Medieval Europe: Feudal and Crusades

📋 Course Outline

1. Feudal Hierarchy
2. Feudal Responsibilities
3. Church's Role
4. Crusades Causes
5. Major Crusades
6. Crusades Effects
7. Black Death Causes
8. Black Death Impact
9. Responses to Plague
10. End of Feudalism

📖 1. Feudal Hierarchy

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Feudalism: A socio-economic system in medieval Europe where land was exchanged for loyalty, military service, and labor, establishing a hierarchical society.
• Vassal: A noble or knight who pledges loyalty and military service to a lord in exchange for land or protection.
• Fief: A parcel of land granted by a lord to a vassal, serving as the vassal's economic base and source of income.
• Lord: A noble who owns large estates and grants portions of land (fiefs) to vassals, exercising authority over their land and people.
• Serf: A peasant bound to the land, obliged to work for the lord and unable to leave the estate without permission.
• Chivalry: The code of conduct for knights emphasizing virtues like loyalty, bravery, and protection of the weak.

📝 Essential Points