Decline of Feudalism
- Growth of Trade: Feudalism depended greatly on manorialism and self sufficiency. And the idea of trade caused society to rely less on themselves (and their lords), and instead they traded with foreigners to get what they needed. Damaging the Lord-vassal-Peasant relationship.
- Hundred Year War: The hundred year war brought Feudalism's worst enemy into play... nationalism. The idea of being more patriotic to you country and your king, than to any old local lords. This united countries, and destroyed the authority of the Lords. We can thank Joan of Arc for that one.
-Bubonic Plague: The Bubonic Plague wiped out thousands. Many of those deaths included the lords and knights that lived on the Kings land. Why is this so bad for feudalism? Well not only is the entire upper class gone, but all the land goes back to the king, giving him massive amounts of power.
-Centralized power of the King and the Church: When all the power resides with one individual being, its usually considered a Monarchy, or Communist, not Feudalism. And After all the previous listed events, most the Power went to either the King or the Church which blatantly Changed Feudalism permanently. After all, it only works when everyone depends on everyone.
- Growth of Trade: Feudalism depended greatly on manorialism and self sufficiency. And the idea of trade caused society to rely less on themselves (and their lords), and instead they traded with foreigners to get what they needed. Damaging the Lord-vassal-Peasant relationship.
- Hundred Year War: The hundred year war brought Feudalism's worst enemy into play... nationalism. The idea of being more patriotic to you country and your king, than to any old local lords. This united countries, and destroyed the authority of the Lords. We can thank Joan of Arc for that one.
-Bubonic Plague: The Bubonic Plague wiped out thousands. Many of those deaths included the lords and knights that lived on the Kings land. Why is this so bad for feudalism? Well not only is the entire upper class gone, but all the land goes back to the king, giving him massive amounts of power.
-Centralized power of the King and the Church: When all the power resides with one individual being, its usually considered a Monarchy, or Communist, not Feudalism. And After all the previous listed events, most the Power went to either the King or the Church which blatantly Changed Feudalism permanently. After all, it only works when everyone depends on everyone.
The Barter Economy
The Barter Economy has long been one of the most prominent trade systems in our History. Though not quite relevant now, it unquestionable was in the middle ages.
At the Time, we can thank the peace and stability brought by the Lords, which boosted the Barter Economy. With continuous peace, comes continuous growth. Basically meaning, less fighting means more working, and more working means a surplus. You can then Barter that surplus with other areas for resources you need. There are also some problems that occur... Finding the Right Person: It can be difficult to identify someone who is willing to trade for what you have. It takes proficient communication to get past this. Some Items Cannot be Divided: Some of the Valuable items cannot be broken apart to buy a small amount of something, unlike currency. The only way to make a fair trade with a valuable, is to buy bulk. Determining Value: It can be difficult to determine the true value of the item, leading to scams and mistakes. Also causing fights or disputes between traders. No Capital Gain: There, unlike currency, is no investments and profits from this system. You can not gain more money from a good deal, just more of a resource that will inevitably be consumed. |