The Feudal System & The Peasant Revolt
The feudal system
What was the feudal system?
The feudal system was a political and economic system that operated during the Middle Ages. In short, under the feudal system, the King owned all the land, but would pass sections of it to great lords (called Tenants in Chief) in return for military support. These great lords then allocated sections of their land to less powerful lords, who again, allocated sections of their land to local lords. The local lords then allocated portions of land to peasant farmers, in return for their labour.
The general arrangement between local lords and peasant families, was that the families could use around 1/2 of their allocated land to support themselves, but must work 1/3 of it solely for the benefit of the lord, and another sizable portion for the local church.
Around 95% of the population of England lived in these rural districts, and their lives were full of grind and toil, with little economic reward.
When was the feudal system operational?
The feudal system operated between 1000 - 1300 in England, although it was not formally abolished until 1660. In other parts of Europe, the feudal system remained in place for much longer. France, for instance, did not abolish the feudal system until 1789, and Russia did not abolish it until 1861!
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A Gradual end To the feudal system
The Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt
The impact of the Black Death on Peasants' bargaining power
Between 1348-1350, the “Black Death” killed so many English citizens, that many farming districts were left without a local lord, and many local lords were left without enough peasants to work the land.
As a result, peasant farmers found they could demand more money and better working conditions in return for their labour. Some even became landowners themselves.
Empowered by their new bargaining power, peasant farmers began moving from one district to another, in search of the best deal.
The Statute of Labours law
The newfound bargaining power of peasants, greatly distressed the Government and nobility who wanted the order of society to remain the same, with the working class heavily subservient to the upper class.
Therefore in in 1351, King Edward III introduced the Statute of Labours through Parliament. This was a law that limited wages to what they were before the plague. It also inhibited peasants from moving between villages. Breaking this law resulted in fines, imprisonment and, sometimes, corporal punishment.
The Peasant Revolt
In 1381 the oppressive laws and treatment of working class people culminated in what is sometimes referred to as The Peasant Revolt. Historians today tend to refer to it as The Great Revolt or The Great Rising of 1381, since peasants were certainly not the only class of workers involved. You may also hear this revolt referred to as Wat Tyler’s Rebellion, since he was the main leader of the revolt (along-side a radical priest named John Ball).
The actual trigger for the revolt is thought to have been the third of the Poll Taxes of 1377 – 1381, imposed by King Richard II to fund largely unsuccessful military endeavors in the religiously motivated Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453).
Many working class citizens simply refused to pay this tax, and this resulted in King Richard II receiving far less income than he expected. In response, he sent representatives out to collect the unpaid taxes. This lead to uprisings and rebellion on a massive scale.
