A New Millennia The Rise of Feudalism Questions to Consider How did changes in agriculture and commerce help produce the transition to the feudal system in parts of Europe What were the main elements of feudalism I Agricultural Revolution Main economy of the entire ancient world A Technology This agricultural revolution begins with Technology Allowed for the tilling of soil Iron wheel plowing by animals Also the invention of the wheelbarrow Waterpower was also used B Knowledge C Practice Taking the technologies and transforming them to a usable thing Common field farming At first most people only farmed for themselves but over time people would grow things as a team They shared land and were able to create a surplus of crops and sell them to people in the cities D Manorialism and serfdom Manorialism is an economic system which ties people together as landowners and peasants Share farming with your lord On the land manor and a peasant would only receive 50 of your work Serfdom is permanent obligation to lord and lord s permanent obligation to you E Other consequences Social mobility is being destroyed Freeholders are very rare because of the manor farm competition Municipal and Commercial Revolution II A Roots of Revolution Comes in the form of agriculture Leads to a commercial revolution B Markets and Trade C Urbanization and Specialization Contains Manor house 3 field system If one is first worker in a specific market could become very wealthy within their social class Towns become markets where individuals trade Church paid for by the lord A mill The lord s oven III Feudalism Military obligation to lord Must be trained by a professional before one can become specialized in trade A New wealth fostered both social mobility and social stratification Higher social statuses can still be in that class even though they may have less wealth in terms of money or land of someone in a lower social class Ones wealth cannot move them from social classes whatever class one is born into is where they stay for life B Families begin to establish themselves as territorial lords As manorialism grows families become infinitely wealthier than they were before 1 Lords manors and fiefs Fief grant of land to be used by a vassal of a lord for servitude 2 Vassals and homage Homage ceremony where one is sort of knighted and takes the loyal obligation Vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord and receives protection from him lower to higher social class or higher to lower social class 3 Serfdom C Protected territories and followers by building castles Castles bring cities and economies around them 1 Knighthood 2 Nobility D Basis of Power in Europe 1 Political and military power was in the hand of wealthy landholders 2 Centralized Europe s growing wealth for themselves 3 These medieval lords exercised enormous power over property rights coinage law military and taxation E Problem and consequences of feudalism IV 1 Feudalism as a highly decentralized political system 2 Justified a hierarchical legal and political order Early English Feudalism A William the Conqueror B William s Rule of England