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Feudal Society Rigid Class Distinctions Feudal Society was sharply divided into a. Landholding nobles-the privileged aristocracy, or upper class- and b. The great mass of peasants, or serfs-the unprivileged lower class. Position in feudal society was determined by birth. Regardless of ability or hard work, the serf could not advance to higher social status. The Feudal Social Pyramid • The king, the most powerful among the great lords, at the apex of feudal society, nominally owned all the land in the kingdom. Actually the king controlled only his own estates, the royal domain. • The powerful or great lords, few in number, stood immediately below the king as his subordinate vassals. These lords received grants of land called fiefs from the king and in return pledged him allegiance and military service. The king or lord who granted the land was called the suzerain. The vassal pledged to fulfill the obligations in a ceremony called homage. He was granted his fief in a ceremony called investiture. Feudal Pyramid • The lesser lords, a more numerous group, were vassals of the powerful lords, and received fiefs in exchange for pledges of allegiance and military service. The lesser lords could in turn grant fiefs to other nobles. This process, which could be repeated several times, is called subinfeudation. • The knights, the lowest and most numerous group of nobles, constituted the bulk of the feudal armies. • The serfs, far outnumbering the entire nobility, constituted the broad base of the feudal pyramid. A serf was a peasant bound by feudal obligations to the lord. He was not free to move about or leave the village. But he was not property. Medieval Serf Homes Complicated Vassal-Lord Relationships Feudal relationships of the nobility were quite complicated. When lesser lords and knights received fiefs from different suzerains, they were vassals to several lords. The question of the vassal’s primary allegiance led to many bitter disputes. Feudal Hereditary Relationships a. The mutual obligations between lord and vassal or between noble and serf were usually hereditary-binding upon the heirs of both parties. b. A noble’s title and property could be inherited only by his first-born son. This restriction, awarding to the first-born son a status superior to his younger brothers, is called primogeniture. Feudal Government • Weak Central Government. Although the central government or king theoretically administered the entire kingdom, the king could not generally exercise authority beyond the royal domain. Supposedly the supreme ruler, he was in reality only one of several powerful lords. • Vigorous Local Government. Because the king was weak, the local nobles completely controlled their own territories. The nobles made laws, levied taxes, dispensed justice, and waged war, thereby assuming the functions of government. Thus, feudal government was decentralized. .

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1016" House of Representatives
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