Category: Feudalism

Introduction

Feudalism is defined as a social, economic and political system of Western Europe in the middle ages. In this system, vassals gave military and other services to their lords in exchange for protection and the use of the land. Vassals paid homage and allegiance to the lords and were from then on supposed to serve the lord and their country in as far as military aid was concerned. Although there was the presence of the king, the position was irrelevant in the country. The lords held the supreme authority over the area. The kings position was basically a formality. It was just to make the lords feel as though they were not inferior to each other ( Bloch, 1961).

This paper seeks to analyze and discuss this issue. The medieval period in Europe was characterized by hereditary systems of governance. This was one of them. The paper will seek to give a clear and concise outlook of the system by looking at the characteristics and the features of the system. Factors that led to the collapse of the system will also be looked at briefly. The conclusion will then be given based on the comparison between the feudal system and the present system of authority.

Features of the feudal system

The social structure in the country in such a way that power was not vested on a single entity. Power, in this case, was vested in the lords and barons. They owned estates and large tracks of land. It was the lords that administered justice, levied taxes and demanded military service from the vassals. The vassals, as mentioned in the introduction, were the persons who paid homage and pledged allegiance to the lords in exchange for the piece of land. The system was built upon a relationship of obligation and mutual service between the vassals and the lords (Cantor, 1991).

What was the relationship between the vassals and the lords?

The relationship between the vassals and the lords was base on an understanding between the two parties. It was basically a win-win situation for both parties. A vassal held land, also known as fief, from the lord in exchange for his service in the army or in combat. In the even of the vassals, the one in contract with the lord, death, it was his heirs obligation to see to it that he has renewed the contract. This was to be done publicly in an oath of faithfulness (fealty). The public oath was referred to as homage (Bloch, 1961).

The vassal was expected to perform some duties and responsibilities for as long as he was bound by the agreement. One, and the main, of the responsibilities was that he was expected to provide aid or military service to the lord. It was expected that, having entered into agreement with the lord, the vassal would respond to a call of military duty whenever the lord thought it to be necessary. That was the end of his bargain. Another responsibility to the lord was to provide him with counsel whenever the lord needed advice or assistance from the vassals. A good instance was during war. The lords would not be sure, whether or not, to engage in combat with another country. This is where the vassals came in. They were to provide an unbiased opinion to the lord. The vassals were also expected to feed and house the lord whenever his majesty traveled across his land. Another obligation vested upon the vassals was that they were to contribute money if need be.

The lords obligations to the vassals were more or less of the same nature. One and most importantly was that he to grant land and its revenues to the vassal. Although the land was loaned to the vassal, it was now under his control. All the produce and revenue generated from the track of land belonged to the vassal and his family. The responsibility of maintenance of the land was also charged on the lord. Since he had only loaned the land to the vassal in exchange for the military service, it was expected that he would maintain the land and cater for all the resources and needs that are required in the land. The lord was also expected to provide security, give military aid and guard the vassals and their children. In an instance where there was no son to inherit the land, it was the vassals daughter who did so. In this case, it was the lord who organized and arranged her marriage. In those instances where there was no child to inherit the land, the lord disposed it off as he chose (Reynolds, 1994).

From the obligations addressed above, it is clear that each party had a principle interest at heart. For the lords, the primary reason why he entered into a feudal relationship was because of the security and military assistance provided for by the vassals. The vassal, on the other hand, got into the relationship primarily because they were to receive a piece of fief from the lord. This kind of relationship was recommended for the growth and security of the country.

The hierarchy in this system was not easy to understand. There were different levels of lordship and vassalage. For instance, the king was a lord who loaned fiefs to aristocrats, who were his vassals. The aristocrats were also lords to their vassals, the knights. Knights on the other hand, were vassals and lords at the same time of the peasants who worked in the lands. The amazing bit was that the kings were also vassals. As all the land was owned by the emperor, he loaned the land to the kings who were then regarded as his vassals.

The decline and collapse of the feudal system

Theorists have argued that the growth of anything in the world will eventually lead to its collapse. The growth trend is regarded as , from small to big, from big to bigger, from bigger to great, and finally from great to greater than we can handle. This was the case in the feudal system of administration. The system grew bigger than the people could handle.

One of the reasons that led to the collapse of the system was the migration of the peasants and servants from the rural areas to the cities where they were seeking better employment and higher revenues. The cost of living kept on increasing. As the cost of living increases, so should the income of a person. This was not the case of the peasants who worked in the fiefs. They therefore sought better employment to meet their costs of living. The effect of this was that it led to a decrease in the number of workers in the large tracks of land. The lands potential was therefore not utilized. Revenues decreased and the vassals also started to seek better and higher revenue generating systems (Cantor, 1991).

Another reason that led to the decline of the system was that the population kept on increasing while the tracks of land remained the same. Eventually, there was no land to give to the vassals. The lords thought of another way of getting into an agreement with the vassals. This is what led to the money system. In this system, the vassals pledged allegiance to the lords and in exchange they were paid at the end of the year.

Conclusion

The decline of the feudal system led to the introduction of the money system. In my view, the feudal system was a better system of administration. From an economic point of view, land is a better asset compared to money. The value of land keeps of increasing regardless of economic situation in the country. Money on the other hand loses its value as time passes on.

Be that as it may, the feudal system played a major role in contributing to the livelihoods of many people then. From the relationship between the lords and the vassals, it is clear that they all relied on each other for their protection and sustenance. This was some kind of symbiotic relationship. All in all, the system was the best form of organization that could be thought of and could be put into place then.

Work cited

Bloch, Marc.Feudal Society. Tr. L.A. Manyon. Two volumes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961.

Cantor, Normon E. Inventing the Middle Ages: The Lives, Works, and Ideas of the Great Medievalists of the Twentieth century. Quill, 1991.

Reynolds, Susan. Fiefs and Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Outline

The presentation starts with an explanation of digital feudalism and proceeds to examine the various readings. The author includes personal take on each reading. From this assessment, it is clear that capitalists globally still exploit laborers in an attempt to meet global demand for products and services.

Digital Feudalism

The modern digital ecosystem seems to be organizing rapidly into a feudal power structure similar to the European feudal system where kings and nobles are on top of the pyramid, followed by knights, while peasants are at the bottom. Supposedly, kings, nobles, and knights offer land and protection to the peasants as reward for the services they render to the royal class. The same system now applies to the digital environment where users participate in various platforms and unknowingly surrender a large amount of personal and other data to the platform owners.

