Serfdom
Definition
This was a status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted in some countries until the mid-19th century.
Analogy
Imagine being stuck on a team for a group project and you can't leave or choose your own role - you just have to do what the team leader (the lord) tells you. That's kind of like serfdom.
Related terms
Feudalism: The dominant social system in medieval Europe, where nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, while peasants were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and share of produce.
Manorialism: An essential element of feudal society, it was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire.
Emancipation Reform of 1861: A reform issued by Tsar Alexander II that abolished serfdom throughout Russia.
"Serfdom" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (2)
- In what significant way did Russia's serfdom in the early modern period mirror American slavery?
- How did the Orthodox Christianity influence policies of serfdom during Russia's Romanov Dynasty?
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