Administración en la edad media

Feudalism in the Middle Ages

This section discusses the emergence of feudalism as a governing system during the Middle Ages, following the fall of the Roman Empire and invasions by barbarian tribes.

Feudalism Characteristics

• The change from slavery to serfdom, where slaves became known as serfs who were tied to the land.

• The introduction of feudal lords who held power over their vassals.

• Vassals pledged loyalty and obedience to their lords for life.

• Lords with many vassals had access to income sources and an army.

Feudal Organization

• Feudalism was organized in a hierarchical structure.

• At the top was the emperor or king, who owned all the land.

• High nobility retained large areas of land from the crown, while providing specific services such as military support and financial contributions.

• Lower-level nobles demanded similar services from their sub-vassals.

• This pyramid structure extended down to smaller units, including dependent tenants and peasants.

Guilds in the Middle Ages

This section explores guilds, which were professional worker associations during medieval times that aimed to protect members' interests and improve economic well-being.

Guild Structure

• Guilds consisted of craftsmen from the same trade or profession.

• Their goals included maintaining a balance between demand for goods and active workshops, ensuring work for members.

• Guilds provided training programs for apprentices at different levels:

• First level: Apprentices started around ages 12 to 14 and remained for 4 to 8 years.

• Second level: Journeymen served as intermediate workers between apprenticeship and mastery.

• Third level: Masters achieved mastery through practical exams, allowing them to establish their own workshops and engage in trade.

Guild Contributions

• Guilds played a role in the development of administration.

• The Church influenced social and religious values, while its administrative norms transferred to state institutions.

• The Crusades had both religious and commercial objectives, contributing to the growth of trade in the Middle East.

Emergence of Administration

This section discusses how administration evolved as human activities became more complex, leading to the need for better organization and coordination.

• Initially, simple tasks such as hunting, gathering food, and reproduction required basic planning and organization.

• As tasks became more challenging, division of labor and leadership emerged for orderly activity execution.

• Agriculture led to gender and age-based division of labor, resulting in respectable social organization.

• Larger groups required coordination efforts for collective endeavors.

Contributions of the Catholic Church

This section highlights the contributions made by the Catholic Church during medieval times.

• The Church influenced social order through its values and religious teachings.

• Its hierarchical organizational structure was efficient under papal authority.

• Administrative norms from the Church were transferred to state institutions over time.

• The Crusades not only had religious motives but also supported trade development in the Middle East.