The causes for the Fall of Feudalism in Medieval Europe :-
Discuss the reasons for the collapse of feudalism in medieval Europe.
Reasons for the Fall of Feudalism in Medieval Europe: -
The causes for the Fall of Feudalism in Medieval Europe :-
From the ninth to the twelfth century AD was the classical age of feudalism. During this period the development of feudalism took place most in Europe. But from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries AD, feudalism in Europe gradually declined. The reasons behind the fall of feudalism in Europe were -
1. Internal Crisis: - Economist Maurice Herbert Dobb is of the opinion that the collapse of feudalism in Europe was due to internal crisis and this internal crisis was due to free exploitation in the feudal system. There was no other way open except the revolt of the peasants and slaves against the intense exploitation and the heavy burden of taxes .
2. Commercialization of Agriculture: - Commercialization of agriculture in Europe has been taking place since the eleventh and twelfth centuries AD. This commercialization was timely due to the unimaginable population growth at that time. Expansion of trade and feudalism - these two issues were characteristically contradictory.
3. Introduction of Currency Based Economy: - The introduction of currency instead of an exchange system in the economy weakens the foundations of feudalism. As the use of money increased, the usability and necessity of the feudal lords decreased.
4. Weakness of administration: - In feudal system administration was established on a weak basis. Although this system works in a simple rural economy, the conventional administration has not been able to adapt to the emergence of new issues such as gradual population growth, market creation, currency circulation, commercialization of agriculture.
5. Expansion of demand for commercial products: - Demand for commercial products in Europe increases with the commercialization of agriculture. But since the old system of agriculture was prevalent in the Manors - the feudal system could not keep pace with this newly created demand. As a result, the whole system collapsed.
6. Unusual tax pressure: - The feudal lords imposed unusual tax burdens on peasants in their own interest. It was not possible for anyone to pay such a huge amount of taxes. The situation of the farmers became more miserable when the practice of paying taxes in cash was introduced.
7. Urbanization: - Europe urbanization started from the twelfth century AD. With the development of urbanization, people's way of life also started changing. Their demand increases. It was not possible for the feudal system to meet this huge demand by its agrarian economy. As a result people became city oriented and started migrating into cities .
8. Competition for agricultural land: - As the population grows in Europe, the pressure on agriculture for food increases. As a result, intense competition was created among the farmers in the fourteenth century over land. The feudal system failed to prevent this newly created crisis.
9. Peasant uprising: - As a result of exploitation against farmers, huge tax burden, etc., the peasant dissatisfaction gradually took an intense shape. Farmers became destitute by paying taxes on three-fourths of the crops produced. In addition, forced labor made the lives of peasants even more miserable. As a result, there was no other way but to revolt against the feudal lords.
10. Traditional production system: - Agricultural production was traditional and conventional in the feudal economic system. The use of any modern machinery or technology was not common in agriculture. As a result, conventional production systems have not been able to meet the huge demand for food created by population growth. Such conservatism in production had no usefulness at that changing time .
11. Antiquity and Conservatism: - Europe has been changing rapidly since the twelfth century AD. But the feudal system clung to the old system and did not carry out any reforms in the way of modernity. Only demand-driven production, moneylessness, a conservative society pushed feudalism to the brink of collapse.
The fall of feudalism did not happen all over Europe at once. Although the fall of feudalism was completed in Western Europe by the fourteenth century, it was still prevalent in Eastern Europe and Russia.
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