Under the economic system of manorialism, how did the lives of nobles and peasants differ?

• A. Nobles owned the land and collected rents and labor from peasants, while peasants worked the land and provided services in exchange for protection and a place to live.
• B. Peasants controlled the land and paid taxes to nobles, who worked as laborers.
• C. Both nobles and peasants had equal access to land and shared profits from agricultural production.
• D. Nobles and peasants lived in urban centers and participated equally in trade and commerce.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the economic system of manorialism, which was a social and economic structure in medieval Europe where land ownership and labor obligations defined the relationship between nobles and peasants.
2. Step 2: Identify the roles of nobles in manorialism: they owned the land and had authority over it, collecting rents and labor services from peasants who lived on their land.
3. Step 3: Identify the roles of peasants: they worked the land and provided labor and other services to the nobles in exchange for protection and the right to live and farm on the land.
4. Step 4: Recognize that peasants did not own the land and were not free to leave without permission, highlighting the unequal power dynamic between nobles and peasants.
5. Step 5: Compare the given answer choices to this understanding, selecting the one that correctly reflects the ownership of land by nobles and the labor and service role of peasants in exchange for protection and housing.