Anatomy of an AI System

One can use an AI systems anatomy to comprehend human labor. With human labor, material resources, and data, an individual can successfully run a large-scale artificial intelligence system (Crawford and Joler 2018). Unfortunately, these artificial intelligence systems consume a significant amount of resources from the earths, threatening the continued survival of different life forms, including humans (Crawford and Joler 2018). The examination of the life cycle of a single Amazon Echo speaker reveals deep interconnections between the literal hollowing out of the earths materials and the data capture and monetization of human communication practices in AI. Thus, in the present moment of the 21st century, a new form of extractivism that reaches the furthest corners of the earth and the deepest human cognitive layers and affective being has emerged.

I agree that the seemingly convenient use of the Amazon Echo and similar products could have a detrimental effect on human life and sustainable utilization of resources given the number of steps involved to produce a single unit. The Amazon Echo is a creative device that increases the users convenience and enjoyment. People can give it such commands as turn the lights on, and it will do so. However, what is not evident to the user is that a single command like that invokes numerous processes and interactions that require data, interconnectedness, and efficiency (Crawford and Joler 2018). Also, with each command, the Amazon Echo learns new information that it can use to respond better and faster in the future. Unfortunately, much labor goes into the production of a single Amazon Echo device. There are miners working under harsh conditions in different parts of the world and factory employees under pressure to produce goods on time to satisfy global demand. In all this, the manufacturer or copyright owner contributes to environmental pollution and endangers biodiversity in different ecosystems. In other words, the process of creating a gadget such as the Amazon Echo takes many resources and labor.

Phone Story

Phone story is a mind-boggling revelation of the dark side of what is arguably the most popular gadget on the planet  the smartphone. Ironically, the only way to access the game is by owning a smartphone. Apple already banned the application from the App Store (Molleindustria, n.d.). The mobile game tells the sad story of the process of making a phone. It begins by examining the armed struggle for control of coltan mines in the Congo, which have destabilized the central African nation and prevented its people from leading normal and peaceful lives. The game also examines increased suicide cases in Chinese phone-making factories due to too much pressure to meet deadlines and produce smartphones for global consumers. The fact that mobile phones become outdated quickly exacerbates the problems and human sufferings associated with its production. It also creates the global problem of electronic waste, which is slowly but steadily becoming a pandemic.

Smartphones have become one of the most important gadgets in most people lives, so much so that some people own several designs and models. Others are so addicted to the newest versions that they can do anything to get the latest release (Molleindustria, n.d.). Yet, nobody seems to care about the process that goes into the manufacture of the gadget. If this trend continues, resources will become depleted, and enmity and internal feuds will increase as people fight for limited resources. To avert a possible worst case scenario in the future, there is a need for humans to exercise self restraint in the exploration and exploitation of resources. Fairer labor practices are also needed to prevent exploitative practices.

Everyone Will Be An Artist

Jason Zhao commissioned hundreds of artworks on hot-button topics, which he sells on a vending machine for $3 a piece. He paid artists upfront a small amount to make the art, and pays them again every time the piece is bought (Zhao, n.d.). He did not edit the art; he sells them as he receives them. He recruited artists using open calls on web-based hiring platforms like Amazons Mechanical Turk.

The idea of selling art in a vending machine seems plausible, especially because it depends on the economies of scale. Theoretically, it is possible for an artist to make a good amount of money from this project (Zhao, n.d.). Unfortunately, that good pay is not guaranteed. The concept does not seem as exploitative as it sounds, but artists should receive higher initial payments for purposes of fairness.

Doing Tiny Jobs for Tinnier Pay

Amazon Mechanical Turk offers a variety of irregular piecework at low prices to those registered on the platform. People post task on the platform, and Mechanical Turks will accept and work on those tiny projects. People can do the job for extra income. To do so, one must complete a series of tasks fast and move on to better paying ones (Newman, 2019). The person hoping to earn a considerable living from the platform must also remain online at most times.

The online space offers numerous opportunities for personal and economic development. However, some aspects of it are unconventional and difficult to understand. Thus, the concept of the Mechanical Turk as conceived by Amazon is intriguing. Although the pay is small in absolute dollar terms per task, the jobs are easy and short (Newman, 2019). However, there is a need to ensure that all participants agree on the terms and conditions of their job to increase mutually beneficial relationships.

References

Crawford, Kate and Joler, Vladan. 2018. Anatomy of an AI System. Web.

Molleindustria. n.d. Phone Story: Video walkthrough and demo of the game. Web.

Newman, Andy. 2019. Doing Tiny Jobs for Tinier Pay.Web.

Zhao, Jason. n.d. Everyone Will Be An Artist. Web.

Introduction

Karl Marx was a great philosopher, social theorist and economist. He was most famous for his theories about capitalism. Marx utilized the term “modes of production” to allude specific organization of economic production in a given society. Mode of production refers to the to the differed ways that individuals on the whole produce the methods for subsistence so as to endure and improve social being. According to the marxist theory the “modes of production” is a combination of “productive forces” which includes the human labour and the means of production and the “social and technical relations of production”. The term “Relations of production” basically alludes to the connections and the relations between the capitalists that possess or owns the means of production and the laborers and the low class that didn’t. According to Marx, history advances through the collaboration between the modes of production and the relation of production. The modes of production always advances towards the acknowledgment of its limits, however in that creates threats among the classes of people characterized by the relations of production.

Capitalism

Capitalism is a monetary framework dependant on the private ownership of means of production and their benefits and profits. Capitalism involves the capitalists thriving to make as much profit as possible by extracting as much labour as possible from workers at least costs due to the competition in the market and thus involves paying the laborers as meager as possible. This payment is only barely adequate to keep them alive and gainful deriving no sense of pride or self satisfaction. Capitalism thus in this way stigmatizes and demoralises human prominence.

In contrast to slavery in which the slave is ripped apart from his rights and freedom and is completely owned by the master who can implicate his will on him whatever way he wants, capitalism gives the laborers a chance to sell his labour in the market and thus giving them a vibe of independence and freedom but in this case the freedom is indirectly snacthed away as the laborers have to sell their labour to a capitalist for a fixes labour every day. No work means no payment and thus the sense of freedom is non existent in both. The exercise of power is such, that it originates a sense of alienation in the worker for himself, from other workers and also from his work.

