California Teacher Credentialing Examination (CSET) Practice Test

Vassals in the feudal system were indeed lower lords who received land from higher nobles. This system was built on a mutual exchange of loyalty and service for land. When a noble granted land, known as a fief, to a vassal, the vassal pledged loyalty and military service to the noble. The relationship was foundational to the social and political structure of feudalism, as it created a network of obligations among different levels of nobility.

The other options reflect roles that do not accurately define vassals. Free peasants were typically laborers who worked the land and did not have the same social standing or obligations as vassals. Lords who granted land are higher nobles, thus representing a different role in the feudal hierarchy. Church leaders, while influential, did not fit the definition of vassals since their power and role were more tied to spiritual authority rather than the military and land-holding responsibilities that characterize vassals.