Understanding the Late Medieval English Society: The Development of the Concept of Bastard Feudalism in Historiography
Abstract
Bastard Feudalism is one of the most significant concepts to
analyse the socio-political and economic relations in late medieval English
society. This term was invented and
developed by the nineteenth century English historians such as Charles Plummer
and William Stubbs with negative connotations to explain the late medieval
political and socio-economic order. For
these historians, Bastard Feudalism
signified a change from fief-centred classic feudalism based upon contract
between lord and vassal into a cash-based retaining system. Beginning from the
reign of Edward III, the English kings allowed great lords of the realm to make
contracts with those from lower sections of the society to finance military
campaigns. This new system based upon cash payments enabled the lords to create
new dependency service outside the control of the central government.
Therefore, it has been regarded by the historians as a demonstration of
degeneration in the social structure. In the twentieth century, K.B. McFarlane
criticised the conventional approach to the concept of Bastard Feudalism. He revaluated the concept and claimed that Bastard Feudalism could be considered as
a process of adaptation of the kings and their subjects to the new conditions.
The historians still debate whether Bastard
Feudalism was the source of political conflict and social turmoil. This
article evaluates the historiographical debates on Bastard Feudal system and emphasizes that it was a necessity for
proper operation of late medieval English society since the kings needed the
aid of great lords in the governance of the localities.
References
- Barnard 1969 J.G. Herder on Social and Political Culture, Cambridge.
- Bellamy 2013 J.G. Bellamy, Bastard Feudalism and the Law, Routledge Edition, London
- Bentley 2006 Michael Bentley, Modernizing England’s Past: English Historiography in the Age of Modernism, 1870-1950, Cambridge
Abstract
İngiliz Ortaçağ tarihçiliğinde Geç
Ortaçağ siyasal ve sosyo-ekonomik düzenini anlamak için 19. yüzyıl tarihçileri tarafından
Bastard Feudalism adı verilen bir
kavram üretilmiştir. Bastard Feudalism,
lord ve vasal arasındaki sözleşmenin esas olduğu toprağa dayalı klasik feodal
sistemin yerine lordların merkezi otoritenin kontrolü dışına çıkarak nakdi
ödemeler yoluyla kendilerine bağlı bir hizmetliler zümresi oluşturmasını ifade
eder. Bu nedenle de, toplumsal yapıdaki bozulmanın göstergesi olarak
değerlendirilmiştir. Bastard Feudalism’in
Geç Ortaçağ İngiltere’sinde siyasal çatışmanın ve toplumsal kargaşanın kaynağı olup
olmadığı üzerine tartışmalar halen devam etmektedir. Bu makalede tarih
yazıcılığında Bastard Feodal sistem
üzerine olan tartışmalar değerlendirilecek, olumsuz görülen bu sistemin o
dönemin değer yargıları dikkate alındığında çağının insanları tarafından kabul
edilebilir bir düzeni ifade ettiği vurgulanacaktır.
References
- Barnard 1969 J.G. Herder on Social and Political Culture, Cambridge.
- Bellamy 2013 J.G. Bellamy, Bastard Feudalism and the Law, Routledge Edition, London
- Bentley 2006 Michael Bentley, Modernizing England’s Past: English Historiography in the Age of Modernism, 1870-1950, Cambridge
Details
| Journal Section | ARTICLES |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | July 19, 2017 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2017 Volume: 32 Issue: 1 |
