Glossary · Term

Feudalism

Also known as semifedal, feudal

Feudalism is a term for systems in which land was granted in return for military service and loyalty, creating hierarchies of lords and vassals. Originally applied to medieval Europe such as the Holy Roman Empire, it is used more loosely for comparable arrangements elsewhere, including the Tokugawa Shogunate, the iqta system of the Ottoman Empire and Ayyubid Empire, and landholding in the Sasanian Empire and Ethiopian Empire.

Feudalism
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Mentioned in 7 profiles

Ayyubid EmpireGovernanceEmpire of JapanFoundation, MilitaryEthiopian EmpireGovernance, DeclineHoly Roman EmpireGovernanceOttoman EmpireMilitaryTang DynastyGovernanceTokugawa ShogunateSocioeconomy, Governance, Impact, Summary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Feudalism. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/feudalism
MLA
“Feudalism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/feudalism. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Feudalism.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/feudalism.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Feudalism’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/feudalism (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