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Text File  |  1992-09-01  |  343b  |  9 lines
  1. In medieval Europe, a person who paid feudal
  2. homage to a superior lord (see feudalism),
  3. and who promised military service and advice
  4. in return for a grant of land. The term was
  5. used from the 9th century. The relationship
  6. of vassalage was the mainstay of the feudal
  7. system and declined along with it during the
  8. transition to bastard feudalism.
  9.