vassalage

Vassalage is a system of personal dependency that was central to medieval feudalism in Europe. In its basic form, a vassal held land, the fief, from a lord in return for military service, counsel, and other duties. The relationship was formalized through homage and fealty, and often sealed by investiture, a ritual acknowledging the transfer or grant of the fief.

Vassals owed their lords military support for campaigns, attendance in the lord’s council, and various payments or aids on special occasions. They might also be responsible for maintaining order on their lands, providing counsel in legal or administrative matters, and supporting the lord’s heirs. In exchange, the lord offered protection, legal legitimacy, and the right to use the fief and its revenues. The tie was reciprocal but hierarchically weighted, with the liege lord expected to defend the vassal’s rights within the feudal arrangement.

Feudal systems often allowed subinfeudation, whereby a vassal could grant part of his fief to a subordinate vassal, creating a chain of lords and vassals. The structure relied on a web of oaths, privileges, and incidents such as relief, wardship, and aids, which governed succession, inheritance, and the economic obligations of landholding.

The practice varied by region and declined with the rise of centralized monarchies, standing armies, and commercial economies from the late Middle Ages onward. Contemporary usage typically treats vassalage as a historical description of medieval political organization, though the term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe subordinate or dependent relationships in other contexts.