▁simply ▁replaced ▁by ▁German ic ▁ones , ▁with ▁little ▁change ▁to ▁the ▁underlying ▁situation ▁or ▁disp lacement ▁of ▁populations . ▁ ▁The ▁process ▁of ▁rural ▁self - su ffic iency ▁was ▁given ▁an ▁ab rupt ▁boost ▁in ▁the ▁e ighth ▁century , ▁when ▁normal ▁trade ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁was ▁dis rupted . ▁The ▁th esis ▁put ▁forward ▁by ▁Henri ▁Pir enne ▁supp oses ▁that ▁the ▁Arab ▁con quest s ▁forced ▁the ▁medieval ▁economy ▁into ▁even ▁greater ▁rural ization ▁and ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁classic ▁fe ud al ▁pattern ▁of ▁varying ▁degrees ▁of ▁serv ile ▁pe asant ry ▁under pin ning ▁a ▁hierarchy ▁of ▁local ised ▁power ▁cent ers . ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁word ▁der ives ▁from ▁traditional ▁inherited ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide , ▁re ass igned ▁as ▁local ▁juris dict ions ▁known ▁as ▁man ors ▁or ▁se igne uries ; ▁each ▁man or ▁being ▁subject ▁to ▁a ▁lord ▁( F rench ▁se igneur ), ▁usually ▁holding ▁his ▁position ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁undert ak ings ▁offered ▁to ▁a ▁higher ▁lord ▁( see ▁Fe ud al ism ). ▁The ▁lord ▁held ▁a ▁man orial ▁court , ▁govern ed ▁by ▁public ▁law ▁and ▁local ▁custom . ▁Not ▁all ▁territorial ▁se igne urs ▁were ▁sec ular ; ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁abb ots ▁also ▁held ▁lands ▁that ▁ent a iled ▁similar ▁oblig ations . ▁ ▁By ▁extension , ▁the ▁word ▁man or ▁is ▁sometimes ▁used ▁in ▁England ▁to ▁mean ▁any ▁home ▁area ▁or ▁territory ▁in ▁which ▁authority ▁is ▁held , ▁often