The feudal system was a social, economic and political system that was found throughout Western Europe by the 12th century.

In an age when it could take days to travel a few hundred kilometres, the feudal system enabled kings to keep control of their lands by contracting others to do the controlling for them.

Activity 1 - What makes a successful leader?

You are going to decide what characteristics are needed to be a successful leader. Make a copy of the following chart.

How much power a king had depended on a lot of factors. If he came to power at a young age or if he inherited a kingdom that was divided or that had been badly ruled, then his power would be more limited. The amount of power a monarch exercised could also vary during his reign. A successful king would become more powerful but an unsuccessful king could find himself replaced [overthrown] in a rebellion.

So what did it mean to be a good medieval king? Click on the picture to find out more or watch this video, 'How to get ahead at the medieval court'.

In many ways, a medieval monarch had considerably less power than a modern dictator. Although theoretically the monarch had absolute power, in reality the lack of modern communication meant that kings and queens depended on local nobles to do their ruling for them. Other from the King, nobles were the biggest landowners in the country. In return for the land given to them by the king, nobles promised never to go to war against the king and to provide the him with money, soldiers, accommodation, or advice (counsel) when needed. The nobles also included powerful members of the church such as bishops, because the church was one of the most important medieval landowners.

The lord also had vassals who were called knights. Again, in return for fiefs, the vassals made promises, the most important of which was to serve the lord as a soldier of 40-60 days a year. It was the knights as lords of the manor or demesne who really controlled medieval Europe.

A medieval knight was usually a mounted and armoured soldier, often connected with nobility or royalty. This was because the cost of their armour, horses, and weapons was great. When a boy was eight years old he was trained as a page. The boy was usually the son of a knight or of a member of the aristocracy. He spent most of his time strengthening his body, wrestling and riding horses. He also learned how to fight with a spear and a sword. He practiced against a wooden dummy called a quintain. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, a boy became a squire in service to a knight. His duties included dressing the knight in the morning, caring for the knight’s horse, and cleaning the knight’s armour and weapons. He followed the knight to tournaments and assisted his lord on the battlefield. A squire also prepared himself by learning how to handle a sword and lance while wearing 20 kg of armour and riding a horse. When he was about twenty, a squire could become a knight after proving himself worthy. A lord would agree to knight him in a dubbing ceremony. A young man could also become a knight for valour in combat after a battle or sometimes before a battle to help him gain courage. Tournaments were an essential part of military and social life. These "war games" consisted of individual contests (jousts), and group combat. One of the most successful knights of the middle ages was William Marshall.

Knights believed in the code of chivalry. They promised to defend the weak, be courteous to all women, be loyal to their king, and serve God at all times. Knights were expected to be humble before others, especially their superiors. However, the very fact that knights were trained as men of war meant that the code was not regularly followed. Even though they came from rich families, many knights were not their families' firstborn. They did not receive an inheritance. Thus they were little more than mercenaries. They plundered villages or cities that they captured, often defiling and destroying churches and other property. When the Pope launched the First Crusade 1095, part of his reasoning was to get rid of the warring knights from Europe.