Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste.

Feudalism was a social and political system. It existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, between the 9th and 15th centuries. Under feudalism, the king owned all of the land in his kingdom. However, the king would give gifts of land (called fiefs) to the lords or nobles and they would enter into an agreement with a vassal. Vassals would allow peasants called serfs to live on parts of their land. Vassals would also protect serfs from violence. In return, a serf had to pay taxes and work without pay in the vassal’s fields.