Who were the Tenants-in-Chief in the feudal system?

• A. Knights who held land for 40 days
• B. Barons who held land directly from the king
• C. Peasants who farmed for the king
• D. Merchants who paid taxes

Answer: (B)

In the feudal system, land was held in a hierarchy with the king at the top. Those who received land directly from the king were the highest vassals, called tenants-in-chief. They were the major lords whose fiefs came straight from the crown, typically powerful nobles like barons (and sometimes high-ranking church officials such as bishops). These tenants-in-chief owed the king military service and counsel, and they in turn could grant portions of their land to other vassals who served them. The other groups—knights who held land from someone else for a short period, peasants who farmed land, or merchants who paid taxes—do not occupy that direct link to the king in the feudal structure. So, the tenants-in-chief are the barons who held land directly from the king.