StellarPolitical Organization: Feudalism and Fragmentation
The dominant political system was feudalism, a hierarchy based on land and loyalty. Kings technically ruled kingdoms, but real power was often held by nobles who controlled large estates. These nobles provided land to knights in exchange for military service. At the lowest level, peasants and serfs worked the land. The manorial system structured economic life. Manors were self-sufficient estates where peasants grew crops, raised animals, and produced goods for local use. Most peasants were serfs, legally tied to the land. They could not move freely, and their labor supported the wealth of the upper classes. Europe’s political fragmentation meant frequent warfare and slow state-building compared to centralized empires like China. However, over time, monarchs in places like France and England began to consolidate authority, using taxes and armies to strengthen their rule.