feudalism
Introduction
fief,and ultimately from a Germanic word meaning
cow,generalized to denote valuable movable property. Although analogous social systems have appeared in other civilizations, the feudalism of Europe in the Middle Ages remains the common model of feudal society.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Characteristics of European Feudalism
- History of Feudalism in Europe
- Other Feudal Systems
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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