The feudal system was a social and economic structure during Medieval Europe where land was exchanged for military service and loyalty. It involved a hierarchy of lords, vassals, and serfs, with the king at the top.
Related terms
Manorialism: A part of the feudal system where peasants worked on agricultural estates called manors.
Vassalage: The relationship between a lord and vassal in which loyalty and military service were exchanged for land.
Fief: Land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for military service or other obligations.