Chapter 15, Chapter 16, After 1250 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 15:

This chapter deals with the intricacies of town government. It is first important to note that cities like Troyes were first being granted charters in the twelfth century. These charters, negotiated and granted by feudal lords like the Count of Champagne, essentially freed the citizens of the town from a variety of feudal taxes, in exchange for a single, smaller tax. This freedom also extended to the town handling its own "low justice," or justice against crimes falling short of murder or other "high" crimes. Chartered towns are called communes.

A particular right to be negotiated and bartered is the issue of military service. It is commonplace for a lord to be able to call his subjects to arms in the case of a crisis like an invasion, or a Crusade against Islam. In this era...