FEUDALISM

• An economic, military and political

structure of medieval Europe and
some parts of Asia and Africa.
• From 5th Century to 15th Century CE.
• Started to spread across the
Western Europe after the fall of
Western Roman Empire in 476 CE.
• Increased the control of lords and
manorial over the airable lands.
• Firmed the already existing social
hierarchy of the clergy and nobility.
 RISE OF FEUDALISM
• The term ‘feudalism’ was coined in 18th
Century and historians believe that it
existed as a social phenomenon but
became prominent after the fall of
Western Roman Empire.
• In absence of a central authority in
Western Europe the local lords started
to execute administrative and judicial
activities, and increased their power.
• This also increased their ability to take
lands under their personal properties,
which were previously under the flag.
• These changes brought in the feudal
construct of society where most lands
were controlled by various land lords
 TERMINOLOGIES OF FEUDALISM
• Fief:- A piece of land given to
some person.
• Vassal:- The people who got
the fief by the lords.
• Fidelity:- A pledge of respect
and obedience the vassals
owed to the landlords for
giving them lands.
• Homage:- The ceremony to
turn these peasants in
vassals.
 PHILOSOPHERS AND HISTORIANS
• Many believed feudalism to be pre-existing in the society and even credited
this construct to be beneficial for good agricultural production in Europe.
• Adam Smith, Scottish philosopher stated feudalism to be a stage of social
development characterized by lack of commerce and use of semi-free labours.
• While on the other hand, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels believed this
structure to be an ancient mode of production, emphasizing on the
exploitation of peasants by the lords.
• Hence this social construct has been used by various thinkers to suit their own
perspectives and shows the pliancy of history.
• Feudalism was abolished by the English Parliament in 1545, while it took the
National Assembly more than 200 hundred years to abolished this construct.
 OPEN FIELD SYSTEM
• England was divided into stripes of
lands, suitable for various agricultural
activities.
• The lords and manor had these lands as
their estates, and vassals used to
perform cropping and pasturing for the
lords and got some of those shares to
sustains their families.
• These stripes of lands were separated
from each other by the common lands,
mostly for grazing flocks as these lands
were not very fertile.
• Some of the lands were also known as
wastes as nothing could be grown there.
 THE ENCLOSURE ACTS
• The first acts related to the Enclosure was
the Statute of Merton in 1235.
• This allowed the land lords to enclose the
adjacent lands to their estate, the commons
and wastes, and fence them for exclusive
use.
• This process became wide-spread in 15th -
16th century as the prices of wool crossed
the prices of grains, and hence everyone
started grazing sheep on the commons and
enclosing them to gain profits.
• The other reason to convert these airable
lands in pastures was the shortage of
labourers after the Black Death.
• Also the land had started to lose its fertility
over time and pastures were better suited
for profits.
 THE IMPACTS OF ENCLOSURE
• Migration of peasants from the enclosed lands
as their houses were destructed in the process.
• Shortage of food in the market due to
underproduction of grains and lack of fertile
lands.
• The crown was worried that increase in
homeless and hungry people would lead into
more crimes.
• Statute of 1489 was brought in to solve this
problem. It stated that one lord cannot opt into
more than one farm occupation and home
destruction in the estates would lead to
confiscation of half of the profits earned by the
lords.
• In 1514 conversion of airable lands into pastures
was prohibited.
• These actions against the land lords by the
crown was seen as support to the peasantry
class and the vassals started to support the
 CROWNS SUPPORT AND REVOLTS
• Although it was seen that the crown was
in support of the peasants, the following
events did prove the opposite.
• In 1533 the law was changed and allowed
land lords to have two farm occupations in
their estates.
• In 1597, the conversion of airable lands
were re-allowed.
• These turn of events led into various
revolts by the peasants against the
landlords.
• Norfolk revolt of 1549 and Midland riots in
1607 are notable due to large scale
movements and destruction created in the
 THE FINAL OUTCOME
• More than 4000 Enclosure acts
were passed by the Parliament
from 1750 to 1850.
• Most of the common lands in
England was taken under the fence
if the estate, making larger units.
Some of the poorer quality lands
were given to the peasants.
• By 19th century, around 98.5% of
airable land was controlled by 0.6%
of the population.
• The total land share between the
lords and the peasants dropped to
the ratio of 5:6.
 VIEWS OF ROMANTIC POETS
• England was one of the first countries to become industrialized because of the open
land being enclosed by the acts presented by the government which caused mixed
emotions among the farmers. Goldsmith presents a negative view of the situation
because he saw the acts as a way for the rich to take over the land which also
forced some of the farmers and people in smaller villages to migrate into the cities.
• Wordsworth stressed the importance of being in tune with nature and being open
to change while stressing the importance of shaping the mind in order to
experience life in a freer, more direct manner. With the loss of land during the
Enclosure Acts, the farmers really needed to change not only the way they lived but
also the way they thought. He was trying to say that we need to focus on society
and not focus not the individual needs in order to live a better life, which was
something the people, specifically the farmers, in England during the Enclosure Act
time period, needed to incorporate into their daily lives.
 CONCLUSION
• Many of the historians and philosophers believe that the enclosure was an important
event which led to the agricultural revolution as larger units of lands made it possible
for their owners to experiment various crops.
• While others believe that the enclosure had nearly no contribution in the agricultural
revolution as these experiments of growing various crops could be done on stripes as
well.
• Whatever may be the truth, the fact is that the peasants had to suffer many difficulties
due to the enclosure acts, and the enclosure was not just limited to England but also
the British colonies such as India and Africa.
• These acts resulted into the mass migration of landless peasants towards the urban
areas, and these innocent people became the fodder of Industrial Revolution.
• One important thing to note about this period was that England became rich by each
passing day, but the population remained deprived. They were the bearers of the
English economy but they still remained landless, homeless, hungry and exploited.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
• WIKIPEDIA
• BRITANNICA
• YOUTUBE
• WILCUMA
• HISTORY DEFINED
• KINGS AND GENERALS

https://youtu.be/ZaCZG4mw2aQ?si=YAWDcB5YjboUuq7o
THANK YOU

SUJAL SHARMA 1329

ANSHUMAN MISHRA 1304