Relations of production under capitalism

Marx specifies the relations of production explicit to capitalism being two folds. The first being the control relation in which, the laborer works under the control of the capitalist to whom he works, the capitalist taking a great consideration that the work has been done in the best way possible utilizing the means of production with insight to not cause any unnecessary misuse or wastage of crude material. The second being the ownership relation which means that the labour process is purchased by the capitalist, it has turned into his property which in turn means that the result of the process done is capitalist’s property.

Earlier form of society

Before Capitalism, Feudalism was the medieval arrangement of social and financial matters. Feudalism is a political and military system between a feudal gentry also known as master or lord, and his vassals. It is a medieval European political system comprised of various legal and military commitments spinning around the three ideas behind it, lords, vassals and fiefs. The premise of the structure of feudalism was formed through the obligations and the relationships among these three elements.

The functionality was quite clear, the lord provided vassal with fief and in return the vassal would provide military service to the lord. This relationship revolves around fief and thus required levels or hierarchies. Typically, a king was vested with the ownership of all the lands and from the king the hierarchy goes through nobles to seigneur. As part of the tax, the lord takes up a portion of production. Throughout, the medieval period rebellions happened which gradually broke the system of feudalism, eventually replacing it with a more contemporary approach to resource management i.e capitalism.

Similarities

Both in feudalism and capitalism, there exists an unequal circulation of assets. In both, the masters or the lords take up the majority of the profits gained by the vassals and they are left with just the bare minimum. Both are the frameworks which exploit the labour for profit. The complaints of the workers and the merciless working conditions stay comparable in either form of the society.

Differences

Feudalism was based on the obligations and relations among the lords, vassals and fief, these three formed the basis of feudalism whilst in capitalism, the main goal is just making more and more profits. In feudalism, the lords or kings gain powers based on their birthright, and the children of workers remain workers and thus had no chance of progression or improving the lifestyle but unlike this capitalism does not maintain such rules, a person can change his fortune, a worker can rise up at heights of socio economic stature by working hard. Capitalism alike feudalism provide supreme power to the ruler but unlike the later, there is fierce competition thus a capitalist always has to innovate new ways to develop his business. The major difference between these forms of society is that unlike in feudalism, capitalism allows the worker class with freedom to choose his employer. Also, in feudalism the majority of the work done by the workers were as peasants, their work being purely agricultural which was different from capitalism in which the works differed from person to person.

Effects of capitalism on technology

Technological development and innovation is largely affected by Capitalist mode of production. Technology affects individual freedom both ways, sometimes increasing and sometimes even confining it. The capitalist mode of production divides the society on the basis on affordability, and these inequalities are also affected by the technological changes. Capitalism came up with a new method of production that involves assembly lines designed such that sequential work can be done easily, where one person would be responsible for his own line. He has perform a single task which as time passed became a idea and all the heavy lifting shifted to the machines.

This is the main function of capitalism is to increase the profits, the easiest way to do so is by replacing unskilled labour by skilled labour, this is where technology is required since it provides better quality and mass production. Due to this reason, the capitalist are forced to choose the best possible innovations and technologies that will help them increase their profits, which in a way aspires and prompts creation and development of new technologies. In order to make more and more profits the capitalists are aspired to remove the unpredictable labour i.e the humans and add the more dependant labour i.e machines, this also inspires creation of new technologies.

In capitalism, every capitalist faces fierce competition in the line of profit making. Due to this every company has to adapt and build up the best and the most effective systems to maximise their profits. In this sense, it is a recurrent procedure since competition is birthed by capitalism which in turn creates a breeding ground for advancements. The laborers bit by bit figure out how to utilize offered technology in opposition to their superiors, which requires the requirement of the capitalist to change and adapt to a high level technology.

New minds and private ownerships are also a great factor affecting the technologies since to enter the race of capitalism, great minds create ideas and convert those ideas into realities. Even, if some ideas are not being received properly by the market it so may happen that that idea itself may give rise to a high grade technology if given into right hands. Thus, this reason of entrepreneurs makes new technologies possible.

The driving reason of capitalism is profit, as stated above this reason gives rise to new innovations and technological advancements. Over the years, the advancements in technology have skyrocketed in various fields such as cars, digitization, energy resources, etc and capitalism played as a major factor in all this.

Feudalism started in 800 C.E to create order and make Europe civil again. This came because the people needed protection from barbarians. Feudalism is a medieval government and the people needed it to keep control and have a leader.

The Classes of the Feudal System

The King

The King was responsible for his kingdom. There was only one King and he was the highest of the classes. The King would delegate his duties to Nobles and Knights. He would stop any issues that occurred.

A king wakes up early in the morning and goes to the church to pray. After church he eats a light meal. His daily activities are attending meetings, pass laws and hear requests. At midday he would have lunch his heaviest meal which was many courses. After his lunch he could do whatever he wants. He could hunt with his dogs, do leisure activities. At the end of the day he would have dinner a lighter meal to lunch. Afterwards he and his queen will pray then go to sleep. The king lived in a graceful castle looked after by many servants.

Nobles

Nobles were in charge of their section of land. They gave instructions to the serfs and would supervise them. Nobles helped the King by being in charge of running of the land.

Nobles lived in castles in the middle of an estate and were in charge of everything that went on in their land. They had control over serfs and gave permission for serfs to marry and checked that the crops were planted correctly. Nobles woke at dawn, went to the chapel in their castle and attended a church session. He would then eat breakfast. After breakfast, he would be in meetings to discuss marriages, crops, complaints and other matters relating to his land. He ate a large lunch around noon and afterwards he was free to do what he wanted. Hunting, visiting the land and leisure activities. In the evening, he would pray then have dinner. After dinner there was sometimes entertainment in his castle, such as acrobats or jesters. Before bed he was pray again.

Knights

Knights would protect the land and all of people, including the King. Knights were a symbol of safety, honour and respect.

