![]() A lord could take back a fief if the vassal failed to complete his duties. The vassal, or lower lord, was also responsible for collecting taxes in the name of his liege lord.Ī feudal contract lasted for life. The vassal’s main function was to administer justice in his fief. Fiefs ranged in size from a small village to something as large as an entire province. In return for speaking the oath of fealty, vassals were given a fief (land). Again, land was the basis of power during the feudal period. Thus, land was extremely important to the functioning of feudalism. Be faithful in performing the above duties.ĭuring the Middle Ages, the more land a lord owned the more powerful he was. ![]() ![]() Provide the vassal with a means of making a living.ģ). Protect the vassal with the king's entire army.Ģ). Be obedient, loyal, and faithful to the lord.ġ). The foundation of the feudal system was the oath of fealty or the "feudal contract." This oath established what the roles and responsibilities were for both lower and upper lords. For example, the king of England was su preme on the island but because he also possessed land in France he was at the same time a vassal of the king of France. In the feudal system, it was possible to both be a vassal (lower lord) and have vassals of your own. He was called the liege lord while the weaker noble was commonly referred to as the vassal. Feudalism was hierarchical: those at the top were strong while those at the bottom were comparitively weaker. Feudalism was a political system founded upon an agreement or contract between two or more nobles.
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