Welcome to this deck on life and government in England between 1189 and 1216. We'll explore the reigns of two very different kings: Richard the First, known as the Lionheart, and his brother, King John. You'll learn about the structure of society under the feudal system, the immense power of the Church, and how the country was run and financed. This is essential knowledge for your GCSE History exam, helping you understand the foundations of medieval England.

To understand medieval England, you first need to understand the feudal system. It was a hierarchy based on land ownership and loyalty. At the very top was the king, who owned all the land. He granted large areas of land, known as fiefs, to his most powerful nobles, the tenants-in-chief, in exchange for their loyalty and military support.

In return for their land, tenants-in-chief had to perform a ceremony called homage, where they swore an oath of loyalty to the king. A key part of this was providing a set number of knights for the king's army. This was called knight service. These knights, in turn, were given smaller plots of land by the tenants-in-chief. At the bottom of the system were the peasants, who worked the land in exchange for protection. This was called labour service.