Final answer:
The main features of feudalism included a decentralized political structure, hierarchical social classes, and an agricultural economy, with local lords holding power and land worked by serfs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Main Features of Feudalism
The feudal system was a characteristic social and political structure of medieval Europe. It was defined by several key features:
- Decentralized political structure: Feudalism was based on a decentralized form of government where local lords held more power than the king in their own areas.
- Hierarchical social classes: Society was structured in a strict hierarchy with kings at the top followed by nobles, knights, and peasants at the bottom.
- Agricultural economy: The economy was predominantly agricultural, with serfs and peasants working the lands under the control of their local lords.
Each of these elements contributed to the overall operation of feudal society. Under this system, protection and loyalty were key, with the serfs working the land to provide for themselves and their lords, and vassals pledging military service to their lords in exchange for pieces of land, or fiefs. Feudalism was also marked by a lack of a centralized government and, instead, relied on a network of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, often secured by formal ceremonies of homage and fealty. Over time, economic and military changes led to the decay of the feudal structure and the rise of more centralized forms of government.