Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is 'c. Fealty, Knights, Protection'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The feudal system was a hierarchical structure established during the Middle Ages. It was based on the exchange of land for military and other services. At the top of this hierarchy was the king, followed by nobles or lords, who were granted large pieces of land. In return for land, known as fiefs, the nobles provided military service and loyalty to the king - a pledge known as fealty.
Below the nobles were the knights, who were also vassals to the lords, offering their military prowess in wars and maintaining order. The lowest tier was occupied by the peasants, also referred to as serfs when they were bound to the land, who worked the land and, in exchange for protection, provided agricultural produce and other services to the lord of the manor.
The correct answer to the fill-in-the-blanks presented in the question is: Feudalism was a class structure based on the characteristics of loyalty and fealty, in the hierarchy of feudalism the king and nobles had the most power they were followed by knights who fought in wars through the king at the bottom of the hierarchy were peasants who paid taxes in exchange for protection. Hence, the answer is 'c. Fealty, Knights, Protection'.