The feudal system was a social and economic structure that dominated medieval Europe. In this system, land was owned by a few powerful nobles, known as lords, who granted portions of their land, called fiefs, to lesser nobles or vassals in exchange for loyalty and military service. This created a hierarchy where each level depended on the one above it for protection and resources. At the bottom of this hierarchy were the serfs or peasants, who worked the land. They were not free and had to give a portion of their crops to the lords in return for protection and the right to live on the land. This system created a stable, though rigid, society where everyone had a specific role.