Lords and Vassals

Vassal – a lesser lord who has been granted a fief by a greater lord

How can you be a lord & a vassal?

The king grants fiefs to the dukes making them his vassals.

DukeDuke

Duke

EarlMarquisCount EarlCount Earl

The dukes are vassals to the King but since they have granted fiefs to the marquis, earls and counts they are also their lords. The marquis, earls and counts are vassals to the

dukes but if they grant fiefs they are lords as well.

How well do you know feudalism?The purpose of this exercise is for you and your partner to define feudal obligations.

You will be asked a series of questions about the system of feudalism.

You must take what you know about the feudal system and follow the chain of feudal obligations to answer a series of questions.

The questions will be numbered so number your answers.

This is King Will. He has granted three dukes a fief – Duke Adam, Duke Bill and

Duke Carl.1. How many vassals does King Will

have?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

2 . If King Will is attacked who defends King Will? Why?

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

3. If Earl Dave and Earl Fred have a disagreement, who settles the disagreement?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

4. If Duke Adam is attacked by Duke Carl, whose knights will defend Duke Adam?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

5. If Earl Dave grants a fief to two vassals, what possible titles of nobility(3) could they have?

??? ???

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

6. If Earl Greg is attacked by Earl Fred, who defends Earl Greg? Why?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

7. If King Will is attacked who defends King Will? Why?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

8. If King Will wants to invade another kingdom who fights for King Will? Why?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

9. How many vassals are on this slide?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

10.How many lords are on this slide?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Let’s correct our answers!!!

This is King Will. He has granted three Dukes fiefs – Duke Adam, Duke Bill and

Duke Carl.1. How many vassals does King Will have?

This is King Will. He has granted three dukes fiefs – Duke Adam, Duke Bill

and Duke Carl.1. Three

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

2 . If King Will is attacked who defends King Will? Why?

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

2 . Duke Adam, Duke Bill and Duke Carl must defend King Will because that is their feudal obligation. They got land from him in

exchange for military service.

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

3. If Earl Dave and Earl Fred have a disagreement, who settles the disagreement?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

3. Duke Adam settles the disagreement since he is the lord of Earl Dave and Earl Fred.

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

4. If Duke Adam is attacked by Duke Carl, whose knights will defend Duke Adam?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

4. Duke Adam will be defended by Earl Dave, Earl Eric and Earl Fred as a part of their feudal obligation.

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

5. If Earl Dave grants a fief to two vassals, what possible titles of nobility(3) could they have?

??? ???

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

5. They would be either count, viecount or baron. A noble would not grant a fief and bestow a higher title of nobility.

??? ???

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

6. If Earl Greg is attacked by Earl Fred, who defends Earl Greg? Why?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

6. Earl Greg is defended by Count Jim because that is his feudal obligation. No one else is obligated to defend Earl Greg.

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

7. If King Will is attacked who defends King Will? Why?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

7. King Will is still only defended by Duke Adam, Duke Bill and Duke Carl. The earls are only obligated to defend their lord, Duke

Adam.

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

8. If King Will wants to invade another kingdom who fights for King Will? Why?

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

King Will’s Realm

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

8. Everyone is obligated to fight for King Will. Duke Adam, Duke Bill and Duke Carl are obligated to fight for the king. Earl Dave,

Earl Eric and Earl Fred are obligated to fight for Duke Adam.

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

9. How many vassals are on this slide?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

9. There are nine vassals – three dukes, five earls and one count.

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

10.How many lords are on this slide?

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm

Here is King Will’s Kingdom

Duke Adam’s Land

Duke Bill’s Land

Duke Carl’s Land

Earl Dave’s Land

Earl Eric’s Land

Earl Fred’s Land

10. There are four lords on this slide – King Will, Duke Adam, Duke Carl and Earl Greg.

Earl Greg’s Land

Earl Hank’s LandCount Jim’s

Land

King Will’s Realm