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Year 10 - History

The Norman feudal system

British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils study an aspect of British medieval history in depth. They learn about the social, economic, religious and political events that influenced the lives of those who lived in this period.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how the feudal system helped William control his kingdom.

Key Notes

  • The strict conditions for holding land from the king became known as the feudal system.
  • The feudal system made landholding less secure than it had been under Anglo-Saxon kings.
  • A key relationship in the feudal system was between a vassal and their overlord.
  • Holding land came with obligations such as paying homage, providing knight service or labour service.
  • The feudal system increased William's power and control over England.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • feudal: feudal refers to a hierarchical social system where people receive land to live and work on from those higher than them, and in return have to work and fight for them
  • homage: paying homage was to publicly submit and swear an oath of fealty (loyalty) to someone above you in the feudal system
  • overlord: an overlord in the feudal system was someone who granted land in return for service
  • vassal: a vassal in the feudal system was someone who provided a service (e.g. labour) to an overlord in return for land
  • fief: a fief was a parcel of land given by an overlord to a vassal in return for their service to their overlord

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Paying homage, swearing allegiance, or making promises were weak obligations.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

The strict conditions for holding land from the king became known as the feudal system. The feudal system made landholding less secure than it had been under Anglo-Saxon kings.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'feudal'

feudal refers to a hierarchical social system where people receive land to live and work on from those higher than them, and in return have to work and fight for them.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Paying homage, swearing allegiance, or making promises were weak obligations. Correction: In fact, these promises are with the king and God. It was unlikely you would break a public and spiritual promise like this; it would not have been good for your reputation or your soul!

More Lessons In This Unit

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