Feudalism is commonly referred to as the social system that existed in Europe in the 5th-17th centuries. In each country, he had his own characteristics, but usually this phenomenon is considered on the example of France and Germany. The period of feudalism in Russia has a time frame different from the European one. For many years, domestic historians denied its existence, but were wrong. In fact, feudal institutions did not develop except in Byzantium.
A little about the term
The concept of "feudalism" was introduced by European scientists on the eve of the French Revolution. Thus, the term appeared just at the time when Western European feudalism, in fact, ended. The word is derived from the late Latin "feodum" ("feud"). This concept appears in the official documents of the Middle Ages and denotes a conditional inherited land property that a vassal receives from the master if he fulfills any obligations towards him (the latter most often meant military service).
Historians did not immediately succeed in identifying the common features of this social system. Many importantnuances were not taken into account. However, by the 21st century, thanks to systems analysis, scientists were finally able to give an exhaustive definition of this complex phenomenon.
Characteristics of feudalism
The main value of the pre-industrial world is land. But the owner of the land (feudal lord) was not engaged in agriculture. He had another duty - service (or prayer). The land was cultivated by a peasant. Although he had his own house, livestock and tools, the land did not belong to him. He was economically dependent on his master, which means he carried certain duties in his favor. Still, the peasant was not a slave. He had relative freedom, and in order to control him, the feudal lord used non-economic mechanisms of coercion.
During the Middle Ages, estates were not equal. The landowner in the era of feudalism had much more rights than the holder of the land, i.e., the peasant. In his possessions, the feudal lord was the undisputed sovereign. He could punish and pardon. Thus, land ownership during this period was closely linked to political opportunities (power).
Of course, economic dependence was mutual: in fact, the peasant fed the feudal lord, who did not work himself.
Feudal stairs
The structure of the ruling class in the era of feudalism can be defined as hierarchical. The feudal lords were not equal, but they all exploited the peasants. Relations between land owners were based on interdependence. On the top rung of the feudal ladderthere was a king who granted lands to dukes and counts, and in return demanded loy alty from them. The dukes and counts, in turn, endowed the barons (lords, sires, seigneurs) with land, in relation to whom they were masters. The barons had power over the knights, the knights over the squires. Thus, the feudal lords who stood on the lower rungs of the ladder served the feudal lords standing on the higher rungs.
There was a saying: "The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal." This meant that a knight serving any baron was not required to obey the king. Thus, the power of the king in times of fragmentation was relative. The landowner in the era of feudalism is his own master. His political opportunities were determined by the size of the allotment.
Genesis of feudal relations (V-IX centuries)
The development of feudalism became possible thanks to the decline of Rome and the conquest of the Western Roman Empire by Germanic tribes (barbarians). The new social system arose on the basis of Roman traditions (centralized state, slavery, colony, universal system of laws) and the characteristic features of the Germanic tribes (presence of ambitious leaders, militancy, inability to govern vast countries).
At that time, the conquerors had a primitive communal system: all the lands of the tribe were administered by the community and distributed among its members. Capturing new lands, the military leaders sought to own them individually and, moreover, to pass them on by inheritance. In addition, many peasants were ruined, villages were raided. Therefore, they were forced to look for a master,after all, the landowner in the era of feudalism not only gave them the opportunity to work (including for themselves), but also protected them from enemies. So there was a monopolization of the land by the upper classes. Peasants became dependent.
The rise of feudalism (X-XV centuries)
Even in the 9th century, the empire of Charlemagne collapsed. Each county, signoria, estate turned into a kind of state. This phenomenon has been called “feudal fragmentation.”
During this period, Europeans begin to actively develop new lands. Commodity-money relations develop, artisans emerge from the peasantry. Thanks to artisans and merchants, cities arise and grow. In many countries (for example, in Italy and Germany), peasants, previously completely dependent on overlords, receive freedom - relative or complete. Many knights went on crusades and set their peasants free.
At this time, the church became the backbone of secular power, and the Christian religion - the ideology of the Middle Ages. So the landowner in the era of feudalism is not only a knight (baron, duke, lord), but also a representative of the clergy (abbot, bishop).
Crisis of feudal relations (XV-XVII centuries)
The end of the previous period was marked by peasant uprisings. They were the result of social tension. In addition, the development of trade and the outflow of the population from villages to cities led to the fact that the position of landowners began to weaken.
In other words, the subsistence foundations of the rise of the aristocracy were undermined. Contradictions between secular feudal lords and the clergy escalated. With the development of science and culture, the power of the church over the minds of people has ceased to be absolute. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the Reformation took place in Europe. New religious movements emerged that encouraged the development of entrepreneurship and did not condemn private property.
Europe in the era of late feudalism is a battlefield between kings who are not satisfied with the symbolism of their power, the clergy, the aristocracy and the townspeople. Social contradictions led to the revolutions of the XVII-XVIII centuries.
Russian feudalism
During the time of Kievan Rus (from the 8th to the 13th centuries) there was really no feudalism. Princely ownership of land was carried out according to the principle of priority. When one of the members of the princely family died, his lands were occupied by a younger relative. The squad followed him. The combatants received a salary, but the territories were not assigned to them and, of course, they were not inherited: there was an abundance of land, and it did not have a special price.
In the XIII century, the era of specific princely Russia began. It is characterized by fragmentation. The possessions of the princes (destinies) began to be inherited. The princes acquired personal power and the right to personal (and not tribal) property. The estate of large landowners - the boyars - took shape, vassal relations arose. But the peasants were still free. However, in the 16th century they were attached to the ground. The era of feudalism in Russia ended inthe same time, as fragmentation was overcome. But such a relic of it as serfdom persisted until 1861.
Nuances
Both in Europe and in Russia, the period of feudalism ended around the 16th century. But individual elements of this system, for example, fragmentation in Italy or serfdom in the Russian Empire, lasted until the middle of the 19th century. One of the main differences between European and Russian feudalism is that the enslavement of the peasantry in Russia took place only when the Villans in the West had already received relative freedom.
