FEUDAL SYSTEM, that constitu tional system which was introduced into Europe by the N. nations after the fall of the Roman power, and which has left important traces of its existence in most European countries. The constitution of feuds had its origin in the military 1.1licy of the Goths, Huns, Vandals, and other N. nations, who overran Europe at the declension of the Roman empire. The term feud is of very doubtful deri vation, but most probably it is formed from the Teutonic fee or felt, wages or pay for service, and odh, or od, property or possession; a feud, then, being the property or possession given as wages for service. In order to secure their newly acquired possessions, and at the same time to reward their deserving fol lowers, the conquering generals were wont to allot large districts, or parcels of land, to the superior officers of the army, and these were by them again dealt out in smaller allotments or parcels, to the inferior officers and soldiers.
According to this system, every re ceiver of land, or feudatory, was bound, when called on, to serve his immediate lord or superior, and to do all in his power to defend him. Such lord or su perior was likewise subordinate to, and under the command of, a higher su perior or lord; and so on upward to the prince or general himself. The several lords were also reciprocally bound in their respective gradations to protect the possessions they had given. Thus the connection between lord and vassal was made to wear all the appearance of a mutual interchange of benefits—of bounty and protection on the one hand, and of gratitude and service on the other. In this way the feudal connec tion was established, and an army was always at command, ready to fight in de fense of the whole or of any part of the newly-acquired territory. Thus the feu dal constitution, or doctrine of tenure, extended itself over all the W. world; and the feudal laws drove out the Roman, which had hitherto universally prevailed.
This system was adopted in most coun tries of Europe from the 9th to the end of the 13th century; but it differed in various particulars in the different coun tries. Though there can be no doubt that feudal principles prevailed to a considerable extent in the polity of the Saxons in England, yet it was only when that country was conquered by the Nor mans that it was regularly established.
A country, under the feudal law, was divided into knights' fees, the tenant of each of which appears to have been obliged to keep the field at his own ex pense for 40 days, whenever his lord chose to call on him. For smaller portions of land, smaller periods of service were due. Every great tenant exercised a jurisdiction, civil and criminal, over his immediate tenants, and held courts, and administered the laws within his lord ship, like a sovereign prince. The exis tence of manor-courts and other small i jurisdictions within the kingdom is one of the features of the feudal system. The land escheated to the lord when the tenant left no heir, and it was forfeited to him when he was found guilty either of a breach of his oath of fealty or of felony. There were also fines payable to the lord on certain occasions, as well as aids, reliefs, etc. The vassal had also to attend the lord's courts, sometimes to witness, and sometimes to take part in, the administration of justice; in battle, he was bound to lend his horse to his lord if dismounted, to keep to his side while fighting, and go into captivity as a hostage for him when taken. It was a breach of faith to divulge his (the lord's) counsel, to conceal from him the machinations of others, to injure his person or fortune, or to violate the sanc tity of his roof.