serfage

Example:Serfage was a component of the feudal system, binding peasants to the land they worked.

Definition:A social system in medieval Europe based on the exchange of land for military service, characterized by the division of the population into a ruling class of landlords and a lower class of serfs.

Example:The peasants lived in serfage, a form of bondage to their landlords.

Definition:Any condition of being bound, restrained, or controlled, often against one's will.

Example:Serfage differed from slavery in that serfs were tied to the land rather than being sold as commodities.

Definition:The practice of owners owning people as property, having absolute power over their lives, and using them as sources of labor.

Example:The peasants suffered under the serfage system, unable to move freely or improve their situation.

Definition:Farmers, especially in medieval times, who lived on and worked leased land, usually as serfs or tenant farmers.