Define feudalism and describe the characteristics of its organization.

Feudalism was a combination of legal and military customs in Medieval Europe and Medieval Japan. It was a system of structuring society around relationships which were based on the holding of land in exchange of labor and service. This encompasses the wider society. A peasant was protected by his lord who would give him housing and security and the peasant would work on the lord's land. This is a typical example or characteristic of feudalism.