Feudalism

Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. The classic definition, by François Louis Ganshof (1944), describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations of the warrior nobility and revolved around the key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs.

Extends: Feudalism, [9th-century establishments in Europe](https://wikipedia.org.ai/9th-century establishments in Europe), [1861 disestablishments in Europe](https://wikipedia.org.ai/1861 disestablishments in Europe), [Economic systems](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Economic systems), [Political systems](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Political systems)