(PDF) The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL
ECONOMY
TRANSITION FROM FEUDALISM TO
CAPITALISM
SUBMITTED TO
MS. LIZA
SUBMITTED BY
ANMOL GUPTA
19BC476

INTRODUCTION
The transition from feudalism to capitalism was a major theoretical question with
widespread political implications for the whole Europe. Feudalism existed in
Europe from about 300 to 1400 AD, as the concept of capitalism started to take
shape. It’s generally believed that feudalism ended with the renaissance in
Europe, a time in which there was a great revival of art, science, literature and
human freedom. Although the renaissance played a key role in the transition from
feudalism to capitalism, several other factors also contributed to the transition.
The transition debate (as it became known) was a major part of the radical
critique of capitalism among intellectuals and activists alike. In the following work,
I would like to explain the whole transition, starting with an overview of what
feudal system was, followed by its decline and subsequent rise of capitalism. At
last I would share some light on the famous transition debate.
FEUDALISM
Feudalism is a term invented in the 19th century to describe how society was
structured during high Middle Ages that’s between the 9th and the 15th centuries.
A feudal system is a type of social and political system in which landholders
provide land to tenants in exchange for their loyalty and service. It involved a lord
(the landowner) allowing vassals (tenants) to rent the land by providing services,
especially military service. The parcel of land, called a fief, was typically worked by

serfs, labourers who had very few rights and were bound to the land itself. Under
the Feudal system all the land in the kingdom belonged to a king, he would then
parcel out large estates to great lords in exchange for their military and political
support. These great lords would parcel out smaller portions of the land along
with food and protection to knights in exchange of military service and homage.
These knights would do the same with the local peasants. The thing to notice here
is that there were varied type of people under each head. King would be the
supreme power with couple of Dukes under him and more number of Earls under
the Duke and more number of Barons under the Earl. This communised system
went further till knights and peasants were at the bottom. People belonging to an
immediate lower rank would serve as a vassal to the higher authority.
Some historians said feudalism began during the Dark Ages – people were in such
danger that they were prepared to keep a local warrior in luxury, if he protected
them. The serfs were weak and they were ready to pledge their services. Some
historians said that feudalism began with weak kings, who had to buy support by
giving their nobles land in return for a promise of loyalty.

THE TRANSITION
DECLINE OF FEUDALISM
By the late 1200s or early 1300s the situation has shifted somewhat. Some
historians estimate that there were around 60% unfree peasants. This percentile
figure is again debatable among various historians. To put it all, most of the