What is feudalism?

Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, and cultural customs that flourished in Medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around relationships that were derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labor.

Do we live in techno-feudalism or postmodern feudalism?

We live in a world not of techno-feudalism but post-modern feudalism. The income disparity created by technical change has produced the expanding precariat and it remains to be seen whether, as Simon Kuznets observed, the rising income gap will be reversed at some point in the future.

What was the relationship between Lord and vassal?

During homage, the lord and vassal entered into a contract in which the vassal promised to fight for the lord at his command, whilst the lord agreed to protect the vassal from external forces. Fealty comes from the Latin fidelitas and denotes the fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord.

What is a feudal castle?

Castle – a traditional symbol of a feudal society (Orava Castle in Slovakia). Feudalism was a combination of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.

What is feudalism according to Marc Bloch?

A broader definition of feudalism, as described by Marc Bloch (1939), includes not only the obligations of the warrior nobility but also those of all three estates of the realm: the nobility, the clergy, and the peasantry bound by manorialism; this is sometimes referred to as a “feudal society”.

What did Adam Smith mean by the term feudal system?

Adam Smith used the term “feudal system” to describe a social and economic system defined by inherited social ranks, each of which possessed inherent social and economic privileges and obligations.