HISTORY

What changes did William I do for England?

The feudal
system:
What is the feudal system?
• The Feudal system is a system of land ownership and
duties. It was used in the Middle Ages. With the feudal
system, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However,
the king would give some of the land to the lords or nobles
who fought for him, called vassals. And it was also one of
the main changes that William did to England at 1066 and
that helped William a lot to control England.
How did the feudal
system work?
• Under the feudal system land was granted to people
for service. It started at the top with the king granting
his land to a baron for soldiers all the way down to a
peasant getting land to grow crops. But the king did
not give his land to the barons for free, they had to
give him something in return, (loyalty, soldiers, taxes)
and so did the whole feudal system. The peasants were
a little different since they did not have soldiers, so
they had to give them (food, taxes loyalty)
Why was the feudal
system created?
• The Feudal system is the name given to the system of
government William I introduced to England after he
defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Feudalism
became a way of life in Medieval England and
remained so for many centuries... He needed a way of
controlling England so that the people remained
loyal.
• Some historians said that the feudal system began
during the Dark Ages – people were in such danger
that they were prepared to keep a local warrior in
luxury, if he protected them. Some historians said
that feudalism began with weak kings, who had to
buy support by giving their nobles land in return for a
promise of loyalty.
Peasants under the feudal system
• Peasants thought that it was unfair to be under the feudal system
and how hard they do for very little given. They had to work all
day growing crops for no money, but knights made sure they all
had a house to live in.
• Peasant's dairy written in 1082: ‘ Life is very difficult for us
peasants. We work on the farms from sunrise to sunset for no
pay. The knights make sure we have a homes, but they treat us
very unfairly.’
The king’s part in
feudalism
• The king was in complete control under the
feudal system. He owned all the land in the
country and decided to whom he would lease
land. ... The men who leased land from the
King were known as Barons, they were
wealthy, powerful, and had complete control
of the land they leased from the King.
Fun facts
Around 90 percent of the people worked the land as peasants.

Peasants worked hard and died young.

Most peasants were dead before they reached 30 years old.

Lords and Barons swore oaths of homage and fealty to their kings.
The Lord held absolute power over the fief or manor including
holding court and deciding punishments for crimes.
Motte and bailey
castle:
What is the motte
& bailey castle?
Motte and bailey castles were a form
of castle structure that enabled the new
Norman conquerors of England and Wales to
secure areas of land quickly and cheaply. The
Normans needed a castle design they could
erect quickly
The castle to subdue
is made up ofthe
twovanquished
parts.
Britons.
The motte is a raised mound or earthwork
which would have a stone or wooden keep on
top. A keep is a kind fortified tower.
The bailey is an enclosed courtyard that was
protected by a ditch and a palisade – which is
a wall made from wooden stakes.
How did it
work?
• A motte-and-bailey castle is a
fortification with a wooden
or stone keep situated on a raised
area of ground called a motte,
accompanied by a walled
courtyard, or bailey, surrounded
by a protective ditch and palisade.
• This type of castle was made by
king William the conqueror as a
sort of defensive castle, for
soldiers and their animals, so
when someone attacked they
would be ready.
Weaknesses and strengths:
A weakness of the castle is that it is made from wood which A strength of the castle is that the wood it was made of was
could easily burn and rot. Note however that the castles were cheap, and that helped the king save money. The materials
soon made of rock, and not wood. were easy to find, too.
What was the
purpose of the motte
and bailey castle?

• The motte and bailey castle was

built in 1066 by William to make
sure they had a safe place to stay
in. It was cheap and inexpensive
because the materials were easy
to find. And since it’s made of
wood, If any attack with fire
happens, the castle would not be
strong in front of it and would
burn down.
Thank you
for your time

By Sham Al Karbi and Mariam Hassan