What was feudalism and how did it shape medieval society?

Feudialism was like having a giant family tree where everyone had jobs and responsibilities, kind of like how your family has chores or roles during holidays.

Imagine you have a big house, and the person who owns it is called a lord. The lord gives some land to someone else, called a vassal, in exchange for help and loyalty. That vassal might be a knight who fights battles or a farmer who grows food on that land.

Now think of your classroom, if you’re the teacher, you give little tasks to your friends, like passing out papers or cleaning up. In feudalism, the vassal would sometimes give land to someone else, called a serf, and in return, the serf would work the land and give some of the food back.

This system created a strong chain of people, from the powerful lords at the top down to the hardworking serfs on the bottom. Everyone depended on each other for support, just like how you depend on your friends during group projects.

Sometimes, when things didn’t go well, people would fight or break their promises, but most of the time, they worked together, like a big family sharing chores and food.