Knights would wake up at dawn and attend church then eat breakfast. In the morning knights would do weapons practise, practice their fighting skills and discuss war strategies. In the afternoon knights would train with their horses and do more practises. When their lord went hunting, hawking or inspected his castle or manor the knights would go with him. At the end of the day knights would have celebrations, supper and prayer. Knights, nobles and the king all lived very much alike, except knights focused on learning fighting skills and preparing for battle. To become a knight, you had to start at a young age as a page. Pages helped the knight with their horses and weapons. After being a page, you become a squire. A squire was taught everything from the knight and also helped knights in battle. Before a squire could become a knight, they would have to have attend a religious ceremony called a Dubbing Ceremony. All knights had to follow a code of chivalry. This was a set of rules that had to be followed or your knight ship was taken from you. The knight had to be courteous, show compassion, work as a team, be truthful and pure.

Serfs

Without serfs the land would not be farmed, the animals would not be cared for or bred. The people would have no food. They were essential for survival of the community. 90% of the population were serfs, they did all the hard work.

Serfs started work around 3am. Serfs would make hay, thresh their fields, trim hedges, harvest crops, plant seeds and plough the earth. They would work from dawn to dusk with not much time to relax and have fun. The women will eat when their husband came back from their work. A serf’s house was normally one room where lived, slept, cooked, ate and kept domestic animals. It was the most unpleasant life then all the other classes.

The Impact of the Feudalism

Feudalism created a stable government, increased security from outsiders by having less wars, improving loyalty. Rules like land went to the oldest son to stop arguments. Feudalism was about separated government, meaning it was about higher classes giving lower classes land to rule so their government system was separated. The King owned all the land but gave some to nobles and church officials to rule over for the King, for their loyalty.

Allowed a stable economic system for prosperity and growth making the rich get richer, the poor having to pay more taxes and having to spend less money on wars creating more wealth. More jobs came (blacksmiths, cobblers, tailors and bakers) so they had more than farmers or solders. Making the market economy grow and bringing in trading and bartering.

The stable system helped peasant families have a long-term employment. Strong loyalty of the knights to keep peace. Feudalism impacted society by creating stronger loyalty because the King gave land to nobles for military and loyalty and nobles gave land and other things to knights for their loyalty like a trading system thereby creating strong loyalties.

The Significance of the Feudalism

Feudalism helped the King to have lots of land because he would grant some to nobles and church officials to look after and they would form armies to protect their own land. Feudalism was a great system to control society. Feudalism made the King hold all the money. The King would grant fiefs for land for service and tax.

Feudalism was the social system/hierarchy in medieval Europe which defined what the people were and their roles. The lowest class were the peasants who worked the land for the nobles and knights so that in return they would get protection. The third class of people were the knights who fought for the kings and nobles. The second class of people were the nobles who agreed with the lords to supply the king with soldiers and horses for his army to be strong. The nobles also gave some land to the professional knights for their efforts in wars and for protecting the king. The first and most important class is the king, he owned all the land in the country and made the rules for people to obey.

Feudalism began in the western side of Europe and developed around 800 C.E, from the leftover fragments of the Western Roman Empire. Feudalism happened as central authority was unable to perform its functions, this prevented the rise of other local’s powers, this caused the organization to form. When the Western Roma Empire fell in 476 C.E., it made a state of chaos, that enclosed the Western Europe for many centuries. The people who lived in the western countries had needed some sort of political system for them to defend themselves. The people had voted and thus feudalism was created. The system was to account for all aspects of the society. When feudalism was created it, made the king have the ultimate power. The king had owned a large amount of land mass and had leased it to the people that were called vassals. The only catch that they had sworn to an oath, remaining faithful to the king all the time. The vassals were wealthy, powerful but not as powerful as the king, and had complete control of the land that was be trusted to them. They always had to stay with the king, while providing shelter and food to him, when he travelled across the country.

Feudalism didn’t bring order to Europe because it was still unfair, they placed the nobles on top of peasants and then slaves and so on. It provided safety to the king then nobles. The peasants and slaves didn’t have much protection. It brought minimal security to most of the people in Europe. The Knights were part of the safety but didn’t need too much because they were fighters. Most people probably thought that this statement was true because the royals, kings and the nobles all lived longer than the peasants and slaves. If there was a war to happen the rest of the community would have been left for themselves while the king, royals and knights would have been taken away in horses and protected by guards. I disagree with this statement because although feudalism brought order, security and safety to Europe, it doesn’t protect most of the population of Europe such as peasants, slaves and merchants.

The feudal system exists to tell the difference between everyone’s status. Back then, it was important for the citizens to be able to tell the difference between a rich and poor person. Equality wasn’t a big deal in the medieval times. Women didn’t have the same rights as men. Women could have been a wife, mother, peasant, artisan, and nun, as well as some important leadership roles, such as abbess or queen regnant. Roles were made to keep the kingdom in check. If there weren’t any roles, then everything would be a big mess.

The different feudal system classes were as followed: the kings and queens at the top-most position, followed by barons, bishops, knights and then peasants. The lord would have owned the lands and everything in it. They would keep the peasants safe and give them land in exchange for their service. They would then go on to provide the king with soldiers and taxes.

The kings would be the overseers of giving out land to nobles that pledged thier loyalty to them by either battling and dying for them or serving them in other ways. When a king would die, the eldest son would take over the throne. When one certain family stayed in power for a long period of time, it was known as a ‘dynasty’. Bishops were the top church leaders and managed an area that was called a Diocese. The church also received 10% of the tithe from people, making them quite wealthy. Barons and nobles were in control of big lands called ‘fiefs’. They were the people who reported straight to the king, making them quite powerful. They’re jobs were to maintain an army under the king’s service. The lords ran manors and could be knights that were called into battle at any time. The lords owned everything on their land including peasants, crops and villages.

Some changes that we would make in the feudal system would be to make the roles fairer. Kings and queens are supposed to be treated with high respect but people at lower levels of the feudal system like peasants shouldn’t be treated like slaves. The reasons why we think that peasants should be treated with more fairness, is because they didn’t choose that life. You were either born in a rich family or poor one. Peasants should get more opportunities in sports, social activities and jobs.

Bibliography

1. https://westernreservepublicmedia.org/middleages/feud_feudalw.htm
2. https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalism
3. https://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal_system.php
4. https://ui-ex.com/explore/feodality-clipart-social-hierarchy/
5. https://awol.junkee.com/kingdom-of-fife-scotland-guide/58285
6. https://apworldhistory101.com/history-of-europe/feudalism/

The Black Death was an overwhelming illness that spread all through Europe amid the 1300’s. It killed an expected one point five million of the four million individuals living in Europe around then. Before the Black Death tainted anybody, individuals had just made the ideal condition for the illness to thrive. Because of the vast population, individuals started to live in urban communities. Designers endeavored to pack in however many individuals as could be expected, so they fabricated condos that gradually expanded in size, as the following dimension was included. When the next biggest size of the condos had been developed, people could reach out and touch there nearby neighbors.

