CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: D - Feudalism was most likely to develop in a region that had a small or weak central government. Prior to the creation of a feudal society in a kingdom or empire, it was common for the people to have experienced war, invasions, an inability to travel or engage in trade, a poor economy, famine, internal fighting or some other type of upheaval. While the king or emperor was at the top of the social hierarchy in a feudal society, feudalism was about being able to provide for people’s basic needs and defense on a local level. Since lords had legal and economic jurisdiction over their manors, each manor turned into its own microkingdom, in some respects. The vassals were sworn to provide defense for the lord, and the serfs were bound to work the lord’s land, producing the goods necessary to sustain all of the people within the manor. (Note: There were occasionally situations when a reasonably strong central leader (like William the Conqueror in England, for example) appeared after a period of war or instability, and, even though they could govern, they employed a feudal structure as a way to delegate the collection of taxes (or tithes) and local governance to the social class below them (lords).)