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Simple English definitions for legal terms
feudal system
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A quick definition of feudal system:
The feudal system was a way of organizing society in medieval Europe. It was based on a hierarchy of people who had different roles and responsibilities. At the top were the lords, who owned the land and were responsible for protecting it. Below them were the vassals, who were given land by the lords and had to provide them with some kind of service in return. This service could be anything from fighting in battles to providing food and shelter. The vassals also had to provide justice to the people who lived on their land. The feudal system was a complex way of organizing society, but it helped to keep people safe and provided a sense of order in a time when life was often uncertain.
A more thorough explanation:
The feudal system, also known as feudalism, was a landholding system that was prevalent in medieval Europe. It was a social, political, and economic system that was based on a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations of service and defense.
Under this system, the lord was obligated to provide the vassal with land, protection, and justice. In return, the vassal owed the lord some type of service, which was called "tenure." The different types of service were the methods by which the vassals held the property.
For example, a knight might owe military service to his lord, while a peasant might owe labor on the lord's land. The lord guaranteed the quiet occupation of the land by the vassal and guaranteed to do right if the vassal became involved in a dispute.
The feudal system was a personal and proprietary relation between lord and man. The man held land of the lord, and the man's service was a burden on the land. The lord had important rights in the land, and the full ownership of the land was split up between man and lord.
Although there were large local variations, the feudal system had fundamental similarities in the social development of all the peoples of western Europe from about the ninth to the thirteenth centuries.