Feudalism

Feudalism was a social and economic system prevalent in medieval Europe, roughly from the 9th to the 15th centuries. It was based on the exchange of land for loyalty and military service. Kings granted land, called fiefs, to nobles (lords) in return for their support. Nobles, in turn, provided land to vassals (lesser nobles or knights), who owed them loyalty and military service. Peasants, or serfs, worked the land for the lords in exchange for protection. This system created a hierarchy of obligations and relationships defining power, loyalty, and land ownership during that era.