5.2. Early Middle Ages (V - X centuries)

Becoming a feudal relationship. In the early Middle Ages, the beginning of the formation of the medieval society - the territory where the formation of Western European civilization is expanding significantly : if Ancient Greece and Rome were the basis of ancient civilization, then medieval civilization already covers almost the whole of Europe.

The most important process in the early Middle Ages in the socio-economic sphere was the formation of feudal relations, the core of which was the formation of feudal land ownership. This happened in two ways. The first way is through the peasant community. The allotment of land, which was owned by the peasant family, was inherited from father to son (and from the 6th century to the daughter) and was their property. Thus, the allod was gradually formed - the freely alienable land ownership of the peasants-communal peasants. Allodies accelerated property stratification among free peasants: the lands began to be concentrated in the hands of the communal elite, which was already acting as part of the feudal class. Thus, it was the way of formation of patrimonial-allodial form of feudal ownership of land, especially characteristic of Germanic tribes.

The second way of the formation of feudal land ownership and, consequently, of the entire feudal system, is the practice of land grants by the king or other large landowners-feudal lords to their confidants. At first, a plot of land (benefit) was given to a vassal only under the condition of service and for the duration of his service, and the seigneur retained supreme rights to benefitment. Gradually, the rights of vassals to the lands granted to them expanded, since the sons of many vassals continued to serve the seignor of their father. In addition, purely psychological reasons were also important: the nature of the relationship between the seigneur and the vassal. As contemporaries testify, vassals, as a rule, were loyal and devoted to their master.

Loyalty was valued dearly, and benefices increasingly became the almost complete property of vassals, passing from father to son. The land that was inherited was called flax, or feud, the owner of a feud was a feudal lord , and the whole system of these socio-economic relations was feudalism.

Benefice becomes a feud to the IXXI centuries. This path of the formation of feudal relations is clearly seen in the example of the Frankish state, which took shape already in the 6th century.

Classes of early feudal society . In the Middle Ages, also formed two main classes of feudal society: the feudal lords, the spiritual and secular - the owners of the land and the peasants - the holders of the land. Among the peasants were two groups, differing in their economic and social status. Personally free peasants could at their desire leave the master, abandon their land holdings: rent them out or sell them to another peasant. With freedom of movement, they often moved to cities or new places. They paid fixed in-kind and cash taxes and performed certain work on the farm of their lord. The other group is the dependent peasants. Their duties were wider, moreover, (and this is the most important difference) they were not fixed, so that the personally dependent peasants were subject to arbitrary taxation. They also carried a number of specific taxes: the posthumous — upon entry into the inheritance, the marriage tax — the ransom of the rights of the first night, etc. These peasants did not enjoy freedom of movement. By the end of the first period of the Middle Ages, all peasants (both personally dependent and personally free) had a master, feudal rights did not recognize just free people who were independent of anyone, trying to build social relations on the principle: “There is no man without a lord”.

The state of the economy. In the period of the formation of medieval society, the pace of development was slow. Although a three-field instead of a two-field was already well established in agriculture, the yield was low: on average, it was 3. It was kept mostly small cattle — goats, sheep, pigs, and there were few horses and cows. The level of agricultural specialization was low. In each estate there were practically all vital branches from the point of view of Western Europeans: field husbandry, cattle breeding, various crafts. The farm was natural, and agricultural products were not specially produced on the market; the craft also existed in the form of work to order. The domestic market, therefore, was very limited.

Ethnic processes and feudal fragmentation. AT this period is the resettlement of Germanic tribes in the territory of Western Europe: the cultural, economic, religious, and subsequently the political community of Western Europe will be based largely on the ethnic community of Western European peoples. Thus, as a result of the successful conquests of the leader of the Franks Charlemagne in 800, an extensive empire was created - the Frankish state. However, large territorial units then were not stable and soon after the death of Charles, his empire collapsed.

K X-XI centuries. in Western Europe feudal fragmentation is being established. The real power of the kings kept only within their possessions. Formally, the vassals of the king were obliged to perform military service, pay him a monetary contribution upon accession to the inheritance, and also obey the decisions of the king as the supreme arbiter in the inter-feudal disputes. In fact, the implementation of all these obligations in the IX-X centuries. almost entirely dependent on the will of the powerful feudal lords. Strengthening their power and led to feudal strife.

Christianity. In spite of the fact that in Europe the process of creating national states begins, their borders constantly changed; the states merged into larger state unions or split into smaller ones. This political mobility also contributed to the formation of a pan-European civilization.

The most important factor in the creation of a united Europe was Christianity, which gradually spread in all European countries, becoming the state religion.

Christianity determined the cultural life of early medieval Europe, influencing the system, nature and quality of education and upbringing. The quality of education affected the level of economic development. During this period, the level of economic development was highest in Italy. Here earlier than in other countries, the medieval cities - Venice, Genoa, Florence, Milan - are developing as centers of handicrafts and trade, and not strongholds of the nobility. Here foreign trade relations grow faster, internal trade develops, regular fairs appear. The volume of credit operations is increasing. A significant level is reached by handicrafts, in particular, weaving and jewelry, as well as construction. Still, as in the period of antiquity, the citizens of Italian cities were politically active, and this also contributed to their rapid economic and cultural progress. In other countries of Western Europe, the influence of ancient civilization also affected, but to a lesser extent than in Italy.