A feudal hierarchy was basically a list everyone in Medieval Towns from the most to least powerful. This is how it looks like:
The king
The lords
The vassals
The knights
The peasants
An improvement in this answer:
Hierarchy is not really an issue of social set up, but more based on the language. For instance, Indian languages have a tight code of 'respect' to the top and pejorative 'disrespect', insult and snubbing to the lower man. This involves the effect of feudal language codes. So that even though England has a feudal social set up, in practice the social set up of India, where there is no statutory feudalism is more feudal and suppressing to the lower man.
Moreover, the word 'feudal' as understood in Continental Europe has a very basic difference from that in England. That is due to the language code issue. For understanding this, a very simple comparison of feudal behaviour of the French nobility with that of the English nobility can be had in A Tale of Two Cities.
Now, the theme can be taken a bit forward and it may be mentioned that the term feudalism as understood in Asian and African nations, including India, is quite removed from that understood in Europe and England. This again is due to the terrible lowering quality of the Asian and possibly African languages aimed at the lower classes. In many ways, this is essentially the issue of castes, and the need for apartheid.
For more, Search for MARCH of the EVIL EMPIRES; ENGLISH versus the FEUDAL LANGAUGES!
In English times... the feudal hierarchy was as follows: king-> aristocracy (bishop , baron, duke, then lord) -> knight -> squire -> peasant or serf Feudal system: a rigid hierarchy of rights and duties according to social situation
Nobility (king, knights) Church Peasants Serf/slave
The apothecary would typically fall within the merchant or tradesman class in the feudal hierarchy. They would be considered below the nobility and clergy but above the peasants and serfs in terms of social status and wealth.
from highest to lowest king lord priest knights peasants serfs
There is one major error here: the Catholic Church, while structured as a hierarchy, is not an example of the feudal system.The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, and the formal leader of the Catholic Church.
The relationship between a vassal and the church was the same as the relationship between any other secular person and the church. The vassal was part of the feudal hierarchy, and the church had a separate hierarchy.
The feudal system gave the most power to the monarch or king. They were at the top of the feudal hierarchy and had control over vast amounts of land, resources, and people. The king granted land and privileges to the nobles in exchange for their loyalty and military service.
Pilgrims were individuals who undertook religious journeys for spiritual reasons and were not directly tied to the feudal system, which was a social structure based on land ownership and obligations. While some pilgrims may have interacted with the feudal society during their travels, their primary purpose was religious devotion rather than a formal part of the feudal hierarchy.
Both the Church and the feudal system had a hierarchical structure with a clear chain of command. In the Church, the Pope was at the top followed by cardinals, bishops, and priests. In the feudal system, the king or queen was at the top followed by nobles, knights, and peasants. Both systems relied on loyalty and obedience from those below them in the hierarchy.
The system of hierarchy that still exists today can be traced back to various historical contexts and individuals, such as early civilizations, feudal societies, and modern institutions. It is difficult to attribute its creation to a single person or event, as hierarchy has evolved over time through social, cultural, and political developments.
The feudal system is a political system that was prevalent in Europe in between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. Most of the agricultural society was largely supported by the feudal system social hierarchy. In the feudal system, most of the rights and privileges were given to the Upper classes. In this hierarchical structure, the kings occupied the topmost position, followed by barons, bishops, knights and villains or peasants.
Under the feudal system, soldiers and samurai were rewarded through the allocation of land known as "fiefs" or "manors." These land grants provided them with a source of income in the form of agricultural production, and in return, they were expected to provide military service to their lords. Additionally, they were given privileges and social status within the feudal hierarchy.