There were not any designated areas for waste dumps, and they sure didn’t know anything about cleanliness back then. Since there was no space, individuals would empty/dump their waste substances out the window and onto the road by tossing their feces out the window. Junk, litter and human waste lined the avenues and no one bothered to wipe them out, with the exception of nature. Only when there was an extremely hard rain would the roads and alleys be washed out. It was the ideal condition for rodents to breed in. The plague didn’t reach Europe until 1350. When it eventually did, it was a direct result of the tainted rodents being transported by means of boats and exchange routes. Mosquitos were the prime bearers of the pandemic, and initially, rodents filled in as their hosts. There on the waste lined roads, they started to flourish and duplicated by the hundreds, perhaps even thousands. In any case, rodents were similarly as helpless against the illness as people or some other creature, so they started to bite the dust from the plague. This made an issue, as there were was no more blood to benefit from with the exception of people. The Catholics were highly superstitious people, and in the end cats were eventually killed because of fear as cats consorts to Satan. Which lead to an increase in rats harboring the plague.

Meanwhile, the pandemic plague was moving along the band courses toward the West. By 1346 it was in the Caucasus and the Crimea, and by 1347 it was in Constantinople it hit Alexandria in pre-winter in that equivalent year, and by spring 1348, a thousand people midday were biting the dust. In Egypt, Cairo, the tally was multiple times that. The illness went by ship as promptly as via land, and it was no sooner in the eastern Mediterranean than it was in the western end too as of now, in 1347, the plague had hit Sicily-it had likewise reached Cyprus late in summer 1347. In October, still in 1347, a Genoese armada arrived at Messina, Sicily, and by winter it was in Italy. January 1348, the plague was in Marseilles, had achieved Paris in spring 1348, and England in September 1348. Moving along the Rhine exchange courses, the plague arrived in Germany in 1348. The year of 1348 was the worst of the plague years. In spite of the fact that it took more time to diminish the fringe of Europe, Norway was hit in May 1349, and Russia was free of the plague until 1351. Since the illness slanted to pursue exchange courses and to center in urban areas, it pursued a winding course; the Near East, the western Mediterranean, at that point into Northern Europe lastly once again into Russia. The advancement of the plague in all respects conveniently characterizes the format of the medieval exchanging courses.

The pyramid of intensity, which was the feudal framework, came to an end amid the medieval time of the middle Ages. The Black Death had a noteworthy impact in separating Feudalism is for the reason being that feudalism fundamentally rotated around a straightforward idea; a trade of land for the dedication. Here is the breakdown of how the pyramid worked. First, the King was in finished control under the feudal system he possessed all the land in the nation, and chose whom he would rent land to. Nonetheless, before they were rented land, they needed to make a solemn vow of devotion, in light of the fact that after the lord had leased the land; they would be in finished control of it. At that point, the general population who leased the King’s territory was called Barons/Baronesses. The rented land was known as a house, and the Barons were regularly called the Ruler of the Manor. They were permitted to build up their very own arrangement of equity, mint their very own cash and set their own expenses. The Barons needed to serve on the illustrious board, pay the lease and give the King Knights for military administration when he requested it as an exchange of the land they had been given. The Barons kept quite a bit of their territory as they wanted, and at that point isolated the rest among their Knights. They were given land by the Baron as an end-result of military service when requested, and to secure the estate the Knights kept a significant part of the land as they wanted for their very own utilization, and disseminated whatever is left of it to serfs despite the fact that they weren’t as rich as the Barons, Knights were very well off. Finally, Knights gave Serfs land in return with the expectation of complementary work, nourishment, and administrations at whatever point it was wanted. They had no rights and weren’t permitted to leave the Manor. They needed to ask their Lord’s consent before they could wed; they were frequently abused and very poor. Since serfs made up the heft of society, their class was hit the hardest. Since they took into account everybody (they accommodated the knights, who accommodated the Barons, who accommodated the King), Barons were presently ready to pay higher wages and offer additional advantages. For their entire life, they had lived off the serfs’ diligent work and were happy to pay them to remain on the estate to keep slaving for them. At the point when the serfs kicked the bucket, the establishment on which feudalism depended upon was broken. The pyramid of intensity broke, and everything was tossed into turmoil.

Soon after when the Black Death passed over Europe and cleared out 33% of its population, it likewise disassembled Feudalism. Serfs were allowed to leave the terrains of the masters to look for higher wages with the immense work deficiencies. The land that had rules and was once the essential wellspring of riches was presently useless. Whole domains were abandoned as families tumbled to the plague and kicked the bucket, or fled in a vain endeavor to get away from it. As Europe developed far from ashore as the primary wellspring of success, a rising working class asserted increasingly more riches and eminence, started to rapidly lose both.

The destruction of Feudalism had started and advanced every day like the plague guaranteed more lives. A substantial gathering of individuals, edgy to point their fingers at somebody, asserted and charged a wide range of ‘gatherings’, which included ‘witches’, outcasts and Jews. In focal Europe, the flagellants convincingly charged the Jews. On an appalling day in Strasbourg alone, more than 8,000 Jews were killed for being the objective of vain doubts.

The quick financial impact of the plague was that the colossal loss of life made genuine work deficiencies. In the event that the plague struck a house in summer, there wouldn’t be sufficient serfs to reap the yields in pre-winter. In the event that it struck in the winter, there were insufficient serfs to plant in the spring there was nobody left to cultivate the land. The couple of stragglers who had figured out how to endure moved elsewhere.

As the plague spread all through Europe, building ventures were left and churches that were being worked on stood empty remaining there unfinished. Church wards had no ministers to direct administrations, Barons did not have enough serfs and knights to address their issues, and numerous different estates were relinquished. Nobody was left to cover the dead. Far reaching work deficiencies prompted an ascent in labor costs and was particularly evident in the horticultural district. Serfs, who, for a considerable length of time had worked the land for next to zero pay, had all of a sudden started to request higher wages and, progressively, rebelled against working for lower wages due to the past.

