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What were vassals?

Under a political and economic system called feudalism that was practiced during the Middle Ages (A.D. c. 450–c. 1500), a vassal was anyone who was under the protection of another and therefore owed and gave that person allegiance and payment of some kind for providing safety. Peasants (serfs and village commoners) were always vassals to a lord of a manor (a large self-sufficient estate) or a feudal lord (lord of a fief, a collection of several manors). The lord of the manor was himself a vassal to the feudal lord. As kingdoms were created, with many fiefs within the kingdom, the feudal lords became vassals of kings.

Further Information: Biel, Timothy. The Age of Feudalism. San Diego: Lucent, 1994; "Feudalism." Catholic Encyclopedia. [Online] Available http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/065058c.htm, October 20,...

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