What was the role of knights in the feudal system?

A simplified version of the Western European feudal system starts with the King at the top, followed by nobles/lords that would own large swaths of land throughout the country.  Underneath the nobles/lords were the knights, and below them the peasants.  The feudal system worked through a series of exchanges.  

Kings received loyalty from their nobles, protection from the knights, and food/services from the peasants. They gave land to the lords, which they could rule as manors with employable knights and peasants in the surrounding countrysides.

Lords/nobles received land from the king, loyalty and protection from the knights, and food from the peasants. They gave smaller plots of land to the knights.

Knights received small plots of land inside the lord's realm, and gave loyalty and protection to the lord.

Peasants received protection and shelter. They gave services, including maids' work, the growing of crops, and the care of the animals.

The knights in this system were still considered part of the elite, but were on the lowest end. Knights were usually born into noble families. The land that the nobles gave the knights was usually tended to by the peasants, and in return, knights would protect the manor (or entire realm) when needed.

Knights were the dominant "weapon" of medieval warfare for centuries.  Thus, the role of the knight in the feudal system was mainly to serve as an important weapon for his lord.

The knights were the lowest part of the medieval elite.  They were men who were given land that they could use to support themselves.  In return, they owed their military service to their lords.  The knights needed to be given land because the equipment that they needed to fight as heavy cavalry was very expensive and because they needed to be able to have the time to train to be effective fighters.

Overall, then, knights were the lowest level of feudal elites.  They were given land to support themselves in return for their promise to fight for their lords when needed.

Knights were part of the second estate, the members of the noble class who owned land and were welcome and sometimes required in courts. Since they owned land there was a certain power behind them, and of course, they were the warriors who fought in wars. For a man to become a knight he would have needed to have some wealth already; knights had to acquire their armor, horses, and weapons themselves, and poor-quality armor, weapons, or animals could have easily meant their lives. Medieval times had a fairly cut-and-dry society: the first estate consisted of clergymen like priests, the second estate consisted of the landowners and nobles, and the third estate essentially ensured the first two estates were well cared for. Knights had peasants of the third estate to work on their land. Although this arrangement did leave a certain obligation for the knights to protect and care for the people working on their land, knights are said to have exploited peasants for their labor, rent, agricultural products, and other necessities.

Ultimately, each estate or class had its own very clear and known part to play to keep society in order and functioning like a well-oiled machine. As warriors with noble titles, knights were part of the second estate.

What were the roles of knights in medieval society?

During the Middle Ages, Western Europe came under attack from many outside groups. These attacks came from groups like the Magyars in Eastern Europe, the Vikings in Northern Europe, and Muslims from North Africa. Due to these attacks, people in Western Europe lived in fear and sought safety within their communities. This led to a shift in society from being focused around a strong centralized government to smaller, local government entities. This system became known as feudalism.

In the feudalism system, a king would divide his territory into smaller pieces known as fiefs. Each fief would be granted to a noble who would promise loyalty to the king response for the land. This meant that if a threat came, the nobles would come to the defense of the king. They would be responsible for providing soldiers to build a force for the king to fight off the invaders. Additionally, the nobles would often be responsible for providing the king with taxes.

The nobles who received land from the kings often were knights. Knights were warriors who held a higher military status than the peasants who made up the bulk of the force. Knights were typically heavily armored and well-trained. Due to this, knights commanded a great deal of respect from their enemies on the battlefield.

The role of a knight was an important one in feudalistic societies. In these kingdoms, there was an overall leader—the monarch—to whom individual lords would pledge allegiance. Lower ranking (but still wealthy) individuals would serve the lords, and so on and so forth until you reach the lowest social strata: the peasants, or serfs, who do manual labor in exchange for lodging and provision.

Knights, in this kind of society, would pledge their support to lords, offering to protect and serve their lands and properties in exchange for food, housing, and whatever else they might need. They would serve military or regulatory functions in these individual kingdoms and lordships. If called upon, they would go to battle for their rulers or for the rulers that their lords had sworn allegiance to.

What was the role and importance of knights in medieval Europe?

Knights were the professional soldiers of medieval Europe. For the most part, a knight had to be wealthy enough to afford the training, horse, and equipment that came with their role. They were usually part of the nobility, although they were not necessarily high-ranking members of this social strata. As such, they were often vassals of another lord whom they served in combat when called upon. In this way, knights helped enforce the feudal status quo of the middle ages.

Starting from a young age, a knight in training would serve as a squire to a fully-realized knight. While caring for the knight's horses and equipment, the squire would also train in the ways of combat and study the code of chivalry.

Being a knight involved much more than serving in combat. He was expected to be a loyal vassal of the noble family he served as well as a faithful member of the church. He was also expected to gallantly uphold the chivalric code by protecting the helpless and respecting women. In reality, while many knights lived up to this expectation, many others did not.

During times of peace, knights displayed their martial prowess in tournaments where they competed with one another in jousts and mêlées. These often dangerous mock combat displays were a popular form of entertainment and won many skilled knights fame and renown.