What describes Knights (under-tenants)?

• A. They own land and collect taxes
• B. They are granted land by tenants-in-chief and must fight for the king
• C. They are peasants who farm the land
• D. They administer justice for towns

Answer: (B)

In the Norman feudal system, knights were under-tenants who hold land as vassals of tenants-in-chief. The defining arrangement is that they are granted land by these higher lords, and in return they must provide military service to the king. This military obligation is the core of their role: they manage their fief and may collect rents from peasants, but their primary duty to the crown is to fight when called. They are not peasants farming the land, nor officials administering towns, and their land comes through the tenants-in-chief rather than directly from the king.