William the Conqueror + feudal system + domesday book

Question 1

Front

Answer 1

Back

Question 2

Who was William the Conqueror?

Answer 2

The Duke of Normandy who became King of England after 1066.

Question 3

When was William crowned King of England?

Answer 3

25 December 1066.

Question 4

Why did William introduce the feudal system?

Answer 4

To control England and reward his Norman followers.

Question 5

What was William’s motto about land?

Answer 5

All land in England belongs to the king.

Question 6

What was William’s survey of his new kingdom called?

Answer 6

The Domesday Book.

Question 7

In what year was the Domesday Book compiled?

Answer 7

1086

Question 8

What is feudalism?

Answer 8

A system where land is exchanged for loyalty and service.

Question 9

Who sat at the top of the feudal pyramid?

Answer 9

The king.

Question 10

Who were tenants‑in‑chief?

Answer 10

Powerful barons and bishops who received land directly from the king.

Question 11

What did tenants‑in‑chief owe the king?

Answer 11

Military service and advice.

Question 12

Who were sub‑tenants?

Answer 12

Knights who held land from the barons.

Question 13

What did knights provide in return for their land?

Answer 13

Mounted military service (40 days a year).

Question 14

Who were serfs or villeins?

Answer 14

Peasants bound to work the lord’s land.

Question 15

What is homage?

Answer 15

A public oath of loyalty from vassal to lord.

Question 16

What is fealty?

Answer 16

A promise of faithful service.

Question 17

What is a fief?

Answer 17

Land granted to a vassal.

Question 18

What is forfeiture in the feudal system?

Answer 18

Losing land for breaking feudal obligations.

Question 19

What is demesne land?

Answer 19

Land kept by the lord for his own use.

Question 20

How did the feudal system help William control England?

Answer 20

It created a hierarchy of loyalty reaching every village.

Question 21

What is knight service?

Answer 21

Military duty a knight owed his lord.

Question 22

What is labour service?

Answer 22

Work peasants performed on the lord’s land.

Question 23

What were feudal aids?

Answer 23

Payments vassals made on special occasions (e.g., ransoming a lord).

Question 24

What is the feudal duty of relief?

Answer 24

A payment an heir made to inherit land.

Question 25

What was wardship?

Answer 25

Control of a vassal’s land while the heir was underage.

Question 26

What were forest laws?

Answer 26

Royal laws protecting hunting land, showing William’s control.

Question 27

Why did castles reinforce the feudal system?

Answer 27

They acted as local centres of Norman power.

Question 28

What is an oath of allegiance?

Answer 28

A sworn promise of loyalty to William.

Question 29

What was the main purpose of the Domesday Book?

Answer 29

To record land ownership and assess taxes.

Question 30

How many shires were surveyed in Domesday?

Answer 30

About 134 shires or parts thereof.

Question 31

Which major cities were left out of Domesday?

Answer 31

London, Winchester, and some northern areas.

Question 32

What information did Domesday collect?

Answer 32

Landholders, land size, value, resources, and population.

Question 33

Who carried out the Domesday survey?

Answer 33

Royal commissioners in local courts called shire courts.

Question 34

Why was it nicknamed 'Domesday'?

Answer 34

Because its judgments were final like Judgment Day.

Question 35

How did Domesday help William raise money?

Answer 35

It showed how much each landholder could be taxed.

Question 36

How did Domesday help settle land disputes?

Answer 36

It served as a legal record of who owned what.

Question 37

Why is the Domesday Book important to historians?

Answer 37

It provides a detailed snapshot of 11th‑century England.

Question 38

Where is the Domesday Book kept today?

Answer 38

In the National Archives, London.

Question 39

How long did the feudal system dominate England?

Answer 39

For several centuries after 1066.

Question 40

What language did Norman lords speak?

Answer 40

Norman French.

Question 41

Name one long‑term impact of William’s feudal system.

Answer 41

It shaped English land law and class structure.

Question 42

Name one modern phrase that originates from feudal land law.

Answer 42

‘Freehold’ or ‘leasehold’.