Scarica The Feudal System and Magna Carta: A Historical Overview of the Middle Ages in England e più Dispense in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! The Middle Age The Middle Age is a period that goes from Age of Chaucer (Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet of the Middle Ages) to the Renaissance (1066-1466) 14th October 1066⇒ the duke of Normandy, William, arrived in England, a acked and defeated the Anglosaxon, becoming the King of England. 25th december 1066⇒William entered London, and was crowned in Westminster. William introduced the feudal system, with a precise hierarchy: - Lord/king→ grants lands to the barons; - Baron→ depends on king and (who) are forced to ba le for the king with his knights; - Knight→ receives lands from the Barons but forced to fight for them 40 days/year; - Peasants→ serfs bound to the soil and to the lord The feudal system allows the passing of feudal possession from father to son. The ones who administrate the hierarchy are the sheriffs. The barons group together in the Royal Consilium (Curia) New stronger military system, and new language and traditions (French) - William the Conqueror made a survey to understand which lands were under his control (unique for those times)→ Domesday book - Nominated Norman prelates and bishops and abbots→ the religion was latinized, priests were obliged not to marry→ from here stopped the fight between king and Church. Before William, there was the bishops’ court of justice separate from that of the laity: BISHOPS COURT OF JUSTICE→ deal only with spiritual affairs, and also covered marriage, wills, and thefts which, if they were commi ed by church people they were judged by this court. THIS COURT= rival for the king’s court The king wanted to have spiritual and temporal power. After William 1 death, William 2 and Henry 1(his sons) reigned, Henry’s daughter Matilda didn't became queen, Stephen became(cousin of matilda) king, after his death Matilda’s son became king→ Henry II With Henry II the situation between the king and the church began worst → king in 1149 and died in 1189: with the previous king the monarchy became weaker but with him, it became stronger. changed the feudal system: -he needed knights that could serve him for more than 40 days -knights had to pay taxes instead of giving service themselves(they didn't want to fight) → the king could pay for some more military→ became richer, more a ached to their land and later became country gentlemen. -New and stronger Justice System: → at that time it was in favour of the church and not of the king clerks who commi ed common crimes were judged correctly before judged by the bishops “” but they always escaped the law Clarendon clerks→ king authority who choose the bishops, clerks judged by king court and church court, if both of them judged him guilty, he was. → Thomas Becket (1118-70) a dear friend and counselor did not agree about this constitution→ he was exiled and at his return, 7 years later he was killed. he became a saint, the constitution was abolished and the king's court became weak -New Legal System: he sent throughout England his judges who spread the common law of the land It was free and independent because it was made up of decisions taken by the royal court in preceding trials. he introduced the trial by jury which existed in ancient times: members of the jury had no power of decision, they were -representative of the facts, decisions were taken by the judge -judgment derives not only from the judge but also from the evidence of the witnesses. 1189 Henry II died—> new king Richard I Lionheart he left the country for 3 crusades,(England began commercial acts with civilized countries in the east) and while he was away he gave the reign to his brother John Lackland, who was cruel and selfish, he oppressed people with high taxes and kept the money for himself Richard died and John became king freeman and barons understood that law could be more powerful than the king —> nobility, bishops and freeman did not pay john’s taxes—> king obliged to sign the Magna Charta The Magna Carta -signed and granted in 1215 -first document which recognized the fundamental right for freedom for his people -the king was denied to impose taxes without the consent given by a feudal council of nobles men
