The Three Orders (Question answer) CBSE BOARD

Q1. Describe two features of early feudal society in France.

Ans-1 The term 'feudalism' has been used by historians to describe the economic, legal, political and social relationships that existed in Europe in the medieval era. Derived from the German word 'feud', which means 'a piece of land', it refers to the kind of society that developed in medieval France, and later in England and in southern Italy.

2. In an economic sense, feudalism refers to a kind of agricultural production which is based on the relationship between lords and peasants. The latter cultivated their own land as well as that of the lord. The peasants performed labour services for the lords, who in exchange provided military protection. They also had extensive judicial control over peasants.

rent.

2. How did the long-term changes in population levels affect economy and society in Europe? 

Ans. In the mid 9th century to the first half of the 14th century there was steady growth of population.

The increase of population solved the problem of labour. As more and more dependant peasants became subject to lords, there was an increase in volume of surplus available to the feudal aristocracy. However a fall out of this was after 1000 the feudal economy became technologically stagnant as lords were no longer inclined to invest in better techniques.

A parallel development was the growth of money economy. The need of the lords and peasants to sell surplus and purchase luxuries as well as goods led to growth of urban centres. The lords started increasingly extracting rent in terms of money instead of labour services. The gradual moneytization of economy led to commodity production.

Population growth initially a favourable factor for expansion of agrarian economy led to scarcity of land in relation to labour and lords demand for higher rent. There was an increase in production, but it was not sufficient to feed the entire population. Food available for each individual was declining and also food was not distributed equitably. Continuous cultivation reduced productivity in the long run. Production stagnated and then declined. Population growth was outstripping resources. This led to famine. Severe famines affected Europe in 1315 and 1317. Around the same time in 1347-1350 bubonic plague broke out Europe's population declined due to the epidemic.

Depopulation resulted in shortage of labour, wage rates increased by so much as 250% in England. Agricultural prices came down and income of lords was hit. They tried to revert from money contracts to labour services, which led to peasant revolts and rebellions, e.g 1323-Flanders, 1358 France 1381-England.

This played a key role in the dissolution of the feudal system and growth of monarchy . 

Q3. Why did knights become a distinct group, and when did they decline?

Ans. 

Following the decline of the Roman Empire, there was a lack of a unifying force and military conflict was frequent. The amateur peasant soldiers were no longer sufficient  and good cavalry was needed. There was a transition to cavalry based army consisting of professional mounted warriors called knights.

The knights were linked to the nobles by the same promising relationship between king and lord. The lord gave the knight a piece of land called "fief" and promised to protect it. The fief could be inherited. The land of fief was cultivated by peasants. In exchange the knights paid the lord a regular fee and promised to fight for him in war. Thus the urgent need for military mobilisation not only to fight wars but also to ensure surplus extraction led to growth of knights.

The growth of absolutist monarchy in the 15 and 16 centuries led to the decline of knights. The knights were replaced by professionally trained infantry equipped with guns and artillery directly under king's control. The organisation of a standing army led to the decline of knights. 

Q4. What was the function of medieval monasteries?

Ans. Some deeply religious people chose to live isolated lives in contrast to clerics who lived amongst people in towns and villages. These people lived in religious communities called abbeys or monasteries often away from human habitation. 

Example: St. Benedict, Italy 529 and Cluny, Burgundy 910.

Monasteries comprised of Monks who could be men or women, who took vows to remain in the abbey for the rest of their life and to spend time in prayer, study and manual labour. The monasteries were single sex communities. Over time monastries grew into large communities of several 100's with buildings, estates, schools, colleges and hospitals. Apart from prayer the monasteries taught self discipline through its rules and restraint. They were centres of learning, helped in spread of education and provision of facilities like health care.

It made a great contribution to development of Art, e.g., Abbess Hildegard helped in the development of music.

In the 13th century some monks became friars, moved from place to place instead of being confined to the monastry spreading the evanglical message, preaching and living on charity.

Q. 6. Compare the conditions of life for a French serf and a Roman slave.

Ans.

1. Conditions of life of a French Serf

Serfs were "dependent peasants". In France they were the lowest category of peasants They had to do what the feudal lords demanded, were tied to the land and subject to complete authority of the lord. They cultivated plots of land which belonged to the lord. Much of the produce from this land was given to the lord. Additionally serfs also worked on the land which exclusively belonged to the lord. They received no wages and could not leave without the lord's permission. They could marry but the lord decided who they could.

