Source: Social Organization of Feudal Society, Epistemic Forms

Watch this video on manorialism.

Activity: Drag and drop the following groups of people in the correct place within the hierarchy table below.

Now that you know about the Manorial System, write in your notes about what it may have been like to live during this time.

1. List reasons for the development of manorialism at that particular time. Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Sample response

   The manorial system developed alongside feudalism for the following reasons:

   1. The fall of Rome and the rise of “barbarian” forces created a power vacuum, a breakdown of the social order, and a massive decline in the economy. Without a basic rule of law, it is very difficult to have any economic order.
   2. Kings and lords needed a method to maintain the loyalty of their vassals, provide for the common defense, and preserve their economic interests.
   3. Powerless serfs needed reliable access to food, shelter, and protection.
   4. Manorialism provided order, stability, relative safety, and self-sufficient economic communities.
   

2. What are the characteristics of a Manorial system? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Sample response

   The manorial system is the economic counterpart to feudalism, which is fundamentally a system of mutual cooperation. In this system:

   • A wealthy king or lord grants a title of land, known as a manor, to a vassal in exchange for his loyalty and obedience.
   • The vassal administers the land and gives part of its economic production to his superior.
   • Peasants or serfs actually work the land in exchange for basic economic necessities and protection.
   • Serfs legally became bound to the manor and had no control over their economic pursuits, serving their lord in a similar way that a slave serves a master.
   
3. Why don't these systems exist now? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Sample response

   The manorial system provided for the basic needs of the community, but not much beyond it, except for the lords. Once the manor was established, there was little economic growth and low technological progress. Self-sufficiency limited specialization and the production of surplus goods needed for trade.

   Manors had little incentive to cooperate with each other, and lords sometimes struggled to enforce the oaths of their vassals. Serfs had few opportunities to advance out of the low station of their birth, wasting their human potential.

   In short, the manorial system limited the economic development of a region, which became increasingly apparent over time. People grew increasingly dissatisfied with the arrangement that privileged the very few at the expense of the many.

   The system collapsed when Europe was struck with the Bubonic Plague, which killed about one-third of the population. Manors could no longer be self-sufficient. By necessity, regions needed to cooperate with each other and people had to occupy new roles in the economy.