What was the primary cause of feudalism?

The primary cause of feudalism was the need for security and stability in Western Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire around the 5th century AD. This decline left a power vacuum that led to increased vulnerability to invasions and attacks, especially from Germanic tribes and later from Viking raiders. As central authority weakened, local landowners, who had the means to protect themselves and their property, began to assert more autonomy. They took on the responsibility for defense and administration that had previously belonged to the empire.

To secure protection and resources, less powerful individuals began to turn to local lords, pledging their service, labor, or a portion of their own crops in exchange for military protection and the right to work and live on the land. This arrangement became formalized into what is now known as feudalism, which characterized the social, economic, and political structure of medieval Europe for hundreds of years.

Lords would grant pieces of land, known as fiefs, to vassals. In return, the vassals owed their lord military service, loyalty, and a share of their produce. This mutually beneficial system created a network of relationships and obligations which were also reinforced by the culture and norms of the time, including a strong hierarchical class system and the influence of the Church that endorsed such a hierarchy as part of a divine order.

Feudalism provided a way for society to organize itself to efficiently produce agricultural goods, maintain local order, and provide defense in a period when central authority was too weak to perform these functions.