Medieval peasants were burdened with countless dues and obligations, and these were only a fraction of the taxes they faced. Under feudalism, most wealth and resources were controlled by nobles and landowners, who placed heavy duties and taxes on the peasantry. Feudalism became the dominant social and economic system across medieval Europe, built around land ownership, loyalty, and obligation. Kings granted land, known as fiefs, to vassals in exchange for military service and political support. At the bottom of the hierarchy were peasants and serfs, who worked the land owned by their lord. In return for protection and the right to live on the estate, they provided crops, labor, and various payments. Society operated through a rigid chain of obligation, with authority flowing downward from kings and nobles, while labor, rents, and taxes flowed upward to sustain the system.(Historic Vids)