FEUDAL SYSTEM
What was a Court?
A group of trusted nobles thad advised the monarchs in governamental matters.
What was the main economic activity during the Middle Ages?
Agriculture.
What were the privileged estates?
The nobility and the clergy.
What was the main religion in western Europe during the Middle Ages?
Catholic Christianity
Why did people seek the protection of nobles in the Middle Ages?
Because, especially at the beginning, it was a time of great insecurity.
What kinds of mills were used in the Middle Ages?
Windmill and Watermill.
What was the task of the nobility?
Defend the rest of society in times of war.
Who is the leader of Catholic Christianity?
The Pope.
What powers did the feudal lords have over the inhabitants of their fiefdom?
They had almost absolute power, including handing out justice and collecting taxes.
What does "subsistence economy" mean?
That people consumed nearly everything that they produced. (There were small surpluses)
What was the difference between a free peasant an a serf?
Serfs weren't allowed to leave the fiefdom without the lord's permission.
What are the two branches of the clergy?
Secular clergy and regular clregy.
Explain the feudal vassalage relationship between a noble and a peasant.
The lord gave the vassal protection and, in exchange, the lord could charge rents or payments to the vassal, such as part of the harvest or work.
What were animals used for in the Middle Ages?
- Eating.
- As a mean of transport.
- As draught animals.
- Clothing.
- War
What was the task of the clergy and what did they have to provide for the population?
The task of the clergy was to prey for everyone to guarantee their salvation and they also provided the population with a cultural education.
Why did the Church have economic power in the Middle Ages?
- The Church was a landowner.
- The Church could collect an exclusive tax: the tithe.
Explain the feudal vassalage relationship between a noble and another noble.
The lord gave their vassal a fiefdom and, in exchange, the vassal pldeged loyalty to the lord and gave him advice and military aid.
Name three technological advances of the High Middle Ages.
- Three-year crop rotation.
- Spread of irrigation techniques.
- Mouldboard plough.
- Use of manure.
- Chest harness.
What were the privilieges of the privileged estates?
- Didn' work.
- Had their own laws.
- Didn't pay taxes.
- Fought in wars on horseback.
Why did the Church have political power in the Middle Ages?
- Religious figures attended the Cortes or parliaments.
- The pope could excommunicate whoever he wishes, and used it as a threat.