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CHAPTER
FEUDALISM
he Middle Ages
, also called the
medieval
(mehd-evil) period, began when the Roman
Empire lost power in Europe, in 476, and lasted
until about 1450, a period of almost 1,000 years.
The end of the Roman power in the West led
to a chaotic period in Europe, in which
roaming bands of
barbarians
terrorized the countryside.
To protect against this, a
new system of governance
called
feudalism
arose.
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