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The Three Orders – Class 11 History notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 11 History, chapter 4. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Medieval European society from the ninth to the sixteenth century is often described as having three orders: the clergy, who prayed; the nobility, who fought; and the peasants, who worked. This social system was linked to feudalism, in which land was held in return for military service and labour. The Church was very powerful. From the eleventh century, agricultural improvements, the growth of towns and trade, and later crises such as the Black Death weakened the feudal order.

Feudalism and the three orders

Feudalism was a system in which a lord granted land (fief) to a vassal in return for loyalty and military service.
The king was at the top; lords and knights held land, and peasants worked on the manor.
The first order, the clergy, included priests, bishops and monks; the second order, the nobility, included lords and knights; the third order consisted of peasants, both free peasants and serfs.

Life in the manor and the Church

The manor included the lord's house, fields, pastures, forests, a church and villages; it aimed at self-sufficiency.
Serfs worked on the lord's land without wages, paid dues and could not leave without permission.
The Church owned large lands, collected the tithe (one-tenth of produce), and monasteries such as those of the Benedictines were centres of learning; friars such as the Franciscans preached among people.

Changes and decline of feudalism

From the eleventh century, new technologies such as the heavy iron plough, horse collar and three-field system increased production.
Towns grew as centres of trade and crafts; guilds regulated crafts, and cathedral towns developed.
In the fourteenth century famine, the Black Death (1347–50) and peasant revolts led to labour shortages and the weakening of serfdom; strong monarchies emerged in France and England.

Key terms

Feudalism: a system in which land was held from a lord in return for service
Fief: land granted by a lord to a vassal
Serf: a peasant bound to the lord's land
Manor: the lord's estate, including fields and villages
Tithe: one-tenth of produce paid to the Church

Important questions with answers

What was the manor?2 marks

The manor was the estate of a lord, including his house, fields, pastures, forests, a church and villages of peasants. It aimed to be largely self-sufficient, with serfs working the lord's land.

Describe the position of serfs in medieval Europe.3 marks

Serfs cultivated the lord's land as well as plots for themselves. They had to give labour services, pay dues in kind or money, use the lord's mill and oven for a fee and seek permission to marry or leave the manor. They received protection but had little freedom.

Explain the three orders of medieval European society and the factors that led to the decline of feudalism.5 marks

Medieval European society was described as having three orders. The first order was the clergy, including priests, bishops, abbots and monks, who claimed to serve society through prayer; the Church owned large lands, collected the tithe and controlled education through monasteries. The second order was the nobility, including lords and knights, who held land as fiefs from the king or higher lords in return for military service and loyalty, and who controlled the manors. The third order consisted of the peasants, both free peasants and serfs, who cultivated land, gave labour and paid dues to the lords and the Church. This system, called feudalism, began to change from the eleventh century. New technology, such as the heavy iron plough, the horse collar and the three-field system, increased agricultural output and population. Surplus led to the growth of trade, towns and guilds, and towns offered freedom to serfs who escaped there. In the fourteenth century, a series of crises occurred: famine, the Black Death of 1347–50, which killed a large part of Europe's population, and wars. Labour shortages raised wages, and attempts by lords to restore old obligations led to peasant revolts, such as in England in 1381. Money payments replaced labour services, and serfdom declined. At the same time, strong monarchies in France and England reduced the power of feudal lords.

Quick revision

Three orders: clergy, nobility, peasants.
Feudalism: fief, vassal, manor, serfs.
Church: tithe, monasteries, friars.
New technology, towns; Black Death 1347–50; decline of feudalism.

Exam tips

Draw a pyramid of the three orders with the king at the top.
Explain why the Black Death helped weaken serfdom.

Practice MCQs

The first order in medieval Europe was the
1. nobility
2. clergy
3. peasants
4. merchants
Show answer
Answer: (b) clergy. They were concerned with prayer.
Land granted by a lord to a vassal was called a
1. tithe
2. fief
3. guild
4. manor house
Show answer
Answer: (b) fief. It was given in return for service.
One-tenth of produce paid to the Church was called
1. tithe
2. taille
3. jizya
4. rent
Show answer
Answer: (a) tithe. It supported the clergy.
A peasant bound to the lord's land was called a
1. serf
2. knight
3. friar
4. bishop
Show answer
Answer: (a) serf. Serfs could not leave freely.
The Black Death struck Europe in
1. 1066–70
2. 1347–50
3. 1453–60
4. 1517–20
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1347–50. It killed a large part of the population.
The farming method that divided land into three fields to increase output was the
1. shifting cultivation
2. three-field system
3. terrace farming
4. plantation system
Show answer
Answer: (b) three-field system. It raised production from the eleventh century.
How did the Black Death weaken feudalism
1. labour shortages raised wages and peasants demanded freedom
2. it increased the number of serfs
3. it strengthened lords' control
4. it ended trade
Show answer
Answer: (a) labour shortages raised wages and peasants demanded freedom. Lords could no longer impose old dues easily.
Which development most helped the growth of medieval towns
1. decline of trade
2. expansion of agriculture and trade creating surplus and markets
3. abolition of crafts
4. isolation of manors
Show answer
Answer: (b) expansion of agriculture and trade creating surplus and markets. Surplus and exchange support towns.

All chapters of Class 11 History

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.