Feudal society came into existence in the 9th century. There were three main classes under the feudal system – the king, the noble class and the peasant class. In this type of society, there was a strict division of powers based on a hierarchical system. These powers were exercised to protect land ownership.

What is Feudal Society?

Feudal society was a hierarchical system where the powers lay within a few people. The three classes of feudal society were the king, nobles and peasant class.

According to the rules of feudal society, the king had absolute authority. The whole land belonged to the king, and he had the right to distribute the land among the nobles. Priests, princes, and princesses belonged to the category of nobles. The nobles were granted the right to redistribute the land among the peasants, who were workers. The peasant labourers were at the lowest level of this hierarchy. 

Hierarchy of Feudal Society

The feudal society was mainly associated with owning property. The hierarchy was as follows.

1. King: He was the supreme leader and was at the topmost level of the hierarchical system. His authority was absolute.
2. Nobles: These included princes, princesses and priests. This was the second level of the feudal hierarchical system. 
3. Peasants: The peasants were responsible for maintaining the lands and paying the money to the nobles. 
4. Labour workers: They were at the last level of the hierarchy and were responsible for paying money to the peasants.

Features of Feudal Society

1. The most important feature of the feudal society was the division of land among different sections of people. 
2. The king was always at the top and used to guard the lands. 
3. The people working in the lands also joined the military services during wars or in case of emergencies.

Benefits of Feudal Society

1. It divided the work among different sections of people according to the hierarchy. 
2. This feudal society also gave birth to republicanism, which led to the draft of a new constitution in England. 

Disadvantages of Feudal Society

1. There was a rise in fights among people due to which the lords were unable to pay attention to agriculture, trade, art and literature. 
2. The peasants were exploited and deprived of money and proper food, which led to a rise in poverty and starvation.
3. Privileged or upper classes experienced a luxurious life. They exploited the lower class of people, depriving them of their fundamental rights.

Downfall of Feudal Society

1. Under the feudal society, the common people were treated as slaves and made to work without wages and food. The kings and nobles lived in luxury. This became the major drawback of feudal society in Europe. 
2. During the 12th and 13th centuries, there were Holy wars across the countries, which weakened the noble powers. This war exploited the resources, and the peasants started gaining power.

Conclusion

A feudal form of society existed in Europe during earlier times. It followed a hierarchical system that consisted of kings, nobles, peasants and the peasants’ labourers. The stark difference in the living conditions of these classes gave rise to extreme dissatisfaction among the peasant and labour classes. This often led to revolts and the uprising of the lower strata of the feudal system.