Norman Conquest
Topic: Medieval Europe: Feudalism and the Three Orders · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "The Three Orders"
Meaning
The Norman Conquest was the conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, a region in northern France. He defeated the Saxon king and became king of England. The conquest rebuilt England's land system along feudal lines, with the king at the top and the land shared out among loyal nobles in return for military service.
Example
William had the land of England mapped. He shared it among 180 Norman nobles. As chief tenants, these nobles had to supply the king with knights. Private warfare between nobles was forbidden in England. The Anglo-Saxon peasants became tenants at different levels. Castles had been almost unknown in England before 1066, and they spread after the conquest.
Don't confuse with
- Anglo-Saxon settlement: the Angles and Saxons came from central Europe and settled in England in the sixth century. "England" comes from "Angle-land". This settlement came long before the Norman Conquest.