Editing Examples of feudalism (section)

=== France ===
From the 11th century, among the complexities of feudal arrangements, there existed no guarantee that contracts between [[lord]] and [[vassal]] would be honored, and feudal contracts saw little enforcement from those with greater authority. This often resulted in the wealthier and more powerful party taking advantage of the weaker.

Such was (allegedly) the case of [[Hugh IV of Lusignan|Hugh de Lusignan]] and his relations with his lord [[William V of Aquitaine]]. Between 1020 and 1025 Hugh wrote or possibly dictated a complaint against William and his vassals describing the unjust treatment he had received at the hands of both. Hugh describes a convoluted intermingling of loyalties that was characteristic of the period and instrumental in developing strain between nobles that resulted in competition for each other's land. According to Hugh's account, William wronged him on numerous occasions, often to the benefit of William's vassals. Many of his properties suffered similar fates: seized by opponents and divided between them and William. William neglected to send military aid to Hugh when necessary and dealt most unfairly in the exchange of [[hostage]]s. Each time Hugh reclaimed one of his properties, William ordered him to return it to whoever had recently taken it from him. William broke multiple [[oath]]s in succession yet Hugh continued to put faith in his lord's word, to his ruin. In his last contract with William, over possession of his uncle's castle at Chiza, Hugh dealt in no uncertain terms and with frank language:

<blockquote>'''Hugh''': You are my lord, I will not accept a pledge from you, but I will simply rely on the mercy of God and yourself.<br />
'''William''': Give up all those claims over which you have quarreled with me in the past and swear fidelity to me and my son and I will give you your uncle's honor [Chizes] or something else of equal value in exchange for it.<br />
'''Hugh''': My lord, I beg you through God and this blessed crucifix which is made in the figure of Christ that you do not make me do this if you and your son were intending to threaten me with trickery.<br />
'''William''': On my honor and my son I will do this without trickery.<br />
'''Hugh''': And when I shall have sworn fidelity to you, you will demand Chizes castle of me, and if I should not turn it over to you, you will say that it is not right that I deny you the castle which I hold from you, and if I should turn it over to you, you and your son will seize it because you have given nothing in pledge except the mercy of God and yourself.<br />
'''William''': We will not do that, but if we should demand it of you, don't turn it over to us.<ref name="Agreements Between Lord and Vassal">{{cite book |last=Geary |first=P. |date=2010 |title=Readings in Medieval History |edition=Fourth |publisher=[[University of Toronto]] |location=Toronto}}</ref></blockquote>

While perhaps an embellishment of the truth for the sake of Hugh's cause, and not necessarily a microcosm of the feudal system everywhere, the ''Agreement Between Lord and Vassal'' is evidence at least of corruption in feudal rule.

The feudal system was almost completely wiped out in France by the revolution in 1789 by eliminating the rights of the seigneur.<ref name="j&g">{{cite web |title=Jersey & Guernsey Law Review – June 2008 THE CUSTOMARY LAW about THE FORESHORE (1) |url=https://www.jerseylaw.je/publications/jglr/PDF%20Documents/JLR0806_Falle.pdf |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>