The Three Orders Class 11 History Notes

During the 9th to 16th centuries, after the Roman Empire declined, Europe faced challenges like political disunity and conflict. German tribes often fought each other for control of land. To restore peace and organize society, Europeans created the Three Orders system. Over time, adjustments were made to better meet the needs of society.

The book “Feudal Society and the Idea” by Marc Bloch provides further insight into European society during this period. In this article, you will find all the important notes related to the Class 11 Chapter, “The Three Orders”, specially curated by a team of experts at GeeksforGeeks.

The Three Orders Class 11 History Notes

The Three Orders: Feudalism

In the Middle Ages, a system called feudalism became important in Europe. The term “feudalism” comes from the German word “feud,” which means land.

Under feudalism, poorer people worked for nobles, who protected them and let them use land in exchange for their labor. The nobles also handled legal matters for the farmers.

So, the nobles not only owned the land but also controlled the lives and fortunes of the peasants, making decisions about their social and economic conditions. Although feudalism existed in the Roman era, it became widely practised in European society during the time of French King Charlemagne (742-814 AD).

The Three Orders

According to French Priests, people were classified based on their occupation. Hence the Three Orders of the Society were the clergy, nobility, and peasantry.

The Three Orders: Snippets From the Chapter

Due to socio-economic and political changes, Western Europe society was divided into three orders between the ninth and sixteenth centuries. After the fall of the Roman Empire, many groups of Germanic People occupied the regions of Italy, Spain and France.

The three orders are three social categories: Christian priests, landowning nobles and peasants.The term ‘feudalism’ has been used by historians to describe the economic, legal, political and social relationships that existed in Europe in the medieval era.

Order	Members	Characteristics
First Order	Priests	– Members: The Clergy – Affiliation: The Catholic Church – Influence: Europe guided by bishops and clerics – Location: Pope lived in Rome – Gender Roles: Women could not become priests – Additional Members: Monks – played roles in both church and society
Second Order	Nobles	– Members: Vassals of the king – Status: Enjoyed a privileged status – Property Control: Absolute control over property – Military Power: Could raise troops – Monetary Authority: Could even coin his own money
Third Order	Peasants	– Members: Free peasants and serfs – Occupation: Serfs cultivated plots of land – Property Ownership: Plots belonged to the lord

The First Order: The Clergy

This part talks about the church and its influence during medieval times:

The church included figures like popes, bishops, and priests, with the Pope being the highest authority based in Rome. Women, people with disabilities, and serfs couldn’t become priests. But the church held a lot of power for several reasons:

• It wasn’t controlled by rulers.
• The church owned vast amounts of land, managed by bishops.
• It collected money through ‘tithe,’ a 10% share of people’s production, and also received donations from the wealthy.
• The church organized Sunday prayers and sermons for congregations.
• It introduced new customs like kneeling, folding hands in prayer, bowing to God, and using the term ‘Lord’ for worship.

Monks and nuns lived in monasteries, following strict rules:

• They lived separate from family and friends, focusing on religious thoughts.
• They couldn’t marry and did farming and manual work.
• After the 13th century, some were allowed to spread religious ideas and were known as “Friars.”
• Famous monasteries like St. Benedict in Italy and Cluny in Burgundy played significant roles.
• By the 9th and 10th centuries, monasteries became centers for learning, art, and hospitals.

During the Renaissance, monks and nuns visited cities, but their lives became less austere. They were drawn to worldly pleasures, which led to corruption within the church. This made people doubt the clergy and the Catholic Church, laying the groundwork for Protestant Christianity in the future.

The Second Order: The Nobility

The noble class ranked below the royals but had special privileges, following the tradition of “vassalage” to own lands.

Vassalage System:

• Nobles acknowledged royals as their lords, with mutual loyalty and protection.
• They were called “vassals” and had written documents for their lands.
• Nobles had judicial powers, could issue coins, and controlled farmlands and manors.
• Peasants worked on these lands and served as soldiers during wars.

Nobles held aristocratic status, controlling politics, society, regions, and culture until the start of World War I in 1914. They had a duty to protect the weak and poor but gradually became more interested in luxurious lifestyles, organizing tournaments and events during peacetime.

As conflicts were common, untrained peasants couldn’t defend themselves. Hence, a special group called “Knights” emerged:

• Knights were trained in warfare and pledged to fight for their lords.
• In return, lords granted them hereditary land called “fief” along with other benefits.

The Third Order: Peasants, Free and Unfree

The social order in medieval times typically included two groups of farmers and peasants:

1. Free Peasants: They owned land but worked as tenants, paying taxes to the royals. They also had to serve in the military for at least forty days. Their work included tasks like farming, winemaking, construction, etc.
2. Unfree Peasants or Serfs: They worked on their owner’s land, giving all produced goods to the owner. Serfs couldn’t leave without permission and worked without pay. Their social lives, including marriage, were controlled by the nobility, and they had to pay money to the royals.

As the Roman Empire declined, the distinction between serfs and slaves blurred. Serfs were essentially bonded laborers, subject to their masters’ commands. However, as the economy developed, trade between countries became profitable. Many serfs freed themselves and started farming their own lands. Bonded labor was replaced by taxes, both direct and indirect, that the serfs had to pay.

