lower vassal and so on.
             Eventually, even the church-owned large amounts of land that they used to their advantage. Usually, these lower vassals were knights, who also had obligations to follow. That meant that a person could be a lord and a vassal at the same time. Each vassal had to rule over the people on the land he owned. When the vassal died, his first-born son would inherit the land, following the system of primogeniture. Each piece of land passed down from a lord is known as a fief. They were formerly called benefices. This word is the origin of the word feudalism. However, the lord did not just give the vassal the land for free. There were obligations he had to follow through on in return for the land. Look at the relationship between vassal and lord like a sacred contract. In return for the land, the vassal had to do many things. First off, they had to pay homage to him and acknowledge him in public and in ceremonies. Secondly, they had to provide army when asked to. They had to pay taxes and ransom if he was captured in war. They also provided him with food for a certain number of days a year. Vassals provided financial aid and had to attend court trials. It was considered a felony if the vassal violated any of these obligations. Most fiefs were a manorial system. They provided everything for themselves, as there was little trade during feudal times. Th
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