The British Feudal System of Tenure & Sovereignty

The Feudal System of Tenure

To fully appreciate today’s ownership structure, a brief overview of British feudalism is necessary. After the fall of the Saxon empire in 1066 to King William of Normandy, a military regime was imposed on the entire English countryside. Under this regime, a land-holding system was instituted known as feudalism. Through this system, King William appointed approximately 1,500 tenants-in-chief who became the King’s principal tenants of all England, thus becoming in turn the lords of the land (or landlords) of the entire domain. The tenants-in-chief, who were the principal lords of the realm, did not own the land, but were merely tenants of their king. Payment by services of different kinds was demanded by the sovereign for allowing the lords to occupy these large tracts of land. The lords, in return, were allowed to sublet.

A system of parcelling land was established that allowed the respective tenants to pay with goods and services. This system was one of tenure, or the holding of land subject to some superior right rather than ownership. The type of tenure held was related to the duties owed to the landlord, the payment exacted became traditional with each type of tenure so that if one knew the nature of services due, one could identify the type of tenancy held.

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Lords of the Realm
Lords of the Realm
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* Platform: IBM PC Compatible
* Release Date: 1994
* Genre: Strategy
* Style: 2D Turn-Based Strategy
* Similar Games: Lords of the Realm II (IBM PC Compatible), Kingmaker (IBM PC Compatible), Lords of the Realm II (Macintosh)

Game Description
In this medieval strategy game, you and five other Lords of the Realm are contesting for the English throne. It's the year 1268 and you must coordinate all activities of your kingdom , monitor progress and make necessary decisions that affect the daily life and routine of your subjects. You must also become an expert in all matters regarding the feudal system of government, castle building and defense, war and diplomacy. The game contains 3-D rendered animation, turn-based game play, multi-player options (modem, same screen), map and scenario of medieval Germany, professional voice actors and digitized speech, realtime battles and a host of options to customize game play. The game requires a mouse for executing the menu-based system and a number of keyboard equivalents are available. Lords of the Realm has three unique gameplay levels (economy, warfare and limited visibility) with five sub-levels of difficulty. Management takes place at both the Kingdom and County levels with specific characteristics and requirements defining each. Extensive documentation on game play, historical perspective, castle siege, battle management and a comprehensive tutorial round out the package.


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sov·er·eign (sŏv'ər-ĭn, sŏv'rĭn) pronunciation
n.

1. One that exercises supreme, permanent authority, especially in a nation or other governmental unit, as:
1. A king, queen, or other noble person who serves as chief of state; a ruler or monarch.
2. A national governing council or committee.
2. A nation that governs territory outside its borders.
3. A gold coin formerly used in Great Britain.

adj.

1. Self-governing; independent: a sovereign state.
2. Having supreme rank or power: a sovereign prince.
3. Paramount; supreme: Her sovereign virtue is compassion.
4.
1. Of superlative strength or efficacy: a sovereign remedy.
2. Unmitigated: sovereign contempt.


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Exacted
# To force the payment or yielding of; extort: exact tribute from a conquered people.
# To demand and obtain by or as if by force or authority: a harsh leader who exacts obedience.