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What was feudalism?

A system where the government told people what crops to grow.
A system where peasants sold their goods at local markets.
A system where peasants worked land owned by landowners.
A system where the government distributed food according to egalitarian principles.

User Csath
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Final answer:

Feudalism was a hierarchical system where serfs worked the land in return for protection and housing from their lords. This system was the foundation of medieval Europe's agrarian society and eventually gave way to capitalism and the industrial society.

Step-by-step explanation:

Feudalism was a socially stratified system that dominated medieval Europe, which can be described as a way in which peasants worked land owned by landowners. The system was predicated on mutual obligations; serfs or peasants farmed the land and, in exchange, were afforded protection and a place to live by their lords. Key to this system were the fiefs, lands granted by lords to vassals, who would owe military service and loyalty (the pledge of fealty) to the lords.

Church lands also played a role, with bishops acting as lords over their domains. As society moved into the Industrial Era, feudal bonds began to weaken, paving the way for the rise of capitalism and transforming into an industrial society.

User Hnroot
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