Listen&Learn: Feudalism

A political system from the Middle Ages.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• decentralize: to distribute power and responsibilities to several people
• monarch: a leader who has inherited their power
• lord: a person who has power over a certain area
• taxes: payments that a person must make to their government
• hierarchical: organized into different classes based on wealth or status
• peasant: a poor farmer or labourer

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Feudalism was a type of system that was common in Europe during the Middle Ages. The system evolved after the governments in many European began to decentralize. This meant that monarchs gave more power and responsibilities to local lords. Under feudalism, people worked for their lords, and their lords paid them with . People living in feudal systems also had to pay taxes. They owed their lords a percentage of the crops they grew on their land. This system was naturally hierarchical. The monarch, who controlled all of the land, had the most and power. The peasants, who worked on the land, had the least. Feudalism began to decline around the 15th century, when it became more common to buy land and goods with .

Comprehension questions

Discussion/essay questions

1. What are the biggest flaws of a feudal system?

Transcript

Feudalism was a type of political system that was common in Europe during the Middle Ages. The system evolved after the governments in many European countries began to decentralize. This meant that monarchs gave more power and responsibilities to local lords. Under feudalism, people worked for their lords, and their lords paid them with land. People living in feudal systems also had to pay taxes. They owed their lords a percentage of the crops they grew on their land. This system was naturally hierarchical. The monarch, who controlled all of the land, had the most wealth and power. The peasants, who worked on the land, had the least. Feudalism began to decline around the 15th century, when it became more common to buy land and goods with money.