Tenants-in-Chief were primarily which of the following?

• A. Landowners who held land directly from the king and owed loyalty.
• B. Merchants who paid taxes to the king.
• C. Clerics who governed church lands.
• D. Peasants working land.

Answer: (A)

In the Norman feudal system, the king’s direct vassals held land granted straight from the crown. Tenants-in-chief are those top landholders who received their estates directly from the king and, in return, owed military service and loyalty. This direct royal grant and obligation is what defines their role, making them the primary holders under the king’s overlordship. The other groups—merchants, peasants, and many church lands—were not defined by this direct grant from the crown tied to feudal duty, so they don’t fit the same description as tenants-in-chief.