vassalage
/ˈvæsəlɪdʒ/ · vas·sa·lage
noun
- The condition, status, or relationship of a vassal; the set of obligations and privileges owed to a lord in a feudal hierarchy. During the Middle Ages, the king granted vassalage to local nobles in exchange for military service.
- A collective group of vassals bound to a particular lord. The duke's vassalage comprised dozens of lesser lords who swore fealty to him.
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Did you know? The term vassalage appears in the Magna Carta of 1215, where it was used to limit the king's power over his vassals, marking one of the earliest legal recognitions of subordinate rights.