The plague’s extreme affect on the social system left the land that was the primary source of wealth worthless. Feeling essentially betrayed that God had turned his back on them, people behaved to the end of the Black Plague by turning their backs on him. They occupied with wild revelry to celebrate being alive. They held greedy feasts, drank, wore extraordinary garments and gambled. It was clear through the art of the time, however, people still had death floating through their minds. The Danse Macabre, also known as the dance of death, is a metaphorical idea that was communicated in drama, poetry, music and visual art. The Danse Macabre generally demonstrates a dance or move between the living and the dead.

Work Cited

1. ‘The Black Death.’ ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies. 11 Mar. 2019 .
2. Edmonds, Molly. ‘How the Black Death Worked.’ HowStuffWorks. 27 Feb. 2008. HowStuffWorks. 15 Mar. 2019 .
3. Answers Ltd. ‘Black death and the impact it left in europe.’ UK Essays. 07 Mar. 2019. UK Essays. 15 Mar. 2019 .
4. ‘Danse Macabre (Dance of Death).’ Dr Lindsey Fitzharris. 07 Oct. 2010. 15 Mar. 2019 .

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Europe was split into small regions controlled by local lords and each of the lords had their collection of rules to follow; this also led to a lot of strife and chaos. The most influential monarch during this period was a Frankish King called Charlemagne, whose empire covered most of Western and Central Europe. Feudalism became the early and central Middle Ages most defining and important element. During this era, feudalism was Western Europe’s social, fiscal, and political system. Feudalism permeated every part of civilization and agriculture in the early middle ages, influencing everything from king-lord relationships to how farmers produced and sold their crops. The person of a higher standing of society would provide security and patronage. In return, the lower-level individual gave allegiance and agreed to provide their income, such as crops or a part of the received funds.

The King

The king is at the top of the social hierarchy; as a ruler, he assigned his servants such as ministers, barons, etc. to do the daily work of collecting taxes, supervising the workers and lead prayers. The king owns all the land yet he cannot manage it all. He provides land to the barons only if he trusts them. The kings retained this land as ‘divine right’ for what they thought was, the freedom to rule given by God and only carried on by heredity. The king ruled the whole kingdom and owned the whole country, yet the king was physically unable to govern any aspect of his vast empire by himself. The segments of the land granted upon nobles by the King, normally provided for duty in war or certain respects, were called fiefs. The scale of the fiefs differed. There were small estates only large enough to sustain a knight and his family. Others were really large, made up of entire countries or regions. The King also gave land to the less powerful troops, the knights, who’d been named the vassals. The king had full control and influence of his kingdom so that he could do what he wished. This meant that often the land could be granted to a nobleman who vowed his allegiance to the monarch. Often, however, it meant holding the estate in the family and handing it over to its successors, close to the way that Charlemagne separated his estate.

The Nobles/Barons

The tenants-in-chief or sometimes called barons is the second-highest position in the feudal system’s social hierarchy. These citizens were given preference to obtaining land from the King as they were pledged their allegiance. They were supplying money and knights to the subordinate in exchange for obtaining land. Often recognised as Barons, Nobles and Lords became the tenants-in-chief. They were then given to the Knights out of their portion of land, and they would be paying in exchange for a service. They had the burden of administering the fief and taking care of the financial side of the bargain after turning over the property to a knight or someone else, although they did not do any physically hard job. Regardless of their position and function in the feudal system, they were strong since the armies were under their authority, and they even fought many wars against other nobles to assert ownership of a territory.

Knights

In the feudal system, the knights fell under the lords of the social hierarchy. Knights were trained cavalry mounted soldiers, some of whom were land-occupying vassals of the lords whose armies they supported. Since fealty and allegiance were core aspects of feudalism, after a commendation ceremony intended to establish a permanent relationship between a vassal and his lord, the fief was awarded to a Knight. The knight will pledge obedience to his lord — Oath of Fealty. The Fealty Oath was the lord’s vow of faithful service. Most knights were of modest beginnings, most of them not even owning property, but they were considered part of the aristocracy by the later knights of the twelfth century (Feudalism: Rights Responsibilities, 2020) and enforced a system of courteous knightly actions called chivalry. The boy is sent to the house of another knight or lord at the early age of 7, they are bestowed the title ‘page’. They were taught proper manners and religion during this period, and how to read, write and speak both French and Latin. A page became a squire, at the age of 14. The squire was a knight’s apprentice handling the mail of the knight, serving his dinner, feeding his horse, and washing his weapons. In addition to carrying out their duties in the lord’s household, squires learned to be a knight in the martial arts. Squires have used bulky armour to get used to the weight and using weapons. The Squire served in this role for seven years and became a Knight at the age of twenty-one.

The Peasants

The peasants and serfs remain at the root of the feudal-system social hierarchy. They were the poorest, and they had an incredibly rough and challenging lifestyle. Many of the inhabitants on a feudal manor were peasants who spent their whole life working in the fields as farmers. The peasants were responsible for farming the land and supplying food supply to the whole empire. They were either expected to serve the knight in exchange for property or to pay the rent for the estate. They seemed to have no privileges and they were not permitted to marry without their Lords’ approval. in the fields, they generally worked together, mostly on jobs such as ploughing. For each family, the peasants divided the land into small stripes. Everybody, therefore, got a share of the good land and the badland. Usually, a fief required thousands of peasant families to hold it, produce crops and raise livestock. Peasants had rough lives and not much privilege, but they were not the lowest. The menial jobs called serfs were beneath the peasants. They came similar to becoming prisoners while also having a small amount of freedom.

Coclusion

Feudalism was medieval Europe’s governmental, social, and political structure and significantly impactedsociety, spanning from how a country was operated, to people’s responsibilities and rights. One of the feudalism’s principal characteristics was its social hierarchy. The King who ruled all of the land in the Kingdom was on the top of the social hierarchy. As it was difficult for a king to hold possession over all his subjects, he granted, or assigned, pieces over his estate to noble whom he trusted, called fiefs. The nobles remained loyal to the king but they were in possession on their freedom. Nobles, also knows as Manor Lords, could also divvy the land to Knights who provided military protection in return for property. The Knight was obedient to the Lord who had been loyal to the King. They would defend the land and the lord from outside invaders, and their Lords could ever outline them into combat at any moment. The peasants remained under the knights. The peasants, who were responsible for cultivationg and raising live stocks, rented land from either the lord or the knights. The serfs who wereessentially slaves were at the bottom of the hierarchy. However, they did have some freedom than slaves, but they were tied to the lord as well as to the land they worked for life. Such loyalties and bonds of the social hierarchy of the feudal system comply with the privileges and obligations of the citizens of mediaeval Europe.

