In feudal landholding, what is a grant of land given in exchange for military service called?

• A. A Fealty
• B. A Freeman
• C. A Fief
• D. A Vizier

Answer: (C)

Feudal relationships hinge on land and service. A grant of land given in exchange for military service is called a fief. The lord grants the vassal control of the land, and the vassal in return owes military service and loyalty for that land. This arrangement creates the bond between lord and vassal, with explicit obligations and rights; over time, fiefs could be inherited and might come with rights to rents or fines from peasants living on the land. Fealty is the pledge of loyalty sworn by the vassal, not the land grant itself; a freeman is simply someone not bound by serfdom, and a vizier is an advisor in some other contexts. So the land grant tied to service is the fief.