. Although peasants had to work for their lord and pay fees, they had shelter and protection.

How did the manor system operate?

Lords granted land to peasants in return for their labor and certain fees. Lords also provided protection to peasants. Peasant labor on farms and as artisans made the manor self-sufficient during the early Middle Ages.

Compare the rights and obligations of noblemen and noblewomen during the Middle Ages.

Noblemen owed military service and loyalty to their lord. They guided and protected their vassals. Noblewomen owed loyalty and obedience to their husbands, but performed some of the lord's duties if he was absent. They provided day-to-day management of the household and were expected to bear children.

What do you think caused peasants working on medieval manors to die so young?

Peasants on manors worked very hard, had poor diet and sanitation, and were very vulnerable to disease.

Why did feudalism develop as a political and social system?

People needed protection for themselves, their homes, and their lands in the face of invasions by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars. Responding to this basic need, the system of feudalism evolved as a decentralized structure of mutual obligations between lords and vassals. By custom, tradition, and an exchange of pledges, land was exchanged for loyalty and military service. Feudalism in practice varied from place to place and changed over time.

How was warfare central to life in the Middle Ages?

Rival lords battled constantly for power and also fought invaders. This gave rise to a class of warriors called knights and to the development of the castle, used as a fortress for protection during warfare.

Why do you think that "few real knights could live up to the ideals of chivalry"?

The code's rules required that knights be true to their word, fight fairly, treat captured knights well, and protect the weak, including peasants and noblewomen. This suggests that such practices may not have been common in the past. Perhaps nobles felt it was necessary to establish standards against which the behavior of knights could be judged.

What was the relationship between lords and vassals?

They had mutual obligations; lords provided land and protection; vassals provided loyalty, military service, money, and advice.

Why did many young men become knights under feudalism?

because fighting was common, and they learned how to fight when becoming a knight

What did lord's manor lands include?

farms, mills, churches, the manor house, peasant houses, and barns

What did serfs get in exchange for their service?

food, housing, land, and protection

Why did feudalism develop?

to protect people from the threat of invasion