Medieval society was structured around these two groups of peasants, with varying degrees of freedom and obligations to their lords and the crown.

The Crisis of the Fourteenth Century

In Europe, economic growth slowed down due to three main reasons:

1. In Northern Europe, by the late thirteenth century, the warm summers of the previous 300 years were replaced by bitterly cold ones. This led to a shorter growing season for crops, reducing agricultural productivity.
2. Trade was affected by a severe shortage of metal currency. This shortage resulted from decreased output from silver mines in Austria and Serbia. To cope with this, governments reduced the silver content of currency and mixed it with cheaper metals.
3. Ships carrying goods from distant lands brought with them rats infected with the deadly bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death. This pandemic wreaked havoc on European populations, causing widespread death and economic disruption.

The Three Order: Political Changes

1. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, European kings worked to strengthen their military and financial control. New monarchs like Louis XI in France, Maximilian in Austria, Henry VII in England, and Isabelle and Ferdinand in Spain were absolute rulers who began organizing permanent armies.
2. During the sixteenth century, feudalism and lordship declined, paving the way for the emergence of nation-states in Europe.
3. Revolutionary movements occurred in France, Germany, and Russia in 1789, 1848, and 1917 respectively. These revolutions inspired people worldwide and left a lasting legacy of ideals such as liberty and equality, reshaping societies in profound ways.

Rise of the Fourth Order’ – New Towns and Townspeople

• Agricultural expansion in medieval times led to growth in three interconnected areas: population, trade, and towns.
• After the fall of the Roman Empire, many towns were abandoned and left in ruins. However, starting from the eleventh century, as agriculture improved and could support larger populations, towns began to revive.
• Towns became attractive because they offered opportunities for paid work and freedom from the control of lords, especially for young people from peasant backgrounds.
• Some larger towns had populations of around 30,000 people, and they could be considered as a sort of “fourth” social order, alongside the traditional three orders of clergy, nobility, and peasants.

The Three Order: Brief & Short Notes

• Western European society from the 9th to 16th centuries had three main groups:
  • The Clergy
  • The Nobility
  • The Peasantry
• The Clergy were important and didn’t have to pay taxes.
• Nobility had high positions and didn’t pay some taxes.
• Peasants had to work hard and pay lots of taxes.
• Feudalism was a big deal in this society.
• Peasants were divided into Free Peasants and Serfs.
• Free Peasants paid fixed rent to lords.
• Serfs faced lots of restrictions and hard work.
• Feudalism started in France and spread.
• The Church was powerful, with the Pope on top.
• Famous towns included Venice, Paris, London, etc.
• Monastery comes from Greek meaning “living alone.”
• Money solved problems of barter.
• St. Benedict Monastery started in 529 CE in Italy.
• Feudalism ended in the 16th century, leading to nation-states.
• Revolutions in France, Germany, and Russia inspired others.

The Three Orders: Key Words

Feudalism: Poorer people worked for nobles, who protected them and let them use land in exchange for their labour.
Doon de Mayence: A thirteenth century French poem to be sung recounting the adventures of Knights.
Monastery: The word ‘monastery’ is derived from the Greek word ‘monos’, meaning someone who lives alone.
The Black Death: Ships with rats carrying the deadly bubonic plague infection in Western Europe between 1347 and 1350.
Fourth Order: The bigger towns had populations of about 30,000. They could be said to have formed a ‘fourth order’.
Tithe: A kind of tax collected by the church from the peasants in France. It was l/10th of the total produce.
Manor: Dwelling area of the landlord.
Fief: The land given by the lord to the knight.
Pope: The supreme authority of the church
Friars: A group of monks who moved from place to place, preaching to the people and living on charity.

Conclusion

The history of Medieval Europe and the ancient Roman Empire saw significant changes in society. Internal conflicts in medieval Europe disrupted social harmony and peace, causing economic decline. To address these challenges, the Three Orders system was established to bring order and balance to society. However, whether these changes were beneficial remains debatable. This system elevated the Church to a position of immense power, with clergy using religious influence to control and dominate people. Nobles or landlords were granted authority over common people, including judicial powers and the ability to mint coins. This gave them significant influence over the economy.

FAQs on The Three Orders

What are the three orders of history class 11 notes?

The three orders are three social categories: Christian priests, landowning nobles and peasants. The term ‘feudalism’ has been used by historians to describe the economic, legal, political and social relationships that existed in Europe in the medieval era. – Europe guided by bishops and clerics.

What are the three orders of France and England class 11?

French priests believed in the concept that people were members of one of the three ‘orders’, depending on their work. A bishop stated, ‘Here below, some pray, others fight, still others work…’ Thus, the three orders of society were broadly the clergy, the nobility and the peasantry.

What is the idea of three orders?

According to French Priests, people were classified based on their occupation. Hence the Three Orders of the Society were the clergy, nobility, and peasantry.

What is feudalism class 11?

Feudalism was a system in which people were given land and protection by people of higher rank, and worked and fought for them in return. The basic idea of feudalism was that it was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in return for services.

Who were known as serfs?

Medieval Serfs (aka villeins) were unfree labourers who worked the land of a landowner (or tenant) in return for physical and legal protection and the right to work a separate piece of land for their own basic needs.