Enfeoffment
| English Feudalism |
|---|
Harold Sacramentum Fecit Willelmo Duci
(Harold makes an oath to Duke William) King Harold becomes the vassal of Duke William of Normandy (Bayeux Tapestry) |
| Fief |
| Overlord, Vassal |
| Enfeoffment |
| Subinfeudation |
| Feoffee |
| Feudal land tenure |
| Fealty, Homage |
| Feudalism in England |
| Feudalism |
Under the European feudal system, enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of title in land by a system in which a landowner would give land to one person for the use of another. The common law of estates in land grew from this concept.
In China and some other South East Asian countries, from the time of the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) relatives and descendants of the ruling family were granted enfeoffments[1] in return for pledging to protect the King or Emperor in times of war.
References
- ^ "The Zhou Dynasty". China Civilisation Centre, City University of Hong Kong. Retrieved November 11, 2010.