Bibliography

1. Feudalism: Rights and Responsibilities. (2020). Feudalism. [online] Available at https://feudalism-rights-resposibilities.weebly.com/feudalism.html [Accessed 5 Sep. 2020].
2. Feudalism: Rights and Responsibilities. (2020). The King. [online] Available at: https://feudalism-rights-resposibilities.weebly.com/the-king.html [Accessed 5 Sep. 2020].
3. Feudalism: Rights and Responsibilities. (2020). Nobles. [online] Available at: https://feudalism-rights-resposibilities.weebly.com/nobles.html [Accessed 5 Sep. 2020].
4. Feudalism: Rights and Responsibilities. (2020). Knights. [online] Available at: https://feudalism-rights-resposibilities.weebly.com/knights.html [Accessed 5 Sep. 2020].
5. Feudalism: Rights and Responsibilities. (2020). Peasants. [online] Available at: https://feudalism-rights-resposibilities.weebly.com/peasants.html [Accessed 5 Sep. 2020].

Feudal systems were established in both medieval Europe, circa 500 BC to 1500 BC, and Japan, circa 1185 BC to 1868 BC. They were a time of insecurity, crusades, and disease. The two nations had similar hierarchies: headed by a king/emperor and surrounded by powerful barons/shoguns. It was hypothesized that feudal Japan was a safer place to live when compared to medieval Europe. This is because of better medicine, hygiene, and stricter laws. As stated in the hypothesis, medicine, and hygiene, as well as law, are the categories to which these feudal periods are compared.

Law and order is an important feature of any civilized society. According to the History Learning Site, “Law and order were very harsh in medieval England. Those in charge of law and order believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law”. In 1215, the Pope decided that priests in England must not help with ordeals. Also in 1215, King John’s barons forced him into signing the Magna Carta, a document that enshrined the rights of the king and wealthy landowners, the basic principle of which was that no one is higher than the law. While it was a significant document, the Magna Carta did not have a huge effect on the common folk (peasants and merchants). These punishments were thought to increase safety, but they did not even lower the crime rate. In comparison, the law and order system of feudal Japan was much more effective. In feudal Japan, there was a strict hierarchy and a strong code of honor and shame. The samurai formed a justice system that existed to implement the law among the low social levels. Their main role was to administer these laws, apprehend criminals, and sustain the peace with the lower classes. Crimes like murder were considered unjustifiable because of their impact on the victim and the disrespect shown by the law. The punishments as well were not as harsh as in Europe. This evidence shows that the Japanese had simple, less violent ways of dealing with crime, and it was more effective. Thus making it safer than feudal Europe.

In feudal England, medical knowledge was lacking. It was a period of medical stagnation because of the disappearance of medical knowledge. In feudal Japan, their sense of pride in keeping their country clean kept most diseases away. In feudal Japan, it was a very clean and disease-free place. They also kept all waterways clean. Because they kept the nature around them clean, there was a lack of diseases and illnesses. In Europe, scrofula, pain from stone, gout, and bubonic plague were frequent things; all of these diseases did not exist in Japan.

To summarize, we can say that feudal Japan was much safer than feudal Europe. This is because many people in feudal Europe died from diseases caused by bad hygiene. Feudal Europe also had a very strict law system that did not prevent crime. Compare this to feudal Japan’s more simple law system and effective hygiene and medicinal strategies. These points have been proven by strong, reliable evidence that proves that feudal Japan was safer than feudal Europe.

Feudalism, in a nutshell, is a system that was used commonly in the middle ages. The system revolves around land ownership and duties. In this system, the king owned all the land and could choose to gift his land to lords and nobles, often called manors, in exchange for support. Then the lords and nobles could give their property to vassals who did labor for them. The lands given to them were called fiefs. In Feudalism, taxes were paid with work and products. This system had a significant impact on today’s world, a giant step toward a more modern advanced economic system; it provided the future framework for Socialism and Capitalism. (1) I believe that Feudalism, in fact, as good as it made an impact on today’s world, and it was also a very efficient solution at that time and solved a lot of chaos and prevented many problems.

I believe that Feudalism was great for many reasons. For one, Feudalism helped the many communities and secured them from the violence happening at the time after the fall of Rome. It also helped keep out powerful invaders. (EVIDENCE QUOTE). Feudalism also played a role in restoring healthy trade. Feudalism lead to the Lords rebuilding the bridges and roads and their knights enforcing the law, in turn, making it safe to travel on roads. Another reason why I think it was good is that Feudalism did not allow a single person or organization to gain ultimate power. Instead, power was equal among many people and groups. This leads to many new European ideas shortly after. (2) But Feulalsim also has many weak points too. Feudalism has caused many problems.

Since the government doesn’t have too much power, they cannot enforce laws, which could lead to violence against lords. Feudalism is also not very fair, and a lot of people are treated harshly and do hard labor while others don’t work and still get rewarded. (EVIDENCE QUOTE) (2).

In conclusion, Feudalism has many pros and cons. However, I still believe that Feudalism had a more significant good impact than it did terribly and that it helped people and Europe at the time a lot, and without that system, in place, there would have been a lot of problems chaos. It restored trade, and it helped solve the violence at the time, and it also served as a temporary solution with proved to be quite useful.

1. ‘Feudalism Facts for Kids.’ Wikt:Owner, https://kids.kiddle.co/Feudalism.
2. ‘Feudalism: Good or Bad.’ Home, https://theenglandtimes.weebly.com/feudalism-good-or-bad.html.

Pakistan has faced major challenges in its socioeconomics situation over past seventy years. However not all the problems have been overcome. Some of the key problems of Pakistan includes water scarcity, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, poor health conditions, unemployment, land management, corruption, drug abuse and overpopulation etc.

Land Management

A nexus of officers and politicians, pursuing their own interests, have made poor citizens lives miserable. The combined effect of incompetence and corruption has created a strong perception that the government no longer exist because no department appears to be functioning in accordance to its mandate. As a result, signs of frustration and anger are obvious in the population, but no one notices it.

