California Teacher Credentialing Examination (CSET) Practice Test

The term that describes peasants whoWorked on land in the feudal system is "serfs." In the context of feudalism, serfs were agricultural laborers who were bound to the land and were subject to the will of the landowning nobles. They were not free to leave the land without permission and often had to provide labor and a portion of their produce to the landowner in exchange for protection and the right to work a small plot of land for their own sustenance.

This distinction is important as it reflects the hierarchical structure of feudal society, where serfs were at the bottom, below vassals, nobles, and knights. Vassals were typically landholders who held land in exchange for military service, nobles were the higher-class landowners, and knights were warriors who provided protection in exchange for land. Understanding the role of serfs in the feudal system highlights the economic and social relationships that defined medieval Europe.