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Feudalism developed some 350 years after the fall of the western part of the Roman Empire. It was the result of a period of warfare and political instability during the Carolingian Empire.

Under Frankish tradition, the empire was partitioned among the children of the incumbent emperor. This led to wars between the sons and often other close relatives got involved. The continuous warfare led to a collapse in central authority, the rise in the military power of aristocrats and the emergence of the feudal relationship between lords and vassals. The vassals were knights whose military support was sought by the lords in exchange for grants of land (feuds) to the vassals. As a result, the vassals acquired lands and became local landlords. They also fought alongside their lords. The instability also led to the phenomenon of encastlement. The minor aristocrats and the vassals sought refuge in castles in the countryside for defence against attacks by other warlords.

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12y ago

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