THE NORMANS

Materie:	Riassunto
Categoria:	Letteratura Inglese
Voto:	1.5 (2)
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Data:	05.02.2007
Numero di pagine:	1
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THE NORMANS (pag.52)
When William ascended the throne, he was obliged to set the country in order to have Norman men controlling the conquered Anglo-Saxons. He divided the land into parts and gave it to his barons in change of tributes and military men. The barons divided their lands and gave them to his knights and freemen. The relationship was based on mutual protection and loyalty to the king and barons. William substituted the Saxon bishops with Norman bishops to control the church. In the end William divided the country into counties where minor criminality was administered by a sheriff whose task was also to collect the taxes. The most important cases of criminality were administered by judges nominated by the king himself, so he had a complete control of the country. In 1086 William ordered an inquiry of the country where there was every piece of land, every house and every person. This was called the Domesday Book. The Normans lived in manors that comprised the baron’s or the knight’s main house surrounded by the poor houses of the enslaved Anglo-Saxons. Economy was mainly given by sheep whose wool was exported into Italy.