Is it true that a vassal is a servant? We give the exact meaning of the term

In the translation from medieval Latin, the word vassus means "servant". But does this mean that the vassal is the last person in the hierarchy of power? By no means. Medieval feudal law, where this concept was born, does not consider the vassal to be a simple serf-serf, or even a free-grain farmer in the lands of the seignior. It is a knightly nobility, an aristocracy, which itself had in the possession of the land and people. But she was in a vassal dependence on the overlords, her seniors. The myth of a direct hierarchy of power in feudal society is fairly widespread . Let's figure out who, who, and to what extent was subordinate in medieval Europe.

The descent of the vassals

We can say that the feudal system of relations developed in two ways. On the lands of the Roman Empire, with the weakening of the central government, the main administrators-provincial governors-came to the political arena. They ceased to obey the metropolis and proclaimed themselves the main overlords of the lands. In order to manage a vast territory and collect taxes, these lords appointed their people - parantelle (distant relatives) and customers (free soldiers, whom the senor patronized). The land thus passed into hereditary possession. In territories where German law prevailed, the vassalage was formed on the rights of conquest. The seized lands were formally owned by the lord. He gave part of the territory to his soldiers, provided that the latter would carry military service in his army and obey him. Thus, the vassal is a "man of the sword", belonging to the knightly estate.

Homage

Now consider the system of relations that connected the overlord with his subordinates. Since the right of ownership of lands and people was inherited, both the lords and vassals were considered aristocracy. The patron gave not only part of its territory, but also the opportunity to rule the court, including the supreme court. Dependence on the suzerain on the lands of Roman law was more conditional than in the north of Western Europe, where the German customs dominated. But everywhere there was a ritual of making a vassal oath - homage. We have enough written testimonies to get an idea of how this rite passed. The lieutenant was sitting on a high chair, and the vassal stood before him with his head uncovered, kneeling down. He vowed to be faithful, to appear at the first call "horse, people and weapons," to support the senor and even give money for ransom, if he falls into captivity. The lieutenant graciously extended his hands to him, where his vassal put his hands. This ritual action ended with a kiss of peace. In some lands, homage was made every time when the offspring of the vassal entered the knightly estate. But here and there was enough "fua" - the documented homage of the ancestor of the family.

Benefits

If the meaning of the word "vassal" is more or less clear, then its possessions are not so simple. During the homage, the seigneur handed over to his subordinate "for faithful service" certain benefices. It could be not only the land with the people who inhabited it. The benefice also included the right to make haut justice - supreme justice. Sometimes in the feud of the vassal was making a profit. For example, it could be the right to charge for passage through the bridge or for the right to arrange fairs on its grounds. Some vassals even minted their coins! Because of many opportunities to draw income from beneficiaries, they wore different names: feud, flax, fief.

Vertical power

It is a mistake to think that the seigneur gave his subordinate land. He simply transferred it to perpetual use. Thus, the land ownership of the vassal was nominally the property of the suzerain. However, the fief passed from father to son by right of inheritance, and the peasants who inhabited this flax considered themselves subjects of a smaller feudal lord. Do not forget that the hierarchical system in the Middle Ages was very ramified. The king was a nominal ruler, but the dukes, counts and princes also took homage from their vassals - viscounts, marquis and barons. This intricate system of feudal relations led to the fact that some vassals swore allegiance to different suzerainers, and the lower levels of subordination did not submit to the supreme, because they did not bring them homage.

Transition to absolute monarchy

The vassalage as such was born in Western Europe at the beginning of the Middle Ages and was finally established in the kingdom of the Franks in the VIII-IX centuries. Ludovik the pious only by his decree confirmed the hierarchical dependence of the feudal lords. Initially, this system worked well. But later feudal fragmentation led to the fact that the royal authority was weakened. The main suzerain became dependent on his vassals. The royal domain became one of the equal provinces of the country. To strengthen their power, the supreme overlords by wars and the destruction of the castles of recalcitrant aristocrats introduced a practice called "mediated". Beginning with Philip II, the sovereigns of France fought to ensure that the entire aristocracy - from small knights to large landowners - swore allegiance to the king. Otherwise, the possession of the vassal was confiscated and administered by the seneschal, an authorized official, and the unruly noble became a faidite (devoid of possessions).

Countries-vassals

If the state was conquering another country in a military dispute, the defeated territory was not always annexed. The feudal system of relations implies that the vassal is an independent principality or even a kingdom that recognized the supreme authority of a stronger kingdom. Galician ruler Daniel committed in the middle of the XIII century homage in the Golden Horde, and in 1478 the Crimean Khanate became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.