Feudalism developed following the frequent invasions carried out by the Vikings during the Middle Ages between 900 and the early 1500s. Feudalism served its purpose by creating a system in which the kings appointed lords who appointed knights to appoint servants who were to work the land and fields in exchange for food, protection and shelter. It provided stability because lords were able to rule smaller groups of people through a system called manorialism. Feudalism allowed people to live in self-sufficient areas where there was no need to rely on trade or contact with other areas as people were interdependent. During the period of feudalism there was no separation of church and state, leaving the church to be very powerful (religion). Even though feudalism provided a strong and lasting system, feudalism ended. The reasons for the collapse of feudalism included the agricultural revolution, the rise of Burgesses, the commercial revolution, the impact of the Crusades, and the result of the bubonic plague. Although some believe that the fall of feudalism was a direct consequence of the bubonic plague, the main reasons for the collapse of feudalism were the agricultural revolution with the production of new technologies, the rise of citizens with the increase in jobs, the the commercial economy revolution because people did not want to be limited to what they had, and the crusades because of the power of the church along with cultural diffusion. The agricultural revolution was one of the main reasons for the collapse of feudalism because the advancement of technology allowed there to be a surplus of food and population. Was the Agricultural Revolution a period of growth and advancement... middle of paper... and Europe's entry into a new era?" WikiAnswers. Answers Corporation, nd Web. April 29 .2014. .Regents Prep., nd Web. 8 April 2014. .Schubert, Sarah. “The Collapse of Feudalism.” Diego: Lucent, 1995. Print.Hatt, Christine , 2001. Print."Feudalism and religion in the Middle Ages." Feudalism and religion in the Middle Ages Web. 29 April 2014. .Twain, Mark and Pope Urban "Showdown at Canossa".