Final answer:
In feudal society, it was the nobility, including the lords and vassals, who played the central role in the system's structure and governance, making them the most influential order in the feudal hierarchy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contribution to Feudal Society
In assessing which order contributed most to feudal society, it is important to consider the various roles each group played within the system. The nobility, comprising lords and vassals, were central to the structure of feudalism. They owned the land and provided protection and governance. The clergy played a vital role in maintaining religious and moral order, exerting influence upon the nobility and commoners alike. The peasants, or serfs, were the backbone of the agrarian economy, tied to the land and providing the labor necessary to sustain the feudal system. Merchants, while gaining influence in cities, were less integral to the maintenance of feudal hierarchy and lands.
The nobility had the most direct impact on the day-to-day functioning and stability of feudal society, as they were responsible for organizing and defending the land, which was the foundational element of the system. The military services provided by the knights and the administration of justice were key functions of the nobility within the feudal hierarchy. Despite the significant economic role of peasants and the rising importance of merchants during periods of growth and trade, it was the nobility, under contractual relationships with their vassals and overlords, that embodied the feudal structure.
Upon considering the roles of all groups, the nobility emerges as the order that contributed most to feudal society, vastly influencing the political, social, and military aspects of the period.