What importance did peasants have in a feudal system?

There is an old Hungarian saying, excuse me, ladies: “The lord will not eat if the peasant won't shit.” That pretty much sums it up. The peasant was the stalwart of civilization. The feudal lord was serving him more than the other way around. read more

The peasant was the stalwart of civilization. The feudal lord was serving him more than the other way around. Now it may have been different in some areas and even countries, but eventually a lord who did not respect his peasants lost everything. The French Revolution is the ultimate example. read more

Serfs were not something created by the feudal system. Serfs were the residue, all the people who were not royalty, part of the royal court, small-scale rulers like counts or barons, military, civic officials, church people like priests and nuns and monks, and so on. read more

A simplified version of the Western European feudal system starts with the King at the top, followed by nobles/lords that would own large swaths of land throughout the country. Underneath the nobles/lords were the knights, and below them the peasants. read more