Feudalism as a natural step in the development of human society occupies an important place in history. The system appeared at the sunset of antiquity and existed in some countries until the nineteenth century.
New production method
So, the feudal system, which replaced the slave system, was by definition more progressive. The most dynamic part of medieval society - warriors and princes - captured the fertile free lands, turning them into their property. Its base was a large land ownership, which was divided into two parts: the lord with the estate and settlements with dependent peasants. The part of the property that belonged to the owner was called the "domain". At the same time, a special domain of the ruler of the country stood out, which he was free to use at his discretion. In addition to arable land, this also included forests, meadows, and reservoirs.
The large size of the estate made it possible to produce everything necessary for life, therefore this economic system was of a closed nature, and in history it was called "subsistence farming". Those goods that the farm lacked could be obtained as a result of an exchange with another feudal estate. The peasants living in it were personally not free and required to carry a certain list of duties in favor of the master.
The hierarchy of medieval society
This is how the feudal ladder took shape, that is, the position of social groups that demonstrated their status in society. This is a kind of pyramid, on top of which was the supreme ruler, the first feudal lord of the country - the prince or king (depending on the state).
So what are the differences of the feudal ladder? They are easy to explain. The monarch had faithful helpers, who were supposed to pay for the service. If in the early stages the head of state allowed them to collect taxes from the population and leave part of them as a fee, then later the system improved. Now the ruler from his domain gave his servants - vassals - a land allotment inhabited by dependent categories of the population.
Land ownership was hereditary, but the overlord had the supreme right to it, so in the case of treason of the vassal, he could take away the estate. The king's large subjects also had servants who needed to be maintained. Feudal lords from their estates granted them land with a certain number of serfs. The size of these allotments depended on the importance of this man for the overlord.
Finally, at the bottom of the feudal estate were simple knights who no longer had the opportunity to endow the servants with land. And at the base of the pyramid was the “engine” of this entire system - serfs. Thus, those who entered the feudal ladder were the main classes of medieval society.
The principles of world order in Europe
The feudal ladder, or (in another way) hierarchy, was a rigid structure. It practically lacked any mobility. Having been born a serf, a man died by him; the opportunity to change his social position was minimal. This gave medieval society a certain stability bordering on stagnation.
The development of feudalism is almost identical in all countries. Initially, an extensive state was created, which was a conglomerate of tribes and tribal associations of various levels. Then, these territories, within the framework of unified sovereignty, received some help, grew, strengthened, which subsequently led to their unwillingness to obey the supreme ruler. Former major powers turned into a “patchwork quilt” woven from counties, principalities and other feudal units of different sizes and development.
Thus begins the period of disintegration of the once united state. Large - scale subsistence farming feudalism had its own advantages. So, the owner was not profitable to ruin his own peasants, he supported them in various ways. But this also had the opposite effect - enslavement of the population intensified.
The relations of immunity assumed the right of complete suzerainty, which meant both protection and submission for the peasants. And if in the beginning personal freedom remained to them in full measure, then gradually they lost it in return for a stable existence.
Ethnic System Differences
The medieval feudal staircase had its own national nuances. The interpretation of vassal-seignorial relations was different, say, in France and England. Their development on the British peninsula proceeded at a slower pace than in continental Europe. Therefore, a complete feudal ladder in England developed completely by the middle of the twelfth century.
Carrying out a comparative characteristic of these two countries, we can distinguish between the general and the special. In particular, in France the “vassal of my vassal is not my vassal” rule was applied, which meant the exclusion of mutual subordination in the feudal hierarchy. This gave some stability to society. But at the same time, many landowners understood this right too literally, which sometimes led to a conflict with the royal power.
In England, the diametrically opposite rule applied. It was as a result of the belated feudal development that the norm "vassal of my vassal - my vassal" acted here. In reality, this meant that the entire population of the country should obey the monarch, regardless of the seniority. But in general, the feudal ladder in all countries looked approximately the same.
The relationship of socio-economic processes
In general, classical feudalism was replaced by a period of feudal fragmentation, into which Europe plunged from the tenth century. Until the thirteenth century, there was a process of gradual centralization and the creation of nation-states on the basis of already new conditions. Feudal relations were modified, but remained in Europe until the 16-17th centuries, and if we take into account Russia, then almost until the 19th century.
The centralization process, which began in Russia also in the 13th century, was interrupted by the invasion of the Mongol invaders, which caused such a long existence of feudal survivals in our country. Only after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, Russia embarked on the capitalist path of development with two legs.