Feudalism in Byzantium

Feudalism in Byzantium was a hierarchical system where land was divided among nobles who governed local areas. The emperor owned all land, but nobles held large estates granted by the emperor, and in turn, they had vassals or peasants working the land. Nobles provided military service and loyalty to the emperor, while peasants cultivated the land mainly to produce resources for their immediate lord. This system fostered local loyalty and governance, but it also created a fragmented political structure. In Byzantium, feudal practices coexisted with a strong centralized government, making it different from Western Europe's more dispersed feudalism.