Feudalism Evolved as Medieval Kings

Feudalism evolved as medieval kings expanded their territorial holdings and required systematic economic and political controls. The king divided his territories into regions that were presided over by appointed nobility, with titles like baron or duke. Feudalism exhibited strict class divisions in which nobility remained landowners, and the working classes could not and did not own land. The working class masses, or serfs, mainly received military protection in exchange for their labor and loyalty. Similarly, the local barons did not own their land in the modern sense. They did, however, enjoy a superior political and economic status vis-a-vis their serfs. Fiefdoms were not independent regions but were within the dominion of the king. Moreover, the king's legitimacy was backed by the Church. The Church and the monarchy worked in tandem to secure social control, political power, and economic hegemony. Bishops of the church served a similar role as the Barons but they owed their power to Church authority rather than the monarchy directly.

Feudalism was the foundation of the prevailing social, political, and economic structure of the Middle Ages in Europe but was prevalent throughout the world. The feudalistic structure evolved as governance grew more centralized. Similarly, as monarchs expanded their territories they required hierarchical governments because it would be impossible to otherwise ensure the protection of their territories. The barons enjoyed tutelage in exchange for their being willing to monitor the population under their control: the serfs and manual laborers. Feudalism was the precursor of the modern nation-state system in which a central government presided over semi-independent districts within the union. However, feudalism was a far more economically restrictive system than the modern one, in which class mobility is at least possible.

The Reformation was preceded by a solidification of Church power throughout Europe. Church power extended far beyond spiritual or religious teachings and pervaded political, economic and social institutions. For example, the Church had established systems of schooling and monasteries that promoted literary traditions. The Church also colluded (and often collided) with monarchic power. As mercantilism and world trade grew, so too did the economic foundation of both Church and State. One of the main reasons reformers challenged Church authority was to point out the endemic corruption within the papacy, especially in relation to its unquestioned dominance.

However, the revival of Classical traditions and the Renaissance humanist tradition also sparked the Reformation. Reformers like Martin Luther continued to revere the core tenets of Christian doctrine without respecting the hegemonic power of the Papacy. Some of the main issues reformers opposed included the hierarchical clergy. However, the Reformation took a different form in different regions of Europe and was characterized largely by local factors.

The medieval Crusades were partly a response to the spread of Islam throughout Europe. In fact, the Islamic crusades sparked the fervent Christian crusades and both movements had their roots in religious fanaticism. Crusaders were like modern-day terrorists who envisioned a world fully converted to its own religious and social doctrine. The crusaders sought to convert anyone, by force if necessary.