While feudalism provided a degree of stability during turbulent times, it also resulted in a rigid social structure with limited social mobility.The system was further reinforced by the manorial system, where self-sufficient agricultural estates or manors were the primary economic units. Feudalism was marked by the decentralization of political authority, with local lords exercising significant control over their territories.The Church also played a significant role in the feudal system, with bishops and abbots often holding significant land and power. At the bottom of the feudal hierarchy were the peasants and serfs, who worked the land and provided agricultural produce in exchange for protection from their lord.This hierarchical structure created a web of reciprocal relationships and obligations, with each level of vassalage owing fealty and service to their higher-ranking lord.
These lords, in turn, granted portions of their land to vassals, who were often knights or lesser nobles, under similar terms. It emerged as a response to the need for security and stability during a time of frequent invasions and political upheaval.
Feudalism was the dominant social and economic structure in medieval Europe, roughly from the 9th to the 15th century.
