The Manorial System – NCERT Class Notes

The manorial system was a major type of agricultural land management system. It was a primary social, economic, and political structure that was a common thing in medieval Europe. It was also known as the seignorial system. The manor system consisted of three types of land demesne, dependent, and free peasant land. Manorial structures were really common throughout medieval Western and Eastern Europe like in Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Baltic nations, Holland, Prussia, England, France, and the Germanic kingdoms. In this article, we are going to discuss The Manorial System in detail.

Definition Of The Manorial System

Manorialism was an agricultural, political, economic, and social system in medieval Europe. By this system, the peasants were dependent on their land and their lord under a certain condition. It also involved a manor house on a self-sufficient estate. These estates were run by the workers like peasants, serfs, and free laborers.

Different Land Classes Under The Manorial System

The Manorial System was divided into three different types of land classes. It was known as The Three-Field System. These were the main income sources of the landlords. The lord made extra money by charging people for using their mill, bakery, or wine-press. He was also charged with hunting or letting pigs feed in his forest. He earned money from court fees and when tenants changed. Here are the three different types of land classes in the Manorial System as mentioned below.

Manorial Land Type	Description
Land for Lord’s Use	Land directly controlled by the lord, used for his household and those who depend on him.
Peasant’s Holdings	Land held by peasants (like serfs or villeins) who have to work for the lord or give part of their crops to him.
Free Peasant Land	Land held by peasants who don’t have to work for the lord but still follow his rules and pay a fixed rent agreed upon during the lease.

Structure Of The Manorial System

The Manorial System was divided into four different parts including mill, minor house, church and village. Let us discuss in detail as mentioned below.

Component Of The Manorial System	Description
Mill	A place where grains are ground into flour, usually using water power from a stream or river. The power comes from a big spinning wheel in the water.
Manor House	A big house where the lord and his family lived. Sometimes it was even bigger than a castle, showing the lord’s power and providing safety from dangers.
Church	A important place for religious activities where both serfs and the lord’s family went to pray. It collected a tax called tithes, which was 10% of people’s income.
Village	A settlement near the manor where most people, including serfs, lived. Serfs worked at the manor during the day and had small houses in the village.

Important Terms Of The Manorial System

Here are some important terms of the manorial system as mentioned below.

Term	Description
Demesne	Land that belonged to the lord of a manor for his own use. It was not always right next to the manor house, but the lord managed it himself.
Serfs	Peasants during feudal times who were bound to work on the lord’s land. This system became common in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Villein	A type of serf in the Middle Ages who had more rights than others but still had restrictions on their freedom, unlike freemen.
Freemen	People who were not serfs in the feudal system. They had more freedom than serfs and were not tied to the land, so they could move and work for themselves.

Serfdom Of The Manorial System

Serfdom was the condition of peasants under feudalism, especially related to manorialism, which developed mainly during the Middle Ages in Europe.

• Serfs lived on the lord’s land and had to work for him.
• They got protection and could use some fields for themselves.
• They did not only work on fields but also in mines, forests, and on roads for the lord.
• The manor was crucial in feudal society, connecting the lord and serfs in legal, economic, and social ways.
• Serfs were at the bottom of the feudal system, with little chance to move up or have personal freedom.
• Some serfs managed to save money and buy their freedom, even though they did not own much.
• They could grow crops on their land and sell extra, but often had to pay taxes in wheat.
• The lord could not kick them out for no reason and had to protect and help them, as decided in the manorial court.

Villeins Of The Manorial System

Villeins are the most common type of serf in the Middle Ages. They had more rights and a higher standing than the lowest serfs but faced legal restrictions that set them apart from freemen.

• Villeins usually rented small homes and sometimes they rent it with land.
• They had to work on the lord’s fields as part of their agreement with the landlords during specific times like harvest.
• Villeins spent most of their time farming their own land for their own benefit.
• Villeins had to provide services besides paying rent, were tied to the land, and could not leave without the lord’s permission.
• Villeinage ensured access to land and protection. This process made it better than being homeless, enslaved, or landless.

FAQs – The Manorial System 11 Notes

What is manorial system class 11?

The manorial system involved a manor house on a self-sufficient estate worked by peasants, serfs, and free laborers. The estate may have included additional things such as a church, peasant living quarters, woodlands, pastures, and subdivided fields farmed in alternating years.

What was manor Class 11?

The vast areas of land held by the lords were called manors. Every lord had his own manor. A manor was not just a piece of land, it had fields, meadows, mills, places of worship, huts of farmers and a manor house.

What is the role of the manorial system?

The Manor System refers to a system of agricultural estates during the Middle Ages that were owned by a lord and run by serfs or peasants. The lords provided safety and protection from outside threats and the serfs or peasants provided labor to run the manor.

Where is the manorial system?

The manor system was made up of three types of land: demesne, dependent, and free peasant land. Manorial structures could be found throughout medieval Western and Eastern Europe: in Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Baltic nations, Holland, Prussia, England, France, and the Germanic kingdoms.

What was a manorial system made up of?

Medieval European Manorialism (Manorial System) was the system where rural society was arranged around a manor house or castle on an estate. The smallest units of these estates were called manors.

What is the feudal system and manorial system?

The feudal system was a political and social system. A related system governed medieval economics. This system was called the manorial system because it was built around large estates called manors.

Who used the manorial system?

Manorialism, also known as seigneurialism, the manor system or manorial system, was the method of land ownership (or “tenure”) in parts of Europe, notably France and later England, during the Middle Ages.

What Is Manorialism?

The demesne land was used by the lord and his tenants for common purposes; roads, for instance, or communal fields would be demesne land. Dependent lands were worked by tenants, known as serfs or villeins, in a subsistence farming system specifically for the economic benefit of the lord.

What were the three social classes of the manorial system?

Medieval writers classified people into three groups: those who fought (nobles and knights), those who prayed (men and women of the Church), and those who worked (the peasants). Social class was usually inherited.

What made the manorial system self-sufficient?

Manors in the Middle Ages were largely self-sufficient out of necessity. With little travel, and most feudal land not being near a significant town that could supply workers (which would have to be paid), manors were dependent on what they themselves could produce.