Medieval society?

Question

Why did feudlism bring such stability to medieval society? points give away for a good answer

Answer 1

As an earlier poster said, it offered protection. Europe was being plagued by raiders from Scandanavian (Vikings), the Russian Steppe (Lombards) and later (Magyars) and North Africa (Berbers). This existed in combination with internal wars as different rulers tried to exert more power than their neighbors. In the end people needed protection, and were willing to lose freedom to gain it. People placed themselves under the control of powerful men in order to have a sense of security and an ability to defend itself.

The fall of Rome's western half created a power vacume which war lords tried to fill. People needed safety and turned to military and religious leaders to get it. This is part of the reason for the secular power the Catholic Church wielded at this time; monasteries and cities served as focal points for order and security, bishops and abbots became civil and military leaders out of necessity. As this was going on the war lords slowly created more stable regimes and vied with themselves, the church and the cities for power; the main cause of unrest at this time.

After the black death swept across Europe the feudal system was already showing its age. Europe had stabilized and the military and land based societal system was as relevant to that era since commerce was thriving again and Europe was returning to a money driven economy. The nobles needed the peasants to work their land, but the peasants were now scarce and could dictate things. This created a negative response from the nobility which was in return answered by the peasantry in a series of wars and revolts which lasted for centuries; Wat Tyler's war was one of many since the feudal system lasted, in some places, in the 19th century.

Answer 2

Because everyone was in his/her place and knew that place. But society wasn't that stable. if we take the feudal system as staring in England after 1066, there was a massive uprising - the Peasants Revolt - in 1381 set in motion by a Poll Tax levied in 1377 to finance French Wars. Although this was unsuccessful - with the leader, Wat Tyler being killed by the Lord Mayor of London whilst engaged in negotiations with the King it did,coupled with the effects of the Black Death, lead to the slow decline of the system.

Answer 3

Both compressed time line and articles on that period on this website. A book... and that link in the Leap Over Web Clutter section.

In the simplest sense, that system offered protection so people could live normal lives.