Wars Of Conquest-Medieval Society

One of the essencial things which came from Medieval society was resposibility and accountability. People had a specific place in society and that place also carried a specific responsibility. Scholars believe that not more than 10 percent of Europe's population were serfs. Above serfs were many social levels, sometimes called estates.These included the tradesmen, clergy, knights and other nobles and a growing merchant class. Regardless of estate there was responsibility and accountability that came with each estate. Nothing shows this better than the Assize of Arms. This kind of thinking lead to the Magna Carta or Great Charter signed by King John in 1215.

The Joust is a prime example of responsibility of the knights and nobles. In fact john's father, Henry II, felt that English knights and nobles were generally so ill trained that he ordered tournaments to be increased in England. If the knights and nobles could not adequately carry out their military service to the crown. In Henry's continental holdings tournaments were the social rage and there he curbed them feeling the knights and nobles were dedicating too much time in training. On the continent the knights and nobles were increasing ocal taxes to cover their tournament expenditures as well as ignoring their civil responsibilties to both their people and the crown.

While these two brief paragraphs do not fully discuss the situation or value of the tournament they do lead us to begin looking at war in medieval society. Along with the two assize of arms (1176 and 1181) do place in perspective the significance the basic things that influenced Medieval wars of conquest; our topic.