Serfdom was a defining feature of feudal mode of production. The most significant features was the coercion that the lord could exercise over the serfs.

2. Conditions of life of a Roman Slave

Roman slaves were regarded as a form of property. They were treated as objects or commodities which could be bought and sold in the market. They had "no rights" and no identity of their own. They were degraded to the extent that they were often not even seen as human beings. The authority of the master over the slave was absolute: slaves retained no kinship ties and maintained no families. The only relation they had, was with the master which was one of complete subjugation. Slave labour was found in every sector of the Roman economy especially agriculture mining and handicrafts. Infact Graeco- Roman society is often termed as "slave society".

Q. 7. What was a Manor or Manorial Estate?

Ans. The Manorial Estate or Manor consisted of the Manor house in which the lord lived and the surrounding land over which he had superior rights. Its size varied, but invariably the Manor included a large farmland which supported all who lived on it, pasture area for cattle grazing, extensive woodlands, a church and castle of defence.

The Manor was an economic unit. It produced most of the items it needed in daily life such as grain, implements, weapons, cloth but it was not self sufficient as salt, millstones and metalware were procured from outside. The manor was also an administrative unit as authority of the lord was supreme and all who inhabited the Manor were his subjects.

Q. 8. Who constituted the First Order? Describe its role.

Ans. The clergy constituted the First Order. They derived thei. importance from the eminence of the Catholic church in feudal society.

The Church had its own laws, it owned lands given by rulers and could levy taxes. At the head of the western church was the Pope who lived in Rome. The bishops and clerics were the religious nobility, and like lords owned vast landed estates, lived in grand palaces and they could levy taxes like the tithe. Money also came in the form of endowments from the rich. Most villages had their own church where people assembled for Sunday mass.

Q.9. Who constituted the Third Order? What was their role? Highlight the distinctions between free holders and serfs.

Ans. The peasants formed the Third Order. It was the lowest in class hierarchy in feudal society and also most populous section of the population. They were of two types: (i) Freeholders or free peasants 

(ii) Serfs.

(i)The free peasants held their farms as tenants of the lord. 

They had to render military service to the lord at least 40 days in a year. Also the output of their labour on the lord's estate called "labour rent" went directly to the lord. 

They in addition performed unpaid labour services like digging trenches, fence building, repairing roads. The often paid direct tax called taille.

(ii)The serfs were not tenants. 

They cultivated land that belonged to the lord and most of the produce went to the lord. 

They also worked on land that belonged exclusively to the lord.

The serfs received no wages and were tied to the land. 

They could not leave without the lords permission and could not also take decisions like who to marry.

Q10. What factors led to the peasants unrest in the fourteenth century? What were its consequences?

Ans. The peasant unrest of the 14th century was due to several factors.

1. The beginning of the 14th century was marked by severe shortages of food due to change in climate and overpopulation. Scarcity hit the peasants the hardest. Chronic food shortages led to outbreak of famine (most severe being that of 1315-1316) and led to starvation deaths.

2. Bubonic Plague infection often called "black death" hit Europe in 1347-50 causing the death of 1/4th of Europe's inhabitants.

Famines, starvation deaths and bubonic plague led to substantial fall in population of Europe in the first half of the 14th century. Depopulation and shortage of labour led to rise in wages. While all prices fell due to few buyers. This, had an adverse impact on income of the lords. To make up for these losses the lords tried to revive labour services instead of the money contracts then in practice.

The peasantry in many places refused to pay dues abandoned places and fled. At the some time there were a number of organised revolts. The most well known is the Great Peasant Revolt of France in 1358 and Peasant Revolt in England in 1381.

Though the revolts were crushed, they played a significant role in 

(i) undermining feudal privileges and greatly weakened serfdom. 

(ii) The feudal lords could no longer use extra economic coercion to extract surplus.

Q11. What factors affected socio economic relations in Europe 

Ans. 

1 The Environment . From the 5th to the 10th centuries Europe was covered with vast forests. Land available for agriculture was limited. Dissatisfied peasants sought refuge in the forests. Intensily cold climate spell, severe and prolonged winters shortened growing season for crops and reduced yield from agriculture.

From the eleventh century Europe entered a warm phase. Increased average temperatures had a profound effect on agriculture. Peasants now had a longer growing season. Soil less subjected to frost was more easily ploughed. This made possible expansion of the area under cultivation.

