Which system described peasants bound to the land within self-sufficient manors?

• A. Feudalism
• B. Mercantilism
• C. Capitalism
• D. Manorialism

Answer: (D)

Manorialism is the system that centers on the manor as a self-contained economic unit. In this arrangement peasants, often serfs, are bound to the land and work it for the lord, providing labor or a portion of their crops in exchange for protection and permission to live on and farm on a portion of the manor’s land. The manor includes not just fields but the village, mill, church, and other resources, striving to be largely self-sufficient so it can function without needing constant outside trade. This setup directly describes peasants being tied to the land within self-sufficient estates.

Feudalism, while related, is the broader political-military network of obligations between lords and vassals. Mercantilism and capitalism are later economic frameworks focused on trade and markets rather than the medieval manor’s land-based, quasi-feudal economy.