Feudalism & Hierarchy
Feudalism
The way that Medieval Europe was set up politically allowed for there to be relationships between the different social classes, which helped define the Europe's complex hierarchy and built dependence. This system, known as Feudalism, employed people of lower classes (i.e. peasents, serfs, etc.) to provide a service for the those of the upper class (i.e. knights, priests, kings. etc.) in exchange for protection or land. The lord was the provider, while the vassal was the laborer. And for the most part this system worked well, as it established a need of the weak for the powerful, and it clearly spelled out everyone's role in society. It was this structure that ultimately fixed the medieval hierarchy. But, in reality, this system was bias, as it favored the lords, giving them complete control over the vassals.
Some vassals were able to thrive, however, and resorted to employing people of less power to the same system that employed them. With all the connections made between the classes, Medieval Europe became dangerously dependent. [15]
The way that Medieval Europe was set up politically allowed for there to be relationships between the different social classes, which helped define the Europe's complex hierarchy and built dependence. This system, known as Feudalism, employed people of lower classes (i.e. peasents, serfs, etc.) to provide a service for the those of the upper class (i.e. knights, priests, kings. etc.) in exchange for protection or land. The lord was the provider, while the vassal was the laborer. And for the most part this system worked well, as it established a need of the weak for the powerful, and it clearly spelled out everyone's role in society. It was this structure that ultimately fixed the medieval hierarchy. But, in reality, this system was bias, as it favored the lords, giving them complete control over the vassals.
Some vassals were able to thrive, however, and resorted to employing people of less power to the same system that employed them. With all the connections made between the classes, Medieval Europe became dangerously dependent. [15]
Hierarchy
The feudal hierarchy was created in such a way that the majority of people belonged on the lower tiers, consisting of serfs (people who owned no land), peasants, and masons, while as the social pyramid ascended, the power became greater, and in fewer hands. The result was that all the power was held by the King and royal family, linking feudalism to monarchy. Yet this social structure remained static, as through the concepts of feudalism, people could not expect to raise their position in society. This structure was more shallow than many noticed, however, as the people of the work force had the power to "shutdown" the Europeans beloved social system due to the dependence that the feudal system created. |
Feudalism bound Medieval Europe together by assigning each person a role, and keeping everyone happy in the process. But the system was corrupt, as vassals pledged their lives to a lord, with no chance of raising their self's in societies fixed hierarchy. In this way, the powerful acted as parasites to the weak. But little was done to change this system, and for the entirety of the Middle Ages, feudalism ruled as the dominant social system.