Explain how feudal monarchs were able to exert power and control over peasants.

Question

A. Peasants received tithes in return for working the lords land.
B. Their agreement allowed peasants to fish and hunt on the manor
C. Their agreement allowed peasants to avoid working on catholic church lands
D. Peasants needed protection and land which the lords provided

Answer 1

Feudal monarchs were able to exert power and control over peasants primarily through the relationships established within the feudal system, specifically through the economic and social obligations that were part of this system. Among the options you provided, the most accurate reason is:

D. Peasants needed protection and land which the lords provided.

In the feudal system, peasants, often referred to as serfs, had limited rights and were generally bound to the land they worked. In exchange for working the lord's land (usually in agriculture), they were afforded protection from external threats, as well as a plot of land to cultivate for their own survival. The lords, in turn, expected loyalty, labor, and a portion of the peasants' produce.

While options A, B, and C reference some aspects of life in a feudal system, they do not capture the primary dynamic of power and control as effectively as D does. Peasants' dependence on lords for land and protection was a crucial factor in the monarchs’ ability to maintain control and ensure a stable workforce to sustain their estates and the wider feudal society.