By A. Medeiros
In any civilization in history, one of the most essential factors in human interactions is the status a person finds themselves in, called a social class. In Medieval Europe, there were five main social classes. The highest class was the pope. The pope was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and had more power and wealth than any other parts of society. Below the pope was royalty who ruled separate kingdoms. Nobles, also known as lords, were next on the social pyramid (meaning that they had less power than royalty and popes) and were wealthy landowners in Medieval Europe. The next social class down during the Middle Ages included knights. They were armored warriors who protected the lord's land called the manor. The lowest class during the Middle Ages consisted of peasants, also known as serfs. This class made up 90% of Europe's population at the time. Peasants spent most of their time working at the lord's manor ("Medieval Social Classes"). These classes did work together in many ways. For example, nobles, knights, and peasants swore an oath to the king for protection, an agreement known as a vassal. Another interaction between social classes is one called feudalism. In feudalism, nobles owned land that knights guarded and peasants worked ("How Did the Social Structure During the Middle Ages Reflect the Worldview of the Time?").
The system of feudalism stemmed from the fall of the Roman Empire and Europe. The Early Middle Ages began around the 500s AD. At this time, barbarian attacks were plaguing Europe, the Roman Empire had recently fallen, and the governments were falling apart. Due to this, many communities split into small villages and worked together within the isolated village to form feudalism. Feudalism eventually ended in the 1400s AD. During this era, the Black Death was sweeping across Europe and killing much of the population. This loss of population caused a change in how feudalism could be used since there were not as many people to take place in it and all people were focused on a cure to the plague. Feudalism was a very intelligent way for medieval people to accomplish tasks and finish jobs through the Dark Ages.
To tell the differences between people in different social classes, historians look to the different roles and lifestyles that people had. In the Dark Ages, authority and power can show how people interacted and who medieval citizens looked up to, which can definitely show how social classes can have traits that are unlike. This differed from one class to another greatly with popes and kings having the most power and peasants having the least. The occupation and job of a person in different social classes can affect how the people lived and spent their time, showing their status and role in society. Determining lifestyle is a way to show how social classes lived their lives and how they compared to other classes. These lifestyle categories can include dining, clothing, and housing. All of these varying factors can help historians and modern civilization decipher how the different social classes differed. Medieval feudalism differentiates society on a basis of authority, occupation, and lifestyle, giving each social class a different status and role in life.
The system of feudalism stemmed from the fall of the Roman Empire and Europe. The Early Middle Ages began around the 500s AD. At this time, barbarian attacks were plaguing Europe, the Roman Empire had recently fallen, and the governments were falling apart. Due to this, many communities split into small villages and worked together within the isolated village to form feudalism. Feudalism eventually ended in the 1400s AD. During this era, the Black Death was sweeping across Europe and killing much of the population. This loss of population caused a change in how feudalism could be used since there were not as many people to take place in it and all people were focused on a cure to the plague. Feudalism was a very intelligent way for medieval people to accomplish tasks and finish jobs through the Dark Ages.
To tell the differences between people in different social classes, historians look to the different roles and lifestyles that people had. In the Dark Ages, authority and power can show how people interacted and who medieval citizens looked up to, which can definitely show how social classes can have traits that are unlike. This differed from one class to another greatly with popes and kings having the most power and peasants having the least. The occupation and job of a person in different social classes can affect how the people lived and spent their time, showing their status and role in society. Determining lifestyle is a way to show how social classes lived their lives and how they compared to other classes. These lifestyle categories can include dining, clothing, and housing. All of these varying factors can help historians and modern civilization decipher how the different social classes differed. Medieval feudalism differentiates society on a basis of authority, occupation, and lifestyle, giving each social class a different status and role in life.
Above is a video that can clarify and highlight the key ideas of
feudalism and the social hierarchy during the Dark Ages.
feudalism and the social hierarchy during the Dark Ages.