Feudalism significance ap world history
An Invented Term
Modern historians have coined the term, feudalism, to explain the political and social system of the Middle Ages – particularly in medieval Europe, but it can also be applied to medieval Japan. No one actually said “feudalism” or “feudal system” in the Middle Ages. It was just something that developed in the centuries obeying the Fall of Rome when centralized government had fallen apart. |
The New Feudal Reality
The Roman Empire included a network of cities that were connected by well-maintained roads. As the power of Rome declined, people began to leave the decaying cities, which were increasingly filled with disorder and crime, and settled in rural areas. The network of well-maintained roads that made the Romans well-known ceased to be maintained and trade collapsed. As a product, rural communities formed that had to be increasingly self-sufficient. A central authority, in the person of a king, united these communities under one leader, but that leader did not hold a lot of power. Most people in medieval Europe never saw a king and lived their life in their retain self-sufficient community, known as a manor, rely
AP WORLD HISTORY Study Guide: Chapter 10 – Western Europe Stages of Post-Classical Development 1. Describe the political landscape of early Western Europe. The Manorial System: Obligations & Allegiances 2. What are the pros and cons of the manorial system? Be sure to examine this from both the upper and lower class perspective. The Church: Political & Spiritual Power 3. Describe the relationship between the Catholic Church and political leaders. 4. Illustrate (graphically or otherwise) the hierarchy found within the Catholic Church. Charlemagne & His Successors 5. Were Charles Martel and Charlemagne the exception or the rule when it came to medieval monarchs? Explain how they differed (or were similar) to the average Western ruler. New Economic and Urban Vigor 6. How does the economy affect Western Europe’s development? Be sure to explain specific aspects of this relationship. Feudal Monarchies & Political Advances 7. How does feudalism work? Why did both parties (lords and vassals) feel this relationship was worth entering into? Limited Government 8. Even as Western Europeans were perfecting their feudal relationships, they were also
.
.
.