Feudalism in military history
Feudalism in military history refers to a decentralized system of governance that emerged in Medieval Europe and Japan, primarily from the ninth to the late nineteenth century. In Europe, it began in the region between the Loire and Rhine Rivers during the tenth and eleventh centuries, filling the power vacuum left by the collapse of Carolingian rule. This system revolved around a hierarchy of loyalties, where lords granted land or monetary rewards, known as fiefs, to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. While European feudalism started to decline in favor of centralized governance by the end of the thirteenth century, elements persisted into the eighteenth century.
In Japan, a similar feudal structure arose due to a weakened imperial government, resulting in the rise of the samurai class. These warriors pledged allegiance to their lords, or daimyo, who provided them with land and rewards for their service. Although Japanese feudalism was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, it remained significant until the restoration of imperial authority in 1867. Both systems highlighted the importance of land ownership and military obligations, shaping the political and social landscapes of their respective societies.
Subject Terms
Feudalism in military history
A system of “privatized” government that is most often associated with Medieval Europe and Japan from the ninth to late nineteenth century. In its European incarnation, feudalism originated in the region between the Loire and Rhine Rivers during the tenth and eleventh century and later spread to England, France, Spain, western Germany, and sections of Italy. Based upon an interlocking hierarchy of loyalties, feudalism filled the vast void left by the collapse of Carolingian rule in the ninth century. Its basis was the fief: a parcel of land or a cash payment that a lord (for example, a duke or king) granted to a vassal (such as a baron or knight) in exchange for allegiance and military service. Although European feudalism was gradually giving way to increasingly centralized governance by the end of the thirteenth century, elements of it survived into the eighteenth century.
Like its European counterpart, Japanese feudalism developed from a power vacuum. The imperial government greatly declined in the ninth century, leaving power in the hands of a class of warriors called samurai. Like European vassals, samurai owed allegiance only to their lord or daimyo, who provided his samurai with land and other rewards for service. Although the samurai were united under the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, they continued as the fount of governmental power. Japanese feudalism endured until the renewal of imperial power in 1867.