Feudalism and manorialism are two aspects that characterized medieval society. The society was a hierarchical system with king or the monarch as the supreme authority. The independent clergy were the noble and powerful while peasants, laborers and the soldiers formed the lowest class. Feudalism and manorialism are interrelated concepts. The systems existed during the middle ages (Reynolds, 1994).
Feudalism was contractual system of political and military relationships. In this system, the king allots a gift in a form of land and authority to the lords to govern and control the area. In exchange, the lords and clergy provide services such as defense and farming. This relationship was lawful, and any deviant prosecuted. The lords control the peasants, soldiers and the poor people who provide these services. It strived to maintain the political and the military service as well as the hierarchy itself (Reynolds, 1994).
Manorialism refers to the interaction between the lord and clergy, and the peasant, servants and soldiers. It entails the day to day relationship and survival. The peasant and the poor lived at the mercy of the lords.
Manorialism as practiced in the medieval period was an informal system. The peasant population had the obligation to offer their services and the lords to provide economic support such as proving land for farming and wage to the soldier. The peasant farmers received produce in kind or sometimes money as wages. The peasants and the poor had remarkably few privileges (Reynolds, 1994).
Manorialism can be described as an element of feudalism. It utilizes the feudalism relationship to control the poor, helpless peasant laborers. Manorialism was a more of hardship system to the poor and helpless. It resulted to land grabbing, slavery and other form of hardship. These meant to ensure they remain poor and economically independent to ensure the feudalism system continued. Both the feudalism and manorialism led to revolutions and evolution of modern values on governance (Reynolds, 1994).
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