The statement which is correct about serfs from the feudal era and feudal ages was that some serfs could be sold to other vassals – when a wealthy vassal – who was also the lord of a manor – wanted new serfs or wanted to sell his serfs, he could do this and the serfs would be sold. D is the correct answer.
What was the role of serfs in the feudal system?
The feudal system relied on serf labor to survive. Serfs were peasants who were attached to the land and unable to travel freely. They provided labor in return for food, shelter, and protection . A serf could not rise through the ranks to become a lord.
What was significant about serfs?
Without much property of their own, the serfs gave up their freedom of movement and their labour in exchange for the benefits of life on the estate of a landowner. The most important function of serfs was to work on the demesne land of their lord for two or three days each week.
Who were the serfs and what did they do?
Serfs worked in fields, and other agricultural-related works , like forestry, transportation (both land and river-based), work in craft and even in manufacturing. Serfdom came from agricultural slavery of the Roman Empire and spread through Europe around the 10th century.
Who were serfs in feudalism?
A serf is a person who is forced to work on a plot of land , especially during the medieval period when Europe practiced feudalism, when a few lords owned all the land and everyone else had to toil on it.
How did serfs become free?
Neither could the serf marry, change his occupation, or dispose of his property without his lord’s permission. He was bound to his designated plot of land and could be transferred along with that land to a new lord. ... A serf could become a freedman only through manumission, enfranchisement, or escape .
Who did serfs work for?
Serfs who occupied a plot of land were required to work for the lord of the manor who owned that land . In return, they were entitled to protection, justice, and the right to cultivate certain fields within the manor to maintain their own subsistence.
Why was Medieval life so hard for serfs?
The daily life of Medieval serfs was hard. The Medieval Serfs did not receive their land as a free gift ; for the use of it they owed certain duties to their master. ... The daily life of a serf was dictated by the requirements of the lord of the manor. At least half his time was usually demanded by the lord.
How did serfs pay rent?
What three ways did serfs pay rent to their lords? By giving the lords a share of every product they raised , paying for the use of common pasture lands and turning over a part of the can’t from ponds and streams. Name the three great events celebrated by feasts within the Christian faith.
How many hours did serfs work?
One day’s work was considered half a day, and if a serf worked an entire day, this was counted as two “days-works.”[2] Detailed accounts of artisans’ workdays are available. Knoop and jones’ figures for the fourteenth century work out to a yearly average of 9 hours (exclusive of meals and breaktimes)[3].
What taxes did serfs pay?
A serf faced a maximum tax rate of 33 percent , but a slave was owned by another and had no claim to his own labor beyond subsistence. In the 19th century, this meant a tax rate of about 50 percent.
What did the serfs eat?
The main meal eaten by Medieval peasants was a kind of stew called pottage made from the peas, beans and onions that they grew in their gardens. The only sweet food eaten by Medieval peasants was the berries, nuts and honey that they collected from the woods. Peasants did not eat much meat.
When did Europe abolish serfdom?
A decree in 1807 effectively abolished serfdom, freeing the serfs from dependence on their lords and making them proprietors of their holdings.
Did serfs have rights?
Serfs, however, were legally people —though they had far fewer rights than free peasants (poor farmers of low social status). Serfs’ movements were constrained, their property rights were limited, and they owed rents of all sorts to their landlords.
Why is it called feudalism?
The word ‘feudalism’ derives from the medieval Latin terms feudalis, meaning fee, and feodum, meaning fief . The fee signified the land given (the fief) as a payment for regular military service.
Why did serfdom end in Europe?
Serfdom in Western Europe came largely to an end in the 15th and 16th centuries, because of changes in the economy, population, and laws governing lord-tenant relations in Western European nations . ... An important factor in the decline of serfdom was industrial development—especially the Industrial Revolution.
