The Feudal Revolution and Beyond: New Directions in Medieval Studies
Rashid Manzoor Bhat
Independent Researcher
The concept of a “feudal revolution” refers to the significant transformation in medieval European society between the 10th and 12th centuries, marked by the decline of centralized royal power and the emergence of localized seigneurial authority. Georges Duby highlighted how changes in landholding, social obligations, and military roles altered the structure of rural communities. This interpretation is examined alongside earlier views such as Henri Pirenne’s focus on the decline of Mediterranean trade, Marc Bloch’s emphasis on personal dependence and kinship, and Lynn White Jr.’s arguments about the role of agricultural and military technologies. Marxist historians like Perry Anderson analysed feudalism as a system of production shaped by class relations and economic control over land. In contrast, more recent scholars such as Susan Reynolds and Elizabeth Brown have questioned whether “feudalism” accurately describes the diversity of medieval experience, pointing out inconsistencies in its usage across time and place. The article draws on these perspectives to explore how newer approaches—particularly those grounded in regional studies and interdisciplinary methods—are offering alternative ways to study medieval social and political organization.
Keywords: Feudalism, medieval Europe, seigneurial authority, social transformation, landholding, historiography.
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