What does fief mean in medieval times?

fief, in European feudal society, a vassal’s source of income, held from his lord in exchange for services. The fief constituted the central institution of feudal society.

What is an example of a fief?

Frequency: An example of a fief is a legal practice the Middle Ages where society was built on relationships and classes. An example of a fief is a piece of land that is entrusted to someone for their use and the use of their heirs.

What did fiefs do in the Middle Ages?

Fief Definition: In Medieval feudalism a fief was a vassal’s source of income, granted to him by his lord in exchange for his services. The fief usually consisted of land and the labor of peasants who were bound to cultivate it. The income the fief provided supported the vassal, who fought for his lord as a knight.

What is a vassal and a fief?

is that fief is an estate held of a superior on condition of military service while vassal is (historical) the grantee of a fief, feud, or fee; one who keeps land of a superior, and who vows fidelity and homage to him, normally a lord of a manor; a feudatory; a feudal tenant.

What is the meaning of the term fief?

Definition of fief 1 : a feudal estate : fee. 2 : something over which one has rights or exercises control a politician’s fief.

What is the difference between a fief and a manor?

As nouns the difference between manor and fief is that manor is a landed estate while fief is an estate held of a superior on condition of military service.

What is the best description of a fief?

In European feudalism, a fief was a source of income granted to a person (called a vassal) by his lord in exchange for his services. The fief usually consisted of land and the labor of peasants who were bound to cultivate it.

Who rules a fief?

Under the feudal system, a fief was a piece of land. This is short for fiefdom. Words that go along with fief are vassal and feudal lord; the lord (kind of like our landlords) owned the fief and the vassal was subject to all of his rules. If you were the lord of a fief, your tenant was your servant.

What best describes a fief?

What did fiefs include?

In Medieval times land was broken up into fiefs. But a fief was more then just a piece of land. A fief had to include at least one village with huts for the serfs, a manor house or castle for the noble, and land to grow or catch food. A fief was not ownership.

What is a vassal Medieval?

vassal, in feudal society, one invested with a fief in return for services to an overlord. Some vassals did not have fiefs and lived at their lord’s court as his household knights. The vassal owed fealty to his lord.

What is fief Class 11?

The lord gave the knight a piece of land that was called fief. Land of the fief was cultivated by peasants. In lieu of that, the knight paid his lord a regular fee and also promised to fight for him in war. In this way, they became a distinct group.

What was the purpose of a fief in medieval times?

What was the drawbridge in a medieval castle?

Parts of a Medieval Castle: The Drawbridge A castle’s Drawbridge typically formed its entrance and lead to the gateway. It spanned over the moat and could be raised to prevent entry into the fortification. Drawbridges were commonly made of wood.

What was the size of a knightly fief?

It has been calculated that a fief needed 15 to 30 peasant families to maintain one knightly household. Fief sizes varied widely, ranging from huge estates and whole provinces to a plot of a few acres. Besides land, dignities and offices and money rents were also given in fief.

What kind of bridge is a drawbridge?

Drawbridge. A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle and a number of towers, surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word drawbridge commonly refers to all types of movable bridges, such as bascule bridges,…

What does fief mean in medieval times?