2. Landuse. With primitive agricultural technology for example, the wooden plough agriculture was very labour intensive. Enormous manual labour was required as fields were dug by hand, often once in four years. Ineffective method of crop rotation was in use whereby soil slowly deteriorated and famines

were not uncommon. Life was difficult for the poor. 

To increase output, peasants were forced to bring all the land in the manorial estate under cultivation and spend more time doing this. As peasants could not protest openly they resorted to passive resistance. They avoided performing unpaid extra services.

3. New Agricultural Technology. For example- Use of iron tipped plough, mould boards, method of harnessing animal to the plough improved, use of iron horse shoes prevented foot decay, use of water and wind energy for agriculture led to increase in production. Since some of these technologies cost a lot of money, initiative for these changes came from the lords.

From the eleventh century onwards feudalism weakened with greater use of money for economic transactions.

Q12. Discuss the growth of towns. Did it represent a 4th order? 

Ans. The emergence of feudalism was accompanied by the decline of trade and towns. This was because the economic base of feudalism was agrarian and it was centred on the manorial estate which was quite self sufficient.

With expansion of agriculture accompanied by growth of population the situation began to change in the 11th century. The peasants with greater surplus (due to increased agricultural production) needed a place to sell grain and buy tools and cloth i.e., exchange a part of their agricultural production for non agricultural goods. This formed the basis of rise of money economy. Growth of fairs and small marketing centres eventually developed into towns.

-In towns people paid tax to the lords who owned the land of the town. 

-In towns people were paid for their work. This offered the opportunity of freedom from lord's control.

Due to the prospect of "paid work" many peasants and serfs came to towns which gave them a chance of freedom. Here they provided unskilled labour. 

Apart from peasants and serfs there were numerous shopkeepers and merchants. Also there was a rise of people with specialised skills e.g., lawyers, bankers. 

Some towns had large populations of about 30,000 by 11th 12th centuries. They represented a large and distinct group that they could even be called the 4th order. It had a distinct organised structure. Craftsmen organised themselves into guilds which ensured price, sale of products imposed rules and settled disputes. 

With expansion of trade due to expansion of crafts, merchant class, plus geographical discoveries, the town merchants became powerful and rivalled the nobility. 

Q13. Briefly discuss the factors responsible for decline of feudalism. 

Ans. By fourteenth-fifteenth centuries feudalism began to decline due to number of factors.

1. Depopulation- The 14th century saw depopulation due to famines e.g.. in Europe in 1315 and 1317. The outbreak of bubonic plague called Black Death intensified this.

This led to shortage of labour, wage rates rose, agricultural prices came down and the whole income of lords decreased dramatically. The lords tried to revert from money contracts to the earlier mode of labour services but faced peasant resistance.

2. Social Unrest. The peasant unrest reached on its peak in the 14th century especially in Western Europe. They organised wide spread resistance and there were open revolts by peasants e.g., in 1358 in France and 1381 in England. Often these revolts turned violent. Though they were crushed, these revolts ensured that the old feudal system of feudal priveleges could not be reimposed upon the peasantry again. 

3. Changes in the Political System. The weakening of the socio-economic base of feudalism was accompanied by political changes. The feudal system which was marked by decentralisation and devolution of authority was replaced by rise of powerful monarchies in France under Louis XI, England under Henry VIII and Spain under Ferdinand These 'absolute monarchies' crushed the power of the feudal lords and centralised all power in their hands.

4. Military Changes. 

(a) Fire power played a key role in the decline of feudal lords and rise of monarchies. The king had monopoly over gunpowder. This military advantage led to the crushing of the feudal armies which used outdated weapons. 

(b) Raising permanent standing army loyal to the king which was professionally trained also helped in curbing the power of the lords and declaring king as supreme power.

5. Economic Changes. 

(a) Rise of Towns and Cities based on monetary economy offered peasants and serfs the prospect of paid work and freedom from lords control. 

(b) The general economic prosperity of towns also gave an increased income to king which led to greater resources for military etc. 

(c) Growth of middle class. The growth of trade and industry led to the growth of a new class called middle class represented by individual traders, merchants, bankers, specialists like lawyers. They were against the system of hereditary feudal priveleges. 

(d) Organisation into Guilds. In towns people skilled in a particular craft organised themselves into guilds. This laid the basis for the factory system of later days. 

(e) Trade and Commerce. Growth of towns, crafts, manufacture, merchant class and discovery of new trade routes led to expansion of trade and commerce. 

(f) Transition to Capitalism. In certain areas these economic changes led to transition to capitalism.