In expanding royal power, which policy allowed William to reward loyal supporters through land grants and forfeits?

• A. He owned all of the land, and used grants and forfeits to ensure his supporters remained loyal.
• B. The Domesday Book recorded assets to tax more.
• C. Geld was collected to finance loyalty.
• D. Lanfranc's reforms centralized church power.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that control of land is the primary way a king binds supporters to his rule. After the Norman Conquest, William claimed ownership of all the land, making the king the feudal lord over the realm. With that power, he could reward loyal followers by granting them parcels of land in return for service and loyalty, and he could reclaim those lands through forfeiture if a supporter proved disloyal. This system tied wealth, power, and obedience directly to the crown, strengthening royal authority.

The other options don’t fit this mechanism: the Domesday Book was used to inventory assets for taxation, geld was a tax to raise funds, and Lanfranc’s reforms focused on church power and organization, not on distributing land to secure loyalty.