How Feudalism Finally Ended in 2008

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While Europe abolished feudalism at different times depending on the country, there was one holdout that remained a feudal society until 2008.
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Information Sources:
- Caesar, Ed. “Lost World: The Last Days of Feudal Sark.” The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, October 24, 2006.
- Harrell, Eben. “A Revolution Not Televised.” Time., January 17, 2008.
- Launet, Edouard. “Michael Beaumont, 70 Ans, Est Le ‘Seigneur’ De Sercq, Île Anglo-Normande. Deux Richissimes Jumeaux Contestent Son Paisible Féodalisme. Le Comte De L'île.” Libération, December 6, 1997.
- Milmo, Cahal. “End of Europe's Last Fiefdom as Sark Votes for Democracy.” The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, October 4, 2006.
Government of Sark's website:
www.sark.co.uk/
Music used:
Angevin by Kevin MacLeod
found at www.incompetech.com

[@EmperorTigerstar]

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[@QuizmasterLaw]

I'd be amazed if no member of the house of lords wasn't still getting tenants' tribute and paying tribute to the king there's a technical term for feudal tribute but i can't remember it right now coz it's archaic and basically pointless

[@Evzone1821]

I learned something new today thanks to you, ETS. Thank you!

[@primevalcelestialcarcass3998]

I really wish you wouldn't have taken this sponsorship not gonna lie. Ground News is heavily focused on what the average US citizen thinks is "Left", "Right", and "Center"; something that may seem "unbiased" to Americans but would be considered a sway anywhere else in the world. I love your content but I think this sponsorship was a really big miss and I really dunno if I wanna continue supporting you if you're going to keep advertising for them.

[@EEEEEEEE]

E‎ ‎ ‎

[@Rexowogamer]

@@primevalcelestialcarcass3998Is this a case of sources that would be seen as centrist/right-leaning in other countries being identified as "left" or..?

[@lewis9159]

"56% of people voted for democracy" - elections in Europe summarised

[@curtiswfranks]

Maybe better than the U.S.…

[@lmao.3661]

a majority is a majority

[@augustosani]

@@curtiswfranks US elections be like: “56% of people voted for democracy … decisive feudalist victory”

[@zorunus6061]

Democracy is not necessarily a good thing, as can be seen here. Billionaires exploit it.

[@yaboi672]

@@zorunus6061 yep, especially since after their puppets didnt win the barcley brothers had a hissey fit and left, however they returned in 2009

[@a.morphous66]

I can't believe Andre Gardes was defeated like a literal cartoon villain. Easily some of the funniest history I've heard of in a long time.

[@Punaparta]

Constable Bugs Bunny.

[@TheHarrisontemple]

Hell that constable should be ruler of the island lol

[@nxtvim2521]

@@Punapartavs. Commander Elmer Fudd

[@vytah]

To be fair, his invasion plan was also similar to what a cartoon villain would do.

[@harrisonmurray3479]

Haha so right! What was that guy thinking?

[@hughrees-beaumont9433]

Hey! I happen to be the Heir to Sark and I appreciate you making a video about our little corner of Earth. Just thought I'd point out a few things: • First just so it's clear, whilst Sark is a part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, it is also is a crown dependency in its own right • We did have a feudal constitution until 2008, but people shouldn't imagine people being tied to the land and such, the life of the average person on Sark looked (and still looks to some extent) like the life of the average person in any small community • Whilst our constitution is now democratic we still hold the fief from the King in a feudal fashion (yes my father still pays £1.79 to him every year, great landlord!) • The constitution has seen a number of reforms since 2008 and now the government is much smaller, although since politics is pretty toxic no one really wants to run for government so we haven't actually had a contested election since around 2019 • The impact of the Barclay brothers was a lot more severe than you might think, a lot of their staff they rehired as you mention but these were mostly maintenance jobs. They kept all their business closed (hotels, restaurants, etc) which pretty much has ruined our economy since we rely on tourism, I do appreciate your coverage though because it was a case of billionaires coming to an island they didn't understand and ruined many lives; a lot of people still haven't recovered from their actions • The politics of the island are hilarious (in a morbid sort of way) and we have a political crisis every 5 minutes Thanks again for the video, always enjoy seeing our little island in the spotlight for a brief moment, also I'm happy to answer any questions about Sark if anyone wants to know more about something in particular

[@FlameQwert]

this is fascinating. what's your read on the near term and long term future of Sark and its society, economy, etc.

