PRIMITIVE SOCIETIES

FEUDAL SYSTEM SOCIALISM CAPITALISM

OBJECTIVES
Establish the political system. The economic systems in these societies (means and modes of production). How the people relate with the environment. The link with development.

Definition 1

Feudalism is a social system of rights and duties based on land tenure and personal relationships in which land and to a much lesser degree other sources of income are held in fief by vassals from lords to whom they owe specific services and with whom they are bound by personal loyalty (William; 1990).

Definition 2
A political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to about the 15th century, based on the holding of all land in fief or fee and the resulting relation of lord to vassal and characterized by homage, legal and military service of tenants, and forfeiture (Brown; 1974).

Definition 3
According to Franois Louis (1952) feudalism as a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.

Political system
The administrative head was the king The lords formed a hierarchy starting with a king above, his vassals and then his tenants of successively lower ranks (class system). Public authority was decentralized The peasantry did not have judicial, fiscal and other rights

Political system (cont)

Changelessness was another attribute of classical feudalism European village society which characterized feudalism was conservative and change resisting. There existed a reciprocal r/ship of legal and military obligations between the nobility In the feudal era the State becomes less powerful. There is usually no strong unified central government. The most significant economic and political functions are discharged by the feudal aristocracy.

Economic system
Closed agricultural economy. A simple mode of production: Feudalism represents a low level of technique in which the instruments of production are simple and generally inexpensive. The act of production is largely individual in nature. It is not the result of complex division of labour. The emphasis was not for profit.

Economic system (cont)

Production in a feudal society is organized to meet the need of the household or a village community. Production is not meant for exchange or for the market. The feudal economy is a natural economy, its main object is consumption. It was an economic society organized by tradition. Tradition solved the economic problem. Tradition directed men to their tasks. Tradition also regulated the distribution of social rewards.

Economic system (cont)

In a feudal economy, transactions were mostly of a barter type. Cash payments were rare. Use of money for exchange was very less. Products under feudalism did not take the form of commodity as they mostly had a use value. Market forces of demand and supply had very little relevance in this system. The feudal economy was a subsistence economy.

Economic system (cont)

The insularity of economic life was an important feature of feudalism. The manor used to be self-sufficient. Each manor produced all types of crops in quantities sufficient for its population. Inter-manorial trade was very insignificant. Reduction of trade with the outside world to the minimum was considered as a sign of good management. Extreme self-reliance was the economic hallmark of feudalism.

Relationship with the environment

The land was the most important environmental asset through the feudal land tenure system in which land was held by tenants from lords. It was both a political and economic asset. Poor extractive technology meant that the environment was not exploited.

Link with development

The political and economic dispensation was the spur for development in the feudal society. The class system intensified inequalities in society. The rich became richer and the poor became worse The rights of women were not recognized which translated to low literacy and lack of access to health attention.

Link with development (cont)

Poor technology meant that there was environmental sustainability. The feudal society was resistant to change thus trade with outsiders was minimal. According to Rashma (2012), feudal mentality is lazy, inexpert and un-progressive. Feudal ideology is based on non-acquisitiveness, submissiveness and respect for tradition. Motivation was non-economic. Feudal qualities were antithetic of businesslike (Underdeveloped)