With majority of the World’s population lacking secure land and property rights, land is at the center of development challenges.

Eliminating poverty and boosting shared prosperity, increasing food security, facilitating urbanization, addressing climate change, reducing fragility and reducing inequality and exclusion of vulnerable groups all depend on secure land and property rights,

Land signifies different things to different segments of society. Land is a repository of capital, fertile source of wealth, vehicle of getting into socio-political mainstream, agency of gaining political leverage. Besides it is a hub of agricultural sector and a source of livelihood for millions. Land hosts a varied array of activities. Land is the jugular vein of Pakistan’s economy.

What is Feudalism?

Feudalism is a system of receiving land from a king and in return fighting for him. Feudalism is also defined by a system of landownership by superior classes in special relation to the royal or state power. A feudal had to collect tax whether in coin or in any kind on the behalf of the state and deposit it in the royal exchequer. Moreover, a feudal had to cultivate an army which could help the state whenever required. A feudal was answerable to the central authority and not to the peasants or to the members of the villages inhabiting his fief. The Sultans of Delhi, the Mughals and the British, who invaded, occupied and ruled over the subcontinent, promoted feudalism in the subcontinent to hold their foots on it. During the British reign, the process of conversion of feudal lords into capitalist began and the same continued after the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

The feudal system revolves not around the matriarchal system but around the patriarchal system of family in which the male head takes care of the family, which is commonly a large joint family and looks after the land he owns in inheritance.

Feudalism Is a Major Obstacle in The Way of Social Mobility in Pakistan

Pakistan is an under develop country. Pakistan faced political instability through out its history since 1947 to date. Then Pakistan was bound to face four martial laws due to instable political situation in the country. For under develop country like Pakistan stable political situation is must for the progress and for strong economy. Economy depends upon agriculture and industrial development as well as on mineral development. Pakistan was an agrarian economy but most part of land is occupied by feudal lords. These feudal lords also entered in politics and since its birth till now they are ruling the country. The feudalism is a major hurdle in the way of progress and prosperity of the country because the feudal lord does not let their subject to be educated so that no one share their power. Rural areas of Pakistan are severely damaged by this evil. However, in urban areas there is a decline of feudalism due to industrial development and education. But industrial sector is also going under the control of feudal lords as they are shifting their investments to industry instead of agriculture. In rural Sindh and Baluchistan, the situation is worse as compared to Punjab and K.P.K. The feudal lords not only controlled agriculture land but also occupied political system and civil, military service in Pakistan.

Feudalism in Pakistan has a stranglehold on the economy and politics of the nation. The feudal landlords have created states within a state where they rule their fiefs with impunity. The landlord’s influence spans over the police, bureaucracy and judiciary. Since its birth Pakistan is run by the politicians who are mostly feudal that is why, Pakistan is still an under develop country. The Bhutto’s is one of the richest families of the subcontinent. The Bhutto’s own around 40,000 acres of land in Sindh and assets worth billions of dollars.

Feudal Lords do not permit their subjects to get education, acquire money, to improve their standard of living, to improve their social conditions. Even they are not allowed to perform religious duties without the approval of federal lord. They are bound to get permissions for the marriages of their sons and daughter from the feudal lords. The poor farmers are at the mercy of feudal lord. Feudal lords consider poor farmers or village men as their personal goods

In Pakistan, the feudal are known as Chaudhary’s, Warraich, Pirs, Khans, Makhdoom’s, Arbabs, Mizaris, Khars, Leghari’s, Nawabzadas, Nawabs, Sardars and Shah.

Land Mafia

Land grabbing is another issue that is creating a fuss and disturbance in Pakistan. Land mafia seems to be very powerful with complete political backing, taking away the lands owned by the citizens and also government’s land. Different gangs of land mafia clashing with each other disturbing the peace of city and if someone tries to resist, mafia conveniently give it ethnic colour. This entire circle of land mafia, politicians and officials of law enforcement agency are responsible for the ethnic rifts in the city to save the illegal lands.

Pakistan is home to many Land Mafia who illegally take possession of land or claim ownership of land and dispossess true owners through legal or extra-legal means.

In Karachi, the land mafias are involved in drugs, illegal weapons, kidnappings for ransom, bank robberies and many other crimes; it has made the city a living hell for the common citizen. In Lahore, there is a well-connected land mafia that keeps its eyes on uninhabited plots and buildings in prime areas and moves in with fake ID cards to take possession leaving the real owners to then pursue the case in the court for years.

Islamabad also had a land mafia whose activities often go unchecked, noting The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has recently admitted that 54, 552 kanals of state-owned land are under the possession of land grabbers.

Land disputes are the most common form of dispute filed with the formal court system. Between 50% and 75% of cases are land-related disputes. By one estimate, over a million land cases are pending countrywide. Major causes of land disputes are inaccurate or fraudulent land records, erroneous boundary descriptions that create overlapping claims, and multiple registrations of the same land by different parties.

Urbanization

Pakistan is the seventh-most populist country in the world. Its urban population has increased at a rate of 2.7 % per year. Rural-to-urban migration is taking place at an unprecedented scale. At present the state has no plan for dealing with the migrant and nor in the position of providing homes to them. Many people move to the urban areas primarily because cities promise more jobs, better schools for poor children and diverse income opportunities.

Some scholars suggest that urbanization creates slums because local governments are unable to manage urbanization. The gap between the people’s low-income and high land price force people to construct cheap informal settlements known as Slums.

Karachi’s Orangi Town is one of the largest slums in the world. Moreover, Lahore which is labelled as the Paris of Pakistan, has massive infrastructure project but there is an ugly side of this massive development i.e. increasing slums in these same neighborhoods.

Lahore, the economic hub of Punjab has a population of 11 million. Majority of the people are likely to find in slum settlements where they don’t have proper food, health, sanitation, living and education facilities. Majority of the people living in these areas are street hawkers and daytime laborer’s, they earn very little and are not able to afford medical care or hygiene food. Slums are a by-product of over-population, economic, social and political inequalities. Most importantly within these areas, social problems such as crime, drug addiction, alcohols, high rates of mental illness and suicide are seen.

References:

1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/land
2. pu.edu.pk/images/journal/history/PDF-FILES/Article%2007%20Jahanzeb.pdf
3. pu.edu.pk/images/journal/history/PDF-FILES/15_54_1_17.pdf