In feudalism, a superior feudal lord to whom vassals owed allegiance and service in exchange for land grants (fiefs). The suzerain held ultimate authority over the feudal hierarchy and could demand military service from their vassals.
From Old French 'suzerain,' derived from 'sus' (above) and possibly 'souverain' (sovereign), indicating someone who rules from above. The term emphasizes the hierarchical nature of feudal relationships.
The suzerain system created medieval Europe's version of 'pyramid schemes' - but with swords! Each level owed service to the one above, creating a chain of loyalty that theoretically led to the king, but in practice often broke down when local lords became more powerful than their supposed superiors, leading to constant civil wars.
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