The Feudal System part 2
In the feudal system, a lord had a group of vassals—essentially loyal followers—who owed him military service. These vassals formed the lord’s personal army, which he used to fight his own battles. However, he didn’t have the power to stop his vassals from fighting among themselves or from serving other lords, as long as they didn’t turn against him.
The lord could require his vassals to attend his court, where he made laws and acted as judge in disputes. Even though he could create laws, he wasn’t allowed to send officials into his vassals’ lands to make sure those laws were followed. When arguments broke out between vassals, the lord would try to settle them. But if one vassal broke the rules or caused serious trouble, the rest of the vassals would come together to decide on the punishment—showing that the lord’s power was limited in some ways.
The lord didn’t have authority over the vassals of his vassals. These lower-ranking vassals answered only to their own lord, not to the higher-ranking one, and they paid their taxes and followed court rulings within that smaller circle. Over time, a lord could build up a treasury by collecting certain fees. For example, he might ask for money when a vassal’s son was made a knight or when a vassal’s daughter got married. Vassals also had to pay a tax, known as a tribute, to receive or keep their land. The lord could collect tolls from merchants traveling through his lands as well.
However, the amount of tax each vassal paid was agreed upon during a ceremony called homage, and the lord wasn’t allowed to raise it later. If he broke this agreement or abused his power, the vassals had the right to rise up against him. Feudal society had clear class divisions. At the top was the king, followed by nobles who served as warriors. These nobles saw manual labor as beneath them. Children were born into their parents’ social class, so being born into a noble family meant having a chance to become a knight, baron, or earl—positions of power and privilege.
