manorialism
nounUK /məˈnɔːriəlɪzəm/
US /məˈnɔːriəlɪzəm/
A way of living long ago where a lord owned land and poor farmers worked it for him.
In the Middle Ages, manorialism shaped how people lived and worked on the land.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The economic and social organization of a manor, including its land, workers, and rules.
Historians studied manorialism to understand medieval village life.
3. A system in which a landowner controls the farming and labor of the people living on the land.
Manorialism gave the lord power over both the fields and the peasants.
4. The customs and practices that governed life on a medieval estate.
The old records describe manorialism in detail, from harvest rules to rent.