Feudalism: what is it, stages and characteristics

Feudalism is an important part of the history of social organizations in the West. As such, these organizations are made up of political and economic elements that are closely and complexly related to the social structure. That is, there is a hierarchy where one or more modes of production are related to social superstructures such as politics or the State.

In the case of the feudal system, what lies in the background is the intention to ensure the survival of the warrior caste. For this, it will be the peasants or serfs who bear the expenses of those who fight. In medieval Europe, the latter occurs through a manorial system that organizes a complex network of loyalties and obligations in a production chain, whose highest link is the crown and the lowest is the servant.

In this article We will see what feudalism is, what its antecedents and development areas well as some of the main features.

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What is feudalism?

Feudalism is the social system that dominated Western Europe and its colonies during the Middle Ages, specifically from the 8th to the 15th century, and was expanded by the Carolingian dynasty.

Broadly speaking, its organization consists of the following: in exchange for the oath of allegiance and military service, the king cedes a part of the land to a vassal, who is part of the nobility.

Without having property rights and without commitment to inherit said land, the vassals acquire the possibility of using and managing it. This contractual relationship is known as "vassalage" and the tribute that is granted in exchange for the right to the land is called “feudal tenure”. The person in charge of managing said tenure and representing feudal relations is called a “tenant”.

The territory in question is worked by the peasants (called serfs), who were forced to live on the same land and paid homage to the owner by giving him a part of the product worked up. They received in return the promise of military protection.

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Brief history: from the Roman Empire to the final crisis

Like all social systems, feudalism followed a historical trajectory, both economically and politically and socially. In the economic dimension, this trajectory began with taxes and progressed to commerce; in politics it was developed through a centralized monarchy, and in social it was structured by castes that ranged from the clergy and the army, until finally the bourgeoisie.

Considering that the latter developed in different ways in each territory, we will now see a review of what happened in Western Europe.

Background and development

In the 5th century, the empire that had dominated Western Europe since the 1st century fell: the Roman Empire. The territory is no longer unified and is divided into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. The first advances culturally and intellectually along with the institutionalization of Christianity, and ends until the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century.

The second is destroyed several centuries before, as a result of the barbarian invasions that allow the final transition to the Middle Ages. The above happened after numerous wars that took place in the 5th and 6th centuries, which among other things led to an increase in the number of slaves.

Far from joining the traditional slave estates that were characteristic of Roman antiquity, many of these slaves became free tenants. However, before the collapse of the haciendas, many of them were dispersed in the different holdings, giving rise to bondage. This represents one of the beginnings of feudalism.

But already in Ancient Rome, production relations were beginning to be generated based on the tribute or the tax imposed by the owners of a subject field. The analysis of the most classic planet feudalism that the latter arose from a relationship based on servitude and authority coercive policy exercised by the tenentes and the lordship inaugurated in the Middle Ages as a consequence of the expansion of slavery.

However, other perspectives add that in the late Roman Empire there was already a society that was beginning to be dominated by the feudal mode of production, based on the payment in kind of a land tax, which later became an income.

The Carolingian dynasty

It was the representative of the Carolingian dynasty, Carlos Martel, who at the end of the 8th century gave his nobles some rights over the land, so that he could ensure the income needed to support the army.

In exchange for this, the noble or vassal would have to pay tribute and thanks. This exchange is called "fiefdom", and the owner "feudal lord". This allows the development of a relationship between lord and vassal, as well as the expansion of the feudal pyramid.

Feudalism finally settles towards the 10th century, while the aristocracy is in close relationship with Christianity. In this context the pope has special powers and privileges as God's representative in the land, and it is precisely the papacy that at the end of the twelfth century had the largest number of vassals feudal.

Crisis and decline

Over the centuries, feudalism became an abusive, rigid and very complex system. Its original structure, where a chain of loyalties and personal relationships used to be generated, begins to become a centralized monarchy.

Among other things, fiefdoms begin to be inherited, causing the bonds between vassal and lord to be lost. The religious institutions and the high clergy take administrative, economic and military power; the kings use the feudal organization to stay on top of the pyramid.

In addition, the military protection that was previously granted, begins to be replaced by monetary exchange; thus opening the door to commerce. The development of infantry weapons and agricultural techniques made it not indispensable building relationships based on war, and allowed for more development based relationships economic.

Finally, feudalism as a social, political and economic system declines from armed conflicts such as the Crusades; and health conflicts such as the appearance of serious diseases such as plagues. Added to this was the erosion of farmland, along with the increased possibilities of leasing land that gave more independence to the peasantry, as well as the opening of new routes that generate migration and population growth.

Characteristics of this economic system

These are the main characteristics of feudalism:

1. The basis of production: agriculture

In the era of feudalism there is a relatively low accumulation of capital, because in many social strata the subsistence economy prevails. Therefore, agriculture is the basis of production, and there is no manufactured product with a very high level of sophistication or specialization (compared to current standards).

2. No surplus is produced

Another characteristic of feudalism is that, since there is a subsistence economy, there is no surplus left in the hands of the common people. What little is left is confiscated by the masters of the earth, and therefore there is little trade between remote territories.

Compared to the modern era, in which the development of technology allows to automate many tasks, this accumulation of Capital does not produce an extremely large level of inequality, and social asymmetries are more political and coercive than economic.

3. Wealth is the possession of land

In feudalism, the main means of generating wealth is the possession of land, since this allows generating production nuclei from what is produced in that territory. For this reason, the economy revolves around the possession of land, with which there is still no speculation.

4. There is no social elevator

Something typical of feudalism is that each family belongs to a social class or estate, and their chances of moving to another of the social levels is practically non-existent, since the rights are assigned depending on the family in which one was born.

This means that even if a family did very well economically, it would never compete with other higher levels in terms of power.

5. The king and the nobility need each other

In feudalism, political power is divided between the king and the nobles, and neither of these two institutions has absolute power. The king represents sovereignty and territorial union, and under his reign the nobles who are loyal to him are organized; but at the same time the king depends militarily and economically on the nobles. These two classes need each other.

Bibliographic references:

• Cat. (2006). War in Human Civilization, New York: Oxford University Press.
• History World. (S / A). History of feudalism. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
• Karl, F. (2010) The Futile Paradigm: In Quest of Feudalism in Early Medieval Japan. History Compass 8.2: 179-196.
• Wickham, C. (1989). The other transition: from the ancient world to feudalism. Historical study. Medieval history. 7: 7-36.