CHAPTER 1

 
THE MEDIEVAL WORLD: RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN
EMPIRE
Page 7-10
 
LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Students will be able to
 Define Feudalism.
 Describe the powers, responsibilities, and
the significance of the Feudal system
RECAPITULATION
 The beginning of the Roman Empire.
 Achievements of the Roman Empire.
 The fall of the Western Roman Empire.
ORIGIN OF FEUDALISM AND THE
MEDIEVAL EUROPE
 The feudal system in the medieval European
societies was a political, economic, and
social system developed during 10th to 13th
centuries. It became common during 11th
century.
 The feudal societies were divided into four
social hierarchies, based on local
administrative control and distribution of
land: the kings, the nobles, the knights, and
the peasants. Each hierarchy was linked to
the other in different ways.
HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE
The kings
The kings were at the top of the hierarchy.
They owned all the land but as it was not
possible for them to control the entire land by
themselves, they kept some part of the land
for themselves and gave the rest to the
nobles. The kings provided help and to the
nobles and protected them. To avoid
rebellions, the lands were given in different
parts of the country. The nobles were
responsible for providing soldiers for the king's
army, especially during war.
 The rich nobles were granted land by the
THE TENANTS-IN-CHIEF/NOBLES

kings. They had their own system of

governance, taxation, and law. They minted
their own coins. The nobles were supposed
to protect their lands and the people who
worked for them. Different officials were
deputed to keep a check on the workers and
peasants. There were checks and balances to
regulate the whole system.
THE KNIGHTS
The knights, also called lesser nobles, were
considered the representatives of the
powerful nobles. To attain knighthood, they
had to follow a code of conduct known as
chivalry. The knights had to be loyal to the
nobles and the Church. The nobles sublet
their lands to the knights, who in turn
granted the lands to the peasants on lease. If
the knights did not perform their duties well,
their titles were revoked and their lands
were taken back..
THE PEASANTS
The most important group of the feudal
hierarchy were the peasants. They worked on
the lands given by the knights. The peasants
were categorised into two groups: free and
bonded. Free peasants cultivated the rented
land and paid the lord. The bonded peasants
worked on their lord’s lands and in return
they were given a small piece of land to farm
and live on. They supplied food to the
knights.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
FEUDALISM
 The chief characteristics of feudalism
 Feudalism was a dominant and complex
social system in the medieval Europe. There
were different types of relationships in
feudal societies especially in medieval
France and Germany. In England, feudalism
evolved in its own ways. Different terms
were coined for different kinds of
arrangements. However, certain features
were attributed to all societies in medieval
Europe.
CONT…
 1. The kings received taxes, military aid, and
sometimes food from their vassals. The peasants in
return were protected by the Crown. This system
was based on the rule of ‘give and take’.
 2. The lands were not given at one place to avoid
the threat of rebellions, which brought peace in the
empire. Loyalty was very important in this system.
 3. All parts of the feudal system, from the crown to
peasants, depended on each other.
 The king was answerable only to the Church.
 4. The Church was also granted a large piece of
land. Since the Church was an independent
institution, it did not pay tax to the king.
THE END OF FEUDALISM
 The growing power of monarchy and nobility led to
rebellion by the peasants, as they wanted to
liberate themselves from the chains of feudalism.
 By the end of 13th century, commerce evolved and
coin money was established. Hence, specific local
lords could pay money instead of performing
military services for the king.
 Trading activities flourished and the peasants
moved to the towns where they were free to make
a living of their own choice.
 The nobles became weaker; hence, their land and
power was lost, the soldiers were paid wages, and a
centralised government was established.
STUDENTS’ TASK
 Reading
 Read the following:
 Achievements of Roman Empire (pg. 5-6)
 Read information prompt carefully and the pictures with
titles
 Highlight the important points of Achievements of Roman
Empire on book and jot down important points on loose
sheet
 Vocabulary
 Write the meanings of any 5 difficult words other than the
words given in glossary.(pg. 5-6)
 Digital Literacy
 Research about Octavian Augustus (Emperor of Roman
Empire) and write in points the main features of his rule.
THANK YOU