The Middle Ages in Europe has several characteristic features and phenomena. Of course, these are the Knights, Crusades and the Inquisition. But also vassality. This system of relationships within the state has become fundamental to a long European era.
Origin
To understand what vassals are, it is enough to consider the example of any medieval country in Western Europe. This system arose in the state of the Franks in the VII-VIII century. In this on the ruins of the Roman Empire appeared prototypes of the modern European state. The rulers needed a format in which they could maintain their own power and at the same time rely on the support of the army.
What are vassals? These are people with land allotments who recognize themselves as subjects of the king. This status was obtained by soldiers enlisted in the army of the state and served in it. At the same time, the richest feudal lords could have truly large farms from several villages or even a town.
As a rule, such large tracts were received by people loyal to the king. The allotment was inherited to children and grandchildren. In this case, the descendants also had to serve the state.
Vassal service
What was the duty of feudal lords? At the request of the king, they had to bring his own small army to him. A full-fledged army gathered from such detachments, protecting the country from external threats and internal turmoil. The duties of the vassal included the regular protection of state borders, as well as the payment of taxes to the central treasury.
Rights of a vassal depended on his position in the state hierarchy. Each feudal lord received a title. The most powerful and powerful became dukes. Further down the stairs went counts and barons.
The knights were representatives of such noble families. However, they did not have land. Instead, they owned a set of armor and a horse. The knights entered the paid service to the feudal lords or the king. What are vassals? These are the servants of the king. Their lord guaranteed them safety and protected them from the attacks of their neighbors. Such a system of mutual compromises existed in Europe for several centuries.
If, at its inception, the vassality system helped the sovereigns of the Western European kingdoms to make their powers stable, then over time feudal service led to problems. They were natural. Gradually in the hands of the most influential families were large land resources. They owned many peasants and soldiers.
Some of them rebelled against the central government, and some even encroached on the throne. For example, in France, the royal institute was just a formality. Real power was in the hands of the most powerful feudal lords. One of them (Hugo Capet) later became king himself, leaving the old Carolingian dynasty out of work.
System features
This case was not isolated. Some vassals sought great privileges. For example, they themselves could collect taxes inside their allotment, and also began to mint their own coin. This led to economic independence from the capital, and then to the fragmentation of the state.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that the rule “vassal of my vassal is not my vassal” was widespread in Europe. So, the dukes could subordinate to themselves numerous counts who were isolated from the king. In the period of greatest fragmentation, almost every vassal sought independence. The definition of this phenomenon, adopted in the early Middle Ages, has lost its relevance. What are vassals? These are also people who swore allegiance to their sovereign. This rite became obligatory over time and received its own ritual. In a sign of establishing relations, the lord gave his glove to the vassal.
Comparison of Europe and Russia
In France and England, feudal fragmentation led to the weakening of royal power and numerous wars within the state. This hindered the development of the economy. In both countries, the kings tried to regain their former influence, which, in the end, led to the establishment of absolute monarchies in the late Middle Ages.
Something similar happened in Russia. The only difference was that the system of relations between the center and the province was established with the help of ladder law. In addition, the process of the collapse of the state into separate principalities began in Russia several centuries later than in Western Europe. This led to the lag of our country in development during the New Time period.