. A history of mediaeval and modern Europe for secondary schools. Agesthe question would not be so much, Of what nation are you? as, Ofwhat lord do you hold your lands?The manner in which that questionwas answered settled the social andpolitical status of an individual. Ofall the causes contributing to thegrowth of feudalism, the most generalwas the fact that kings and othermagnates would grant away thelands whereof they were possessed in return for At first this leasing (as modern men would say)was temporary: it ceased when the very peculiar rent(military service and certain
. A history of mediaeval and modern Europe for secondary schools. Agesthe question would not be so much, Of what nation are you? as, Ofwhat lord do you hold your lands?The manner in which that questionwas answered settled the social andpolitical status of an individual. Ofall the causes contributing to thegrowth of feudalism, the most generalwas the fact that kings and othermagnates would grant away thelands whereof they were possessed in return for At first this leasing (as modern men would say)was temporary: it ceased when the very peculiar rent(military service and certain financial assistance) was notduly paid and when either the landlord (suzerain) or tenant(vassal) died. But as the kings power weakened, and as long 1 Along with the mere private control of the land would usually go variouskinds of immunity — , exemption from royal jurisdiction over the land,or the collection of royal taxes within the land. The new vassal would thusenjoy the jurisdiction over the lands granted him, conjoined often with its CHAIR(Drawnfrom a miniature in atenth-century manuscript) THE RISE OF FEUDALISM 67 occupancy of a fief (feudal holding) made the tenant feelthat holding the fief was his right, not his privilege, the tiesof vassalage became more and more permanent. The kingcould not recall the fief if he would, except in extreme was also obliged to confirm it to his late vassals son orsons, or, if there were no son, to his daughter. During thebreaking-up of Charlemagnes Empire the great vassals of thekingdoms forgot all but their most formal duties to theirnominal overlord. They became independent princes in all butname, and it was seldom that their lord the king was ableeffectively to coerce them. But these great vassals in turn were under necessity of seeingtheir own dominions parceled out among lesser princelets still;and these again might have dependent on them a swarm ofpetty nobles possessing only a fortified tower and a
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