What caused the rise of feudalism in the middle ages?

Answer 1

Feudalism in its earliest forms existed from very early times. There is no exact starting date. By the Ninth Century, Europe was a dangerous place with no central government as had existed in the Roman Empire. There was little to bind people together. They were isolated and vulnerable. The descendants of Charlemagne had divided the empire and as the practice of dividing kingdoms among sons continued those kingdoms grew smaller and weaker. Marauders grew plentiful: the Moors, the terrifying Vikings, and the Hungarians, to name the most prominent and dangerous. People were forced to defend themselves. The rich and powerful built fortified castles as protection against raids. Those petty kingdoms multiplied and often oppressed their own neighbors when they weren't being raided themselves. That control became hereditary and the rich and strong needed soldiers to maintain their power.

In order to find protection, an ordinary man had to give up his freedom, and sometimes the land his family had been farming for generations, and petition a great lord to take him into service as a vassal. He would gain the use of land for life (a fief) and protection for him and his family but had to swear life long allegiance to his lord. He would provide regular service as a knight when called for duty. When he died his son would swear allegiance to the lord and would be allowed the use of the land for his life. Less powerful lords would swear allegiance to the more powerful and they swore allegiance to the king. At that time there were many "kings" of small kingdoms. They took possession of all the surrounding land, forests, fields, rivers and even church lands. They could also grant fiefs other than land such as mill rights and fishing rights. Thus feudalism was born and developed slowly over the next few hundred years.

The kings and their vassals spent much of their time fighting. Eventually, the vassals acquired their own vassals and the peasants were required to raise the food and make the products needed to live. The lord owned everything. Towns developed in the areas surrounding the castles. Feudalism eventually grew into a complex system that governed life for hundreds of years.

It was an interesting period that still influences life today. The British aristocracy evolved under feudalism. There are thousands of good sites where you can read more about it.