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Feudalism At the fall of the Roman Empire people were desperate for security. People turned to each other and began to live in small communities called manors. Manors were isolated from each other and had to sustain themselves without outside assistance. The manor was the center of feudal life. Another important aspect of feudal society was the church because everyone was a part of the church. To provide order in a feudal society a hierarchy was formed. At the top of the hierarchy was the king. Kings claimed to be vassals of God which gave them a great deal of power over their kingdom. The king gave out his land to lords who maintained the land for him. In exchange for this land they were expected to fight for the king and protect him in times of war. Lords did not have as much power as the king and the king could revoke their land at any time so they must appease him to keep their power. Below the lords were vassals who normally fought for the monastery. Vassals were near the bottom of the hierarchy and were the foundation for feudal socie