Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

The Early Middle Ages

Lesson 4

Feudalism and Manorialism

Key Terms and People
lord landowner
vassal person receiving a fief from a lord
fief land granted by a lord to a vassal
knight warrior on horseback who promised to defend his lord’s land in exchange
for a fief
serf peasant who worked the land of a lord and could not lawfully leave it
manor lord’s estate
tithe Church tax; usually one-tenth of a peasant family’s income

Before You Read

Between 800 and
1000, Europe faced In the last lesson, you read about Charlemagne and his empire.
new invasions.
In this lesson, you will read about feudalism.

The Vikings, also

known as As You Read The Muslims
struck from the
Norsemen, were
the most feared Use a chart to explain different roles in a feudal society. south. They
attacked areas
fighters from the along the Atlantic
north. and
Invaders Attack Western struck from the south. They attacked Mediterranean
The Vikings raided Europe areas along the Atlantic and coast.
villages and Who invaded western Europe? Mediterranean coast.
monasteries. Between 800 and 1000, new invasions The attacks by Vikings, Muslims, and The attacks by
Vikings, Muslims,
threatened Europe. From the north Magyars made life in western Europe and Magyars
By around the year came the most feared fighters of all. difficult. People suffered and feared for made life in
1000, the Vikings
had settled in many They were the Vikings, or Norsemen. their futures. With no strong central western Europe
difficult.
parts of Europe. The Vikings raided villages and government, they went to local leaders
monasteries. By around the year 1000, for protection.
People suffered
They adopted though, the Vikings had settled down in 1. Why did the people need to turn to and feared for
Christianity, many parts of Europe. They adopted local leaders for help? their futures.
stopped raiding,
and became traders Christianity and stopped raiding to
and farmers. become traders and farmers. Invasions by the Vikings, Muslims, and
With no strong
Magyars threatened them. There was no
The Magyars were nomadic people central
central government to protect them. government, they
The Magyars, from what is now Hungary. They went to local
nomadic people attacked from the east and reached as leaders for
from what is now
Hungary, attacked
far as Italy and western France. They protection.
from the east. sold local people as slaves. The Muslims

The Magyars
reached as far as © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Italy and western 139 Guided Reading Workbook
France.
 Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 4, continued The lord’s land was

called the manor.
Manors became
the centers of
A New Social Order: Manors: The Economic Side of economic life.
Europe’s feudal Feudalism Feudalism
system arose How did feudalism affect society? What was life like on a manor? The lord gave
peasants some
around the ninth Europe’s feudal system arose around The lord’s land was called the manor. land, a home, and
and tenth
centuries. the ninth and tenth centuries. Feudalism Manors became the centers of economic protection from
raiders.
was based on an agreement between a life. The lord gave peasants some land, a
Feudalism was
based on an lord, or landowner, and a vassal, a home, and protection from raiders. The The lord controlled
agreement person who received land from a lord. In lord controlled much of their lives. The much of their lives.
between a lord, exchange for land, or a fief, a vassal peasants worked the land to grow food, The peasants
or landowner,
and a vassal, a promised to help his lord in battle. giving part of each year’s crop to the worked the land to
grow food, giving
person who Under feudalism, society in western lord. They paid taxes on their grain. part of each year’s
received land
from a lord.
Europe was divided into three groups. Peasants also paid a tax, called a tithe, crop to the lord.
Those who fought were the nobles and to the Church. They paid taxes on
their grain.
In exchange for knights. Those who prayed were the Peasants lived in small villages of 15
land, or a fief, a
vassal promised officials of the Church. Those who to 30 families. They produced almost Peasants also paid
a tax, called a tithe,
to help his lord in worked were the peasants. Peasants were everything they needed. Peasants rarely to the Church.
battle.
by far the largest group. Most peasants traveled far from their homes.
Under feudalism, were serfs, who were not free to move Life on the manor was often harsh. Peasants lived in
small villages of 15
society in about as they wished. They were tied to Peasants’ cottages had just one or two to 30 families.
western Europe
was divided into the land of their lord. rooms with only straw mats for sleeping.
They produced
three groups:
2. What were the three main groups of They had poor diets. Peasants endured almost everything
1.Those who
fought were the feudal society? these conditions. They believed that they needed.
nobles and God had set their place in society. Peasants rarely
knights. The three groups were those who traveled far from
2.Those who fought (the nobles and knights), those
3. What was the job of peasants on the their homes.
prayed were the who prayed (the officials of the Church), manor? Life on the manor
officials of the
and those who worked (the peasants was often harsh.
Church. The peasants worked the land to
3.Those who and serfs).
grow food. Peasants’ cottages
worked were the
peasants. had just one or two
rooms with only
Peasants were straw mats for
by far the largest sleeping.
group. Most
peasants were They had poor
serfs, who were diets.
not free to move
about as they Peasants endured
wished. these conditions.

They were tied to They believed that

the land of their God had set their
lord. place in society.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

140 Guided Reading Workbook

Name______________________________ Class________________________ Date_____________

Lesson 4, continued

As you read about the development of feudalism in Europe, fill out the
charts by writing notes in the appropriate spaces.
Social Structure of Feudalism
1. Explain the mutual obligations of Possible response: In exchange for military
the feudal system. and other services, a lord (landowner)
granted land to a vassal.

2. Explain why the feudal system Possible response: The same noble might be a
often resulted in complicated vassal to several different lords.
alliances.

3. Describe feudal social classes. Possible response: There were three

groups—those who fought, those who
prayed, and those who worked. Social class
was usually inherited.

Economic Structure of Feudalism

4. Explain the mutual obligations Possible response: In exchange for housing,
between lord and serfs under land, and protection, serfs had to perform
the manor system.
tasks to maintain the estate and to pay
several different kinds of taxes.

5. Explain why the serfs rarely had Possible response: The manor was practically
to leave their manor. self-sufficient, producing almost everything
needed for daily life.

6. Explain why the serfs accepted Possible response: Acceptance was part of
their economic hardships. Church teachings; they believed that God
decided people’s social position.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

141 Guided Reading Workbook