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Primary Source 2.2 the RISE of FEUDAL SOCIETY in MEDIEVAL EUROPE (C. 9TH CENTURY)1

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Primary Source 2.2 the RISE of FEUDAL SOCIETY in MEDIEVAL EUROPE (C. 9TH CENTURY)1 1 Primary Source 2.2 THE RISE OF FEUDAL SOCIETY IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE (C. 9TH CENTURY)1 Following the dissolution of the Carolingian empire, feudalism began to develop as the main social system governing various lands throughout Western Europe. Feudalism became a major social structure around the 9th century, and would continue to be the major influence over societies and everyday life in Western (and later Eastern) Europe until the 14th century. Feudal societies differed from one another but were typically composed of one main principle: The relation between the lord and his subjects who have agreed to provide services for the lord in exchange for his protection and a small amount of land. Feudal society was able to dominate over centralized rule for many centuries but this did not come to persist merely through vacuum. Rather, social structures similar to feudalism had existed in other Western European societies prior to the 9th century. Furthermore, the policy of granting land in exchange for service was established in the Frankish lands around the 7th century where the Church or the king granted an area of land in exchange for a service. Another major policy implication was the element of immunity that had already existed in Roman law where certain lands were exempted from taxes and personal service. From the 6th to 8th centuries, churches were granted this immunity under Frankish and later Charlemagne’s rule. This privilege eventually extended to other non-Church related holders of land due to the King’s desire for the support of its most powerful constituencies. Eventually, feudalism was legitimized and fiefdoms were established by contractual bonds between the lord and his fiefs. Below are excerpts of various statements and documents from the 6th century until the era of Feudalism that show the various policy declarations that made Feudalism the powerful system it would become. The full text is found here. CHAPTER XII THE FEUDAL SYSTEM Vassalage After the Frankish invasion of the Roman Empire, a type of personal relationship called commendation became commonplace around the 7th century. Commendation was a personal relationship where someone provided protection for someone who could not protect themselves or their property. The relationship was between a man with power who could provide the protection called a lord and the man who pledged himself to serve the lord, also known as a vassal. As central authority weakened in the later centuries, this relationship became more commonplace as more men needed protection from hostile forces. The following 1 Frederic Austin Ogg , (Ed.), A Source Book of Mediæval History: Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German Invasion to the Renaissance, (Cincinnati and New York: American Books Co., 1907) 204-6, 211-14, 215, 219, 220-1, 223-4. 2 is an application from a vassal to a Lord asking for protection and care during 7th century Frankish times. To that magnificent lord , I, . Since it is well known to all how little I have wherewith to feed and clothe myself, I have therefore petitioned your piety, and your goodwill has decreed to me, that I should hand myself over, or commend myself, to your guardianship, which I have thereupon done; that is to say, in this way, that you should aid and succor me, as well with food as with clothing, according as I shall be able to serve you and deserve it. And so long as I shall live I ought to provide service and honor to you, compatible with my free condition; and I shall not, during the time of my life, have the right to withdraw from your control or guardianship; but must remain during the days of my life under your power or defense. Wherefore it is proper that if either of us shall wish to withdraw himself from these agreements, he shall pay shillings to the other party, and this agreement shall remain unbroken. (Wherefore it is fitting that they should make or confirm between themselves two letters drawn up in the same form on this matter; which they have thus done.) The Immunity The concept of immunity where an entity was given exemption from various obligations became a major element of feudalism and enabled lords to have the power and jurisdiction necessary for them to run their feudalistic societies. It had its roots from practices of immunity that originated in preceding centuries. In the Roman Empire, immunity usually applied to land owned personally by the emperors. In the Frankish Empire, immunity began to be granted to the Church and its major constituents. Eventually, this extended to other holders of land who were not ecclesiastical in nature. The reason immunity began to be granted to other holders of land was due to the king’s desire to gain the supports of the grantees. The following is a general grant of immunity from a king to a bishop in the 7th century (a). The second document is a grant made by Charlemagne, in 884, confirming an old immunity enjoyed by a monastery (b). (a) We believe that we give our royal authority its full splendor if, with benevolent intentions, we bestow upon churches—or upon any persons—the favors which they merit, and if, with the aid of God, we give a written assurance of the continuance of these favors. We wish, then, to make known that at the request of a prelate, lord of [the estate named] and bishop of [the church named], we have accorded to him, for the sake of our eternal salvation, the following benefits: that in the domains of the bishop’s church, both those which it possesses to-day and those which by God’s grace it may later acquire, no public official shall be permitted to enter, either to hold courts or to exact fines, on any account; but let these prerogatives be vested in full in the bishop and his successors. We ordain therefore that neither you nor your subordinates, nor those who come after you, nor any person endowed with a public office, shall ever enter the domains of that church, in whatever part of our kingdom they may be situated, either to hold trials or to collect fines. 3 All the taxes and other revenues which the royal treasury has a right to demand from the people on the lands of the said church, whether they be freemen or slaves, Romans or barbarians, we now bestow on the said church for our future salvation, to be used by the officials of the church forever for the best interests of the church. (b) Charles, by the grace of God King of the Franks and Lombards and Patrician of the Romans, to all having charge of our affairs, both present and to come: By the help of the Lord, who has raised us to the throne of this kingdom, it is the chief duty of our clemency to lend a gracious ear to the need of all, and especially ought we devoutly to regard that which we are persuaded has been granted by preceding kings to church foundations for the saving of souls, and not to deny fitting benefits, in order that we may deserve to be partakers of the reward, but to confirm them in still greater security. Now the illustrious Hubert, bishop and ruler of the church of St. Marcellus, which lies below the citadel of Chalons, where the precious martyr of the Lord himself rests in the body, has brought it to the attention of our Highness that the kings who preceded us, or our lord and father of blessed memory, Pepin, the preceding king, had by their charters granted complete immunities to that monastery, so that in the towns or on the lands belonging to it no public judge, nor any one with power of hearing cases or exacting fines, or raising sureties, or obtaining lodging or entertainment, or making requisitions of any kind, should enter. Moreover, the aforesaid bishop, Hubert, has presented the original charters of former kings, together with the confirmations of them, to be read by us, and declares the same favors to be preserved to the present day; but desiring the confirmation of our clemency, he prays that our authority may confirm this grant anew to the monastery. Wherefore, having inspected the said charters of former kings, we command that neither you, nor your subordinates, nor your successors, nor any person having judicial powers, shall presume to enter into the villages which may at the present time be in possession of that monastery, or which hereafter may have been bestowed by God-fearing men [or may be about to be so bestowed]. Let no public officer enter for the hearing of cases, or for exacting fines, or procuring sureties, or obtaining lodging or entertainment, or making any requisitions; but in full immunity, even as the favor of former kings has been continued down to the present day, so in the future also shall it, through our authority, remain undiminished. And if in times past, through any negligence of abbots, or lukewarmness of rulers, or the presumption of public officers, anything has been changed or taken away, removed or withdrawn, from these immunities, let it, by our authority and favor, be restored. And, further, let neither you nor your subordinates presume to infringe upon or violate what we have granted. But if there be any one, dominus2, comes [count], domesticus3 vicarius4, or one vested with any judicial power whatsoever, by the indulgence of the good or by the favor of pious Christians or kings, who shall have presumed to infringe upon or violate these 2 Common name for a lord.
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