Chapter 4　Feudal England

Under William’s rule，the Normans changed England to a fully feudal state under an absolute kingship.In such a feudal state，the king’s government needed its own centralizing institutions for efficient rule；the nobility recognized no interests except their own，evaded service of the king when they could，and regarded themselves as independent rulers within their own territories.So in the feudal period in England there was a constant struggle between the centralizing power of the Crown and the feudal tendency towards regionalism.While the main trend was always towards increased central authority，this authority developed within the framework of feudal institutions which limited and conditioned it.