Question

What did feudalism provide for people?

Answer 1

Provided protection to people after the Roman Empire Fell

Answer 2

They also recived Fuedal contracts

Answer 3

The Middle Ages were dominated by the military elite and their families. However, the men and women of the noble classes were only a fraction of the total population. So how did the majority of the population fit into this feudal world? Recognize first of all, most Europeans were completely dependent on the lords and vassals for protection and leadership. As a result of this dependency, other groups had to give in to the demands of the lords and vassals. In essence, these resulting relations between the elite and lower classes were also reciprocal, however, they were unequal and exploitative compared to the relationship between military elites.
MANORIALISM

The "feudal" relationship was the reciprocal relationship between the lord and vassal. The second key relationship that gave structure to feudal society was that between the land owner (whether a lord or vassal) and those who lived on and worked the land - the peasants and serfs. This relationship is referred to as the "manorial" relationship since the estate was often termed a manor. While reciprocal, it was based on severe exploitation of the peasant class.

Critical to understanding this relationship is recognizing how violent the times were. The vast majority of Europe's population were not in a position to defend themselves. Most were peasants (sometimes referred to as villeins). The vast majority of this class worked the land; only a small proportion had roles such as blacksmiths, craftspeople and artisans. In the peasant class, some were small land owners. Others were those who worked land that they rented (tenant farmers) and some members of the agricultural class were transient workers. For these peoples in the Middle Ages, the desperate need was for security. Facing threats from bandits, maurauding invaders, or aggressive military lords, these agricultural peoples could not turn to a state or empire for protection. Instead, they were forced to turn to the nearest feudal lords and their private armies. Those who already lived/worked on the manor of a powerful feudal lord benefited from the protection of his vassal army. Others moved into or were absorbed into these protected manors - and they had to accept the terms laid down by the feudal lord.

In return for the protection of the lord and his army, peasants gave up all chance of economic betterment and virtually all freedom. Those who were free workers or small farm owners would commit their labor and their wealth to a feudal lord/vassal in return for protection. Peasants who owned their own land would have their farms absorbed into the lord's manor - they retained their ownership of the land, but they would give over virtually all control and freedoms to that feudal lord.

Over time, some peasants even were forced to give up their freedom of movement in return for the right to live in a protected area or the right to run into the castle walls of the feudal lord. These people, who did not even have the right to leave the manor, came to be called serfs. A serf was a person who was tied to the land. The serf had to stay and work on the manor; if she or he left, the land owner could punish them, sometimes with death. The status of serf was inherited by the children, thus serfdom took root and continued in parts of Europe for centuries.

Both free peasants and serfs owed an extraordinary number of obligations to the land owners in exchange for protection. First and foremost they owed their labor. Without the backbreaking labor of the agricultural workers, land would not have value. For the vassals who gained fiefs, it was critical that land carry with it workers to make it productive. Thus peasants/serfs were responsible for working portions of the manor. If they were fortunate enough to have their own land that they farmed for themselves, they also owed a portion of that production from their land to the lord or vassal. In addition, peasants/serfs had to do any odd jobs that were needed (called boon work); this included things like taking care of animals, cutting wood and fixing fences.

Finally, peasants/serfs had to pay taxes to the feudal lord/vassal with whatever goods/food/resources they were able to accumulate or save. For instance, to get married, to have a son inherit the family farm, to gather firewood or graze animals in the lord's lands - for all of these activities, the agricultural worker had to pay a tax in the form of goods or food. Recognize peasants and serfs also owed taxes, usually 10% of their production, to the Catholic Church (this was called a tithe.)

Bottom line, this agricultural class found it impossible to accumulate any wealth and for centuries remained in a situation of extreme poverty and almost complete lack of freedom. What the peasants and serfs did receive in return was the protection of the lord's army and if needed, the right to run behind the protection of the castle walls of the lord. Castles are in fact very visible symbols of the need

Answer 4

Feudalism was based on an agreement between a lord, or landowner, and a vassal, a person who received land from a lord. In exchange for land, or a fief, a vassal promised to help his lord in battle. under feudalism, society in western Europe was divided into three groups

Answer 5

The feudal system was ment to help organize things for people.( To help people) how it worked: what happened was that the king was at the top and then the nobles were given land that was split up