Feudalism was the dominant social and political system in medieval Europe, emerging after the collapse of the Carolingian Empire.

It was a decentralized system based on a web of personal loyalties and mutual obligations.

The core of the system was the relationship between a lord and a vassal.

A lord granted a piece of land, called a fief, to a vassal.

In return, the vassal swore an oath of homage and fealty, pledging military service and other duties to the lord.

This system created a hierarchical structure, from the king at the top down to the knights who held the smallest fiefs.

The system was complicated by subinfeudation, where a vassal could also be a lord by granting part of their fief to someone else.

Feudalism arose as a way to provide security and order in a time of weak central government and frequent invasions.

The knight, a mounted warrior, was the military cornerstone of the feudal system.

The system began to decline with the rise of powerful monarchies, the growth of towns, and the introduction of a money-based economy.