What was feudalism?

Feudalism was a method of governing where a king awarded land to men that he trusted most. These men were known as lords and usually held a position of nobility or a position in the church. In return, the lords had to swear to be loyal to the king, pay him some of the taxes they collected, and give military support if he ever needed it, from the knights who protected them. A lord had power over everyone in his section of land, and in some cases the lords would sublet pieces of land to serfs, who swore to serve the lord in the same way as the lord swore to serve the king.