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THE ECONOMY AND SOCIAL SYSTEM - Coggle Diagram
THE ECONOMY AND SOCIAL SYSTEM
what gave England its strong economy?
there was a ood climate for farming, in the south and east for crops - west for livestock
England had strong trade links across the North sea to Scandinavia and across the Channel to Normandy and Flanders.
The efficient tax system boosted the earnings the king and also the income of his nobles and the church, who kept some of the tax
central control of money supply and trading centres, meant that money was reliable and trade could be taxed, benefitting the nobility
Anglo-Saxon society
2 million people in 1060, only 4000-6000 were nobles.9.7 were slaves.
The rest were peasant famers
Thegns - Anglo-Saxon warrior/nobles class with 5 hides of land or more
Ceorls - 90% of population - most depended on thegns for land and work. some peasants were freer.
Slaves - treated as property: people who could be bought and sold.
BURHS
burhs were the fortified main town of each shire
people form the countryside would take refuge in the burh when Vikings were around
all significant trade had to be carried out in the burhs by law. this trade was then taxed
around 10% of the population England lived int owns in 1060. everyone else lived in family groups inte h countryside.
strong walls and ramparts made the towns difficult to attack by Viking raiding parties
THE CHURCH
BISHOPS - were rich and important. they controlled alrge church districts
very few people in Anglo-Saxon England were literate, the ones that were: kings clerks and record-keepers - church provided
most local priests farmed like peasants, were not well educated and were married
monks and nuns lived as part of the general community
they church was resistant to reforms form Europe. English bishops stuck to their old ways
Social roles
AS was flexible. peasant farmers could become thegns if they did well and acquired more than five hides of land. At the same time, peasants who did badly ight have to sell themselves into slavery. slaves could be freed by their masters and become peasants.