Feudalism as practiced in the Kingdom of England during the medieval period was a system of political, military, and socio-economic organization based on land tenure.
The word feudalism was not a medieval term but was coined by sixteenth-century French and English lawyers to describe certain traditional obligations among members of the warrior aristocracy.
"[1] European feudalism had its roots in the Roman manorial system, in which workers, known as coloni, lived on large estates and received protection in exchange for labor.
[2] Following the end of Roman rule in Britain, a form of feudalism emerged during the subsequent Anglo-Saxon period, though it was not as comprehensive or uniform as the system that developed in the later Norman era.
Thegns frequently worked alongside ealdormen and shire reeves to enforce law, maintain order, and collect taxes within their territories.
The Domesday Book frequently recorded the original English landowners before the Conquest, including native lords and King Edward the Confessor himself.
The successful Norman Conquest in 1066 led to the introduction of a more structured feudal system, with William I granting land to his vassals—loyal knights and nobles who had fought alongside him—to help maintain control over the newly conquered kingdom.
In the Late Middle Ages, feudalism began to decline with the gradual centralization of government, a process that accelerated in the early fourteenth century.
Directly below the king in the feudal hierarchy were the tenants-in-chief (typically barons or knights), who held large estates and profited from the land.
Beneath them were mesne lords (often knights or lower-ranking barons), who received land from the tenants-in-chief and could, in turn, sublease it to lesser vassals through a process called subinfeudation.
[citation needed] A significant step in the decline of feudalism came on 15 June 1215, when King John of England was compelled by rebellious barons to affix his seal to the Magna Carta.
In response, the government enacted the Statute of Labourers 1351, which attempted to freeze wages at pre-plague levels and restrict peasant mobility.
Over the following centuries, as economic structures shifted and centralized government gained strength, feudalism in England continued to erode, eventually giving way to a more modern economy and social order.
Using the resources provided by his fief, the vassal was expected to supply armor, weapons, horses, and provisions to fulfill his military obligations when summoned by his lord.
Because knights needed horses, armor, weapons, and supplies to sustain themselves and their attendants for the duration of their service, fulfilling these obligations could be highly expensive.