feudalism summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see feudalism.

feudalism, Term that emerged in the 17th century that has been used to describe economic, legal, political, social, and economic relationships in the European Middle Ages. Derived from the Latin word feudum (fief) but unknown to people of the Middle Ages, the term “feudalism” has been used most broadly to refer to medieval society as a whole, and in this way may be understood as a socio-economic system that is often called manorialism. It has been used most narrowly to describe relations between lords and vassals that involve the exchange of land for military service. Feudalism in this sense is thought to have emerged in a time of political disorder in the 11th century as a means to restore order, and it was later a key element in the establishment of strong monarchies. “Feudalism” also has been applied, often inappropriately, to non-Western societies where institutions similar to those of medieval Europe are thought to have existed. The many ways “feudalism” has been used have drained it of specific meaning, however, and caused some scholars to reject it as a useful concept for understanding medieval society.

daimyo Summary

Daimyo, any of the largest and most powerful landholding magnates in Japan from about the 10th century until the latter half of the 19th century. The Japanese word daimyo is compounded from dai (“large”) and myō (for myōden, or “name-land,” meaning “private land”). Upon the breakdown of the system

Marc Bloch Summary

Marc Bloch was a French medieval historian, editor, and Resistance leader known for his innovative work in social and economic history. Bloch, the son of a professor of ancient history, grandson of a school principal, and great-grandson of a combatant in the French Revolution, descended from a

Toyotomi Hideyoshi Summary

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a feudal lord and chief Imperial minister (1585–98), who completed the 16th-century unification of Japan begun by Oda Nobunaga. He was the son of a peasant; when he was still a boy, he left home for Tōtōmi province (present-day Shizuoka prefecture) and became page to a

Two serfs and four oxen operating one medieval agricultural plow, 14th-century illuminated manuscript, the Luttrell Psalter.

manorialism Summary

Manorialism, political, economic, and social system by which the peasants of medieval Europe were rendered dependent on their land and on their lord. Its basic unit was the manor, a self-sufficient landed estate, or fief that was under the control of a lord who enjoyed a variety of rights over it