Concept in Definition ABC

During the Middle Ages developed in much of Western Europe the socio-economic system known as feudalism. The most basic unit of their composition was therefore the fiefdom: a portion of land from which they organized and established social relationships and of power between two parties in imbalance (the nobles or high sectors of society and the peasants or the working mass).

The fief always consisted of a portion of land that was owned by a noble and that was given to a farmer, laborer or servant to be worked. However, this delivery was not free and therefore whoever had the possibility of accessing the land to work it had to return the favor to its owner through the delivery of a part of his harvest, personal services or assistance as part of the noble's personal army in the event of a conflict warlike. This relationship of dependence between one party and the other is known as vassalage since the individual who came under the dominion of the nobleman was called a vassal.

The space known as fiefdom could be very varied between one case and another, that is, there was no established size, if not that what characterized a fiefdom was the possibility of self-sufficiency. In each portion of land it should be possible to carry out agricultural tasks of different types that would serve for the consumption internalization of its inhabitants, a situation that was especially deepened after the closure of commercial activities that took place during the period medieval. A fiefdom could also be closely related to wild nature such as forests, rivers or streams, sources of coal or firewood, and others. resources that could be used for production and consumption.

Normally, the nobleman who handed over fiefdoms to his vassals always kept a greater or lesser portion of his total lands for personal use. These lands were worked by serfs and all the production that resulted from them was to be delivered to the feudal lord or nobleman.