What was the last remaining bastion of feudalism in Europe?

headshooter

Cautions on use of feudalism Owing to the range of meanings they have, feudalism and related terms should be approached and used with considerable care. A circumspect historian like Fernand Braudel puts feudalism in quotes when applying it in wider social and economic contexts, such as "the seventeenth century, when much of America was being 'feudalized' as the great haciendas appeared" (The Perspective of the World, 1984, p. 403). Medieval societies never described themselves as feudal. Popular parlance generally uses the term either for all voluntary or customary bonds in medieval society or for a social order in which civil and military power is exercised under private contractual arrangements. However, feudal is best used only to denote the voluntary, personal undertakings binding lords and free men to protection in return for support which characterized the administrative and military order. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudalism Apr 11 08, 5:35 PM

HeavensArrow

Last bastion of feudalism on tiny island falls Web posted at: 4/11/2008 8:15:29 Source ::: Reuters LONDON • The West's last remaining feudal system has come to an end after Britain's Privy Council endorsed a vote by locals on the tiny Channel Island of Sark to change the way they are governed. Sark, which lies about 10km east of Guernsey off the coast of Normandy, has broadly held onto its political and judicial systems since Queen Elizabeth I bestowed them upon it nearly 450 years ago. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=United+Kingdom+%26+Europe&month=April2008&file=World_News2008041181529.xml Apr 11 08, 5:39 PM

triviapaul

Thanks Headshooter for the clarification, I agree that Feudalism is used improperly way too many times, but if you read about Sark, you will see that the use is correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sark http://www.sark.info/index.cfm?fuseaction=gov.content&cmid=555 Apr 11 08, 6:05 PM

author

Sark has often been considered to be the last feudal state in Europe, as fiefdom still exists, although it can be argued that Andorra, Liechtenstein and the Vatican City are feudal to some degree. However, in April 2008, the Privy Council approved the law passed by Sark replacing its feudal assembly with a fully elected one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sark Apr 11 08, 7:14 PM