The regular collection of tithes and other taxes from their dioceses made many bishops extremely wealthy.īarons were the most powerful and wealthy noblemen, who received their fiefs directly from the king. They ruled over areas called dioceses and all the priests and monasteries within them. In many cases, especially in France and Germany, the barons grew very powerful and governed their fiefs as independent states.īishops could wield as much power as the barons. Kings had to work hard however to keep the barons under control. They had few rights, little property and no vassals.įew kings had enough wealth to keep a standing army and depended on their barons to provide knights and soldiers. At the lowest rung of the society ladder were the peasants who worked the land itself. In this way feudalism stretched from the very top of the society to the very bottom. A noble pledged himself to be the king's servant or vassal, at a special ceremony - kneeling before the king he swore an oath of loyalty with the words, "Sire I have become your man." The great nobles often divided their lands among lower lords, or knights, who in turn became their vassals. The king gave grants of land or fiefs, to his most important noblemen (barons and bishops) and in return each noble promised to supply the king with soldiers in time of war. Society in much of medieval Europe was organised into a "feudal" system, which was based on the allocation of land in return for services to the king.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |