The Dynamics of the Feudalism mode of Production

First of all, what was feudalism?

Feudalism was a social, political, and economic form of structure that was used during the Middle Ages
in Europe. Under this system, people were given land in exchange for certain services. Feudalism was
practiced at all levels of social classes.

For example, ‘the king had the highest social class and divided all the lands of the nation among many
barons. In exchange for this land, the barons promised loyalty and soldiers to the king. These vast tracts
of land were known as fiefs. The baron-maintained armies and divided their lands among the lords.
Lords were apparently knights and owed military service to barons in case of war. They also ran manors,
large houses, or castles on their lands’. These palaces were central to life in the countryside and
provided a place for ceremonies and protection for the villagers. The lords offered plots of land to the
peasantry for cultivation and food production. Some peasants had businesses such as metalworking or
bakeries. They paid taxes to the Lord in exchange for possession of the land. Lords and barons are also
referred to as vassals.’

According to the Marxist terminology, Feudal mode of production is the socio-economic organization
that ruled medieval society in the West and other regions of the world.

Although feudalism began as a relationship between a king and a vassal, this also changed over time.
Land holdings became hereditary eventually and not based on an agreement between two parties.
When it became a largely hereditary system, feudalism began to wrest power from the king as local
dynasties began to grow apparently. These dynasties established regional states. In some cases, this has
led to the privatization of common goods or rights. Land owners began taxing road travel, selling in
markets, and use of forests. This gave great strength to the followers.

However, ‘Dimitris Milonakis provides a contrary point of view’. Milonakis on the other hand came to
the conclusion that scholars ‘try to compare’ feudalism with ‘capitalism which vastly undermines the
growth potential and advantages of a feudal economy, rather he tries to compare feudalism with
method of production.’

Almost everything has its fall after it has seen itself on the top and so did feudalism saw its fall. The
feudal system begins to decay for several reasons in which we can mention and some of them are as
follows: -

• The poor living conditions of the inhabitants of the feuds (plagues, famines, wars, etc.) left the lands
without vassals to work the fields and the harvests were less and less due to the deterioration of the
land.

• The ‘crusades’ carried out as ‘expeditions to Jerusalem to liberate the holy land from the Muslims left
many territories without protection and without a feudal lord to watch over its production.’

• The growth of the bourgeois class. This class developed commerce and little by little it was taking
economic power to stay out of the reach of the feudal lords.

In conclusion, Feudalism was just a trend as it did rose but then fall as soon as the times changed.