Compare the conditions of life for a French serf and a Roman slave.
Answer
The conditions of life for a French serf and a Roman slave are discussed below: Who were the slaves and serfs?
A serf was a tenant farmer who was entitled to work on his hereditary plot of land under the whim of his lord. In lieu of the ownership of the land, a serf had to offer personal services to the lord. This involved working in the fields owned solely by the lord.
A slave was a bonded laborer of the ruler. He was bought from the market by the ruler to work on the fields and provide the services demanded. Unlike a serf, a slave did not own any land.
Origin:
The origin of slavery can be traced back to the frequent wars fought by the Roman Empire against the Western European countries. From all these nations, millions of people were brought to Rome to be sold in the market as slaves.
Serfdom is a construct of the feudal system in Europe. This modified form of slavery originated in the medieval Europe.
Social status:
Both the slaves and the serfs had an extreme low status in the society. The word of the master was the law and neither of them could raise a voice against the master. Legal rights did not exist for either of them.
Marriages entered into by the slaves were not recognized. A serf could marry only if he pays a fee to the master.
How did long term changes in population levels affect economy and society in Europe?
Answer
Europe witnessed a huge rise in its population during the medieval period. There was an estimated rise of around 30 million people from the 10th century to the 13th century. This rise in the population had several economic and social effects.
Economic Effects:
Establishment of towns: With the advancement of agricultural technologies, the production of food increased. Peasants, thus, felt the need of a place where they could sell their surplus and buy tools and clothes in return. Periodic fairs and small marketing centers started to spring up here and there. Surrounding these centers, other infrastructure developments took place, which, in turn, led to the growth of towns.
Organization of trading activities: Guilds or associations of traders were formed in towns to take care of the quality of goods exchanged in the markets and their prices.
Trade routes: With the increased production of food, the search for fresh markets started and so several new trade routes developed. An important example is the route followed by Scandinavian merchants from the North Sea to southern lands.
Social Effects:
Air of relief for the serfs: Often, serfs fled from the estates and took shelter in the towns. If a lord could not track his serf within a year, then the serf would become a free man.
Paid work: In towns, the labor was always offered in exchange of a payment. Tax instead of service was paid by the residents of the town to the land owner. This allowed the serfs and their families to enjoy freedom from the exploitation of the lords.
Rise of the fourth order: As the towns grew, a need was felt for skilled laborers like bankers and lawyers. This class did not engage in manual labor and so could not be grouped in the third order of peasants and other craftsmen. Historians believe this was the rise of the fourth order in the European societies.