A History of Feudalism in EuropeThe Magyars were originally part of a group of people who lived in Western Siberia. In 862 they began raiding Western Europe, a practice they continued for 55 years, reaching as far as the Pyrenees. During this period, their raids were successful enough that the Byzantine Empire and many other kingdoms chose to pay off the Magyars to gain relief from the invasion. Their reign finally ended in 955 with the Battle of Augsburg, when King Otto I of Germany defeated them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Between the 7th and 11th centuries AD, the Arab Muslims and the Byzantine Empire waged a continuous war. The invasion of Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula (now Saudi Arabia) in the 630s led to the rapid loss of Byzantium's southern provinces. Under the Abbasid Empire, which ruled from 750 to 1258, relations became more relaxed. But while embassies exchanged truces, conflict remained the norm, with almost annual raids and counter-raids, sponsored by the Abbasid government or local rulers, well into the 10th century. Viking raiders struck England in 793, marking the beginning of a long war. Most Vikings came from Sweden, Denmark or Norway. In 865 AD a large army of Danish Vikings invaded England. Alfred the Great, king of England, defeated this Danish army in 878 and limited the Danish Vikings to the eastern part of England, known as the Danelaw. The first examples of European feudalism appeared in France and Germany in the 9th and 10th centuries. It was originally designed on elements of the Roman regime. Roman villas and their lands were temporarily granted to military leaders as a reward for their loyalty to Rome and the emperor. It was also tradition for the Romans to surround themselves with loyal soldiers who provided a substantial fighting force and offered protection. These ideas were adopted, and European nobles increased their power through grants of land from the king in exchange for their service. Obviously the highest position was that of the king in the European social hierarchy because the king owned all the land in the kingdom and granted parts of it to those who proved themselves. After the king, the Noble class had the highest power. This class included hereditary nobles, dukes, barons. They were primarily responsible for governing the provinces and organizing soldiers in times of war. Then came the Knights or Vassals. These were the people who were granted leased lands by barons or nobles in exchange for their military services to the king and were tasked with protecting the barons. Then at the bottom there were the servants or the peasants. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Ancient Japan had a slightly different view of the feudal system, but the basic idea was largely the same. The shogun (like the king) ruled the country through the daimyo (like the nobles), who were the leaders of the samurai (like the knights).