[@notme8232]

What is preventing you from raising a conscript army and just taking the industry? The Barclays couldn't take it back without technically declaring war on Sark, the UK and NATO, right?

[@deiansalazar140]

I am curious what you think about experimenting with different ideologies using your community as a sort of good or bad policy ideas and ideologies but always having a Fail-Safe to make sure nobody gets harmed. Also like can I be a knight? Please?

[@no_rubbernecking]

Thanks for offering to take questions. I've read online that sark is a Scottish word meaning a nightshirt. Is this the origin of the island's name, or is it something unrelated? Or don't we know?

[@501lilspoon]

Does your family speak Norman

[@RyanAmparo-tl]

I like how this is a microcosm of modern European democracies. A lot of people think democracies were born out of the common people asserting their rights, but it’s actually often the result of the monarch surrendering their powers bit by bit to a monied merchant class or middle aristocracy, who themselves have a vested interest in promoting “democracy” because they’ll win the elections.

[@Nikolapoleon]

I was just about to say the exact same thing. Thank you for putting it so eloquently.

[@sniedendepoes]

Cool it with the antisemitism

[@Nikolapoleon]

@@sniedendepoes You're projecting.

[@nxtvim2521]

Exactly. Most forget that even in America, the founding fathers were very much middle class european college kids, closer to us today than the average citizen of the time, today, in knowledge. There weren't any irish rednecks, irish indentured servants, blacks, women, or any other potential poor or truly democratic mindset.

[@scvboy1]

This is 100% facts

[@compatriot852]

Just from the title, I knew Britian and its rock collection would be mentioned.

[@concept5631]

Britain really do have the world's largest rock collection.

[@Longshanks1690]

They’re not rocks, Marie, they’re ✨ Overseas Territories! ✨

[@MisterBear19]

@@Longshanks1690 long name for rock in sea

[@erickrobertson7089]

I thought it was China.

[@compatriot852]

@King Edward "Longshanks" I, Hammer of the Scots, Lord of Wales and King of England I knew it was only a matter of time till a Breaking bad reference would be made. Truly cultured, I see

[@thomasjetzer2823]

Since November 2000, the ISS has been permanently manned, marking the last time all living humans were on earth unless something dramatic happens. So there has been a brief 8-year overlap between european feudalism and the space age proper.

[@Zenas521]

Sounds like Anima

[@martinb4272]

Lovely observation!

[@MrBigCookieCrumble]

That's like out of a novel!

[@dandanovich6729]

There are still stone-age people who didn't invent how to create fire on the planet Earth, y'know?

[@thomasjetzer2823]

@@dandanovich6729 Yes, but there is a European space agency and European crew on the ISS. That makes it an unecpected tidbit that Europe still had feudalism going on at the same time. Uncontacted tribes tend to have rather sub-par space programs.

[@rad4924]

So if I'd gone to Sark in 2007 and illegally downloaded a song, then technically the Seigneur would have failed to keep the island pirate free and thus have breached his obligations to the crown.

[@prestonjones1653]

Nah. They'd have actually gone and arrested you. Nobody else bothers but hoo boy if he isn't making sure his obligations are only two bucks.

[@malegria9641]

I know what I’m doing with a time machine

[@zimriel]

Depends. Is the illegal download from a British-owned firm? The Crown's interest is in preventing piracy against southern Britain and the Channel Islands (including Wight I guess). Certainly Elizabeth I, who started all this, didn't care if someone pirated Spain.

[@pencillover123]

This made me laugh. I'd also imagine dressing up as a pirate on Halloween was also a no-no.

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

​@@zimriel Excuse me, sir. Where is your letter of mark?

[@hihi-nm3uy]

I adore how you glossed over the fact that a man showed up to an island as a one man army, only to be outwitted Greek Hero style by like, one administrator.

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

Volunteer constable. He was a single man militia. Stopping a single man army.

[@kennarajora6532]

Sometimes very old myths had a basis in reality.

[@tacidian7573]

The duel of the ages.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Sark actually used feudalism to their advantage when the Germans occupied it. Dame Sibyl Hathaway used decorum as her weapon to gain the upper hand. She would never approach a German but expect him to approach her. Before allowing a Nazi to take a seat in her home, she reportedly demanded that he bow and kiss her hand. And when the Germans first arrived on Sark, she made the aristocrats walk the length of the room by putting a desk and chairs at the far end for negotiations. And she talked to them in GERMAN, stunning them. She expected rigid etiquette and thus, this eroded the confidence of the Germans. She also found small ways to get under the occupiers' skin. In her sitting room, she deliberately placed anti-fascist books at eye-level. Or asking innocent questions like why it was taking so long to invade the USSR. Residents followed her lead. When the Germans demanded that fishermen only go out to sea from 10 am to 3 pm, accompanied by an armed guard, they "forgot" to appear at the docks during the approved fishing times, leaving their German chaperones waiting alone at the harbor.

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

I heard about those stories of Dame Hathaway. I mean on an island that small resistance isn’t really going to work, so you might as well doing everything in your power to erode the confidence of your occupiers, and humble them if possible 😂.

[@thegreatdodo5092]

I don't think this did anything meaningful to the occupants as their stay long after D-day shows

[@hart-of-gold]

Her resistance wasn't entirely selfless. A fief carrys a duty to maintain the land for the crown. If she gave up control to the Germans (or anyone else), the fief would be broken.

[@magickymajk]

Four sentences in and I'm already in love with Sibyl

[@Cooom]

She did a Lil trolling

[@duplodragon]

What a wondefully cute story. Also: how is this much stuff going on on an island with barely 500 inhabitants? ...My local village has more people. And 30 council members? That is 6% of the entire population!

[@mellon4251]

They probably only meet once per month or so😄

[@catmonarchist8920]

They've got nothing else to do over there

[@NorseNorman]

The États of Alderney (another Channel Island) only has 10 seats, who all huddle around a small table in their parliament. It is not uncommon elsewhere in the Channel Islands for politicians to be elected unopposed, or even for there to not be enough people to be interested in running for election!

[@seneca983]

@@NorseNorman The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands has a parliament with only 7 members.

[@Luredreier]

500 people... That explains why block voting was picked as their electoral system...

[@connorperrett9559]

The one man army invading only to be thwarted by a Barney Fife sort of cop asking if he could take a look at his cool rifle is something so absurd it could only have happened in reality.

[@stevenshea990]

the American state of Maryland was a feudal realm during the colonial era. The entire colony was a fiefdom of the Calvert family (the Barons of Baltimore), who parceled the land out to minor lords and gentry which was then leased to colonists. As an interesting consequence of this is that Maryland is one of the few states where ground rent, where a home owner doesn't own the land under it, is legal. Coincidentally, MD only banned ground rent for new houses in 2008.

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

What are you talking about? You've just described a trailer park, and those are probably in all fifty states. Sheesh.

[@chucknorris277]

With 12k in state land tax per year... I'm just renting also

[@kcck7588]

@@TheEudaemonicPlagueno lol

[@GWVillager]

American history: some guy started a new life and named a town after his mother. Asian history: 14,000 Warlords died in one day over the entire Dynasty only to be removed 13 minutes later. European history: So there are these trailer ambulance…

[@Algeriawindows69]

African history: this tribe used to be a huge kingdom but now this is the remnants of it

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@Algeriawindows69 africa should be - president is removed in coup. Army general becomes president which leads to civil war. Is removed. Civil war starts again

[@Algeriawindows69]

@@ShubhamMishrabro what about: democratic in name only

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@Algeriawindows69 yes definitely

[@NorseNorman]

Not only does Sark have tractor-ambulances, but also plenty of horse-carriages! If you go to Sark, it is pretty much much the best way to get around and you get a cool history lesson from the driver too.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

A little inaccuracy - During WWII the Germans initially posted a small garrison on Sark but agreed to remove them at the request of the then seigneur (a woman, so titled The Dame of Sark). At that time, my mum's uncle was a member of the Royal Marine commandos who took part in a nighttime intelligence gathering raid on Guernsey, but due to bad navigation in the dark his team landed on Sark by mistake. By the time they realised what had happened it was too late to get to their intended destination, so all they could do was wait to be picked up, and as there were no Germans on Sark they went to the island's pub !

[@stefanodadamo6809]

Only to be lampooned as quite poor substitute for liberating heroes, I suppose, and thus starting a proper British brawl, to signify that patriotic values weren't lost on the island and wouldn't yield to Nazi "law and order"... 🤣

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

@@stefanodadamo6809 I don't recall Uncle Jim ever mentioning what excuse they made for being on Sark, but it was probably a very good one ! In the time honoured tradition of British forces, blaming someone else may have had a part to play. 😉

[@Zenas521]

Wait! 🤨 Royal Marine Commandos can't figure out the home field advantage!? 😂

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

@@Zenas521 Personally, I thought that going to the pub showed great initiative. 😁

[@dado__]

I'm not sure where the story got mixed up, but Sark was absolutely occupied from 1940 to 1945. It seems, however, that during Operation Ambassador "one party of No.11 [Independent Company] were taken to the wrong island (Sark) as a result of another faulty compass, landing on Little Sark the team explored La Sablonnerie and not finding any Germans returned safely to the destroyer" (Wikipedia). This happened on July 8, 1940 and Wikipedia notes that the Germans had only just arrived on July 3 with 3 officers and 10 soldiers, so it makes sense that no Germans were spotted before the lost party returned to their ship.

[@alexpotts6520]

The plot twist that it was the Barclay brothers of all people that ended feudalism on Sark is a stark reminder that revolutions in real life, contrary to the popular imagination of them, tend to happen only when the status quo is rebelled against by a kind of shadow-elite, guys who are still rich or at least upper-middle class, but who lack the power or influence they see as their god-given right.

[@A_B_1917]

That's the case for capitalist revolutions.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@A_B_1917 And communist ones too. They're supposed to be run by the proletariat, and yet in reality it's always the vanguard that retains control.

[@A_B_1917]

@@alexpotts6520 The vanguard was often from the proletariat tho. A lot of revolutionary leaders came from modest backgrounds, not shadow-elites. It might not have been a democracy in many places, but that's pretty much a norm, due to how much power the rich have the west isn't truely democratic either.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@A_B_1917 Yeah okay that's a fair point. I guess I was just transferring over to historical revolutions my view of modern western left movements, which really *are* dominated by the middle classes, the sort of people who (a) have the spare time to organise and (b) have acquired expensive degrees that aren't paying off for them in the job market to the extent they had hoped.

[@lordblazer]

well I mean this wasn't a revolution. Sark was technically apart of the EU at the time, and if they had taken it to EU court, it would've caused too much negative publicity. Sure they were feudal state, but I'm pretty sure it was modern by the time this was going down in 2008... the only difference was on taxes.. like always ... nothing really changed functionally on that island besides decorum and who the residents paid taxes to.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Interesting fact about Sark: In 2011, Sark was designated as a Dark Sky Community and the first Dark Sky Island in the world. A dark-sky community means that an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory, restricts artificial light pollution. This is to promote astronomy, as well as scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and public enjoyment. Land going back and forth between the English and French is pretty much the story of the two small islands of St. Pierre & Miquelon. Although Britain let France keep the islands after the Seven Years War, French settlements on the islands would be destroyed by the British and vice versa whether it’s because of French support of the American Revolution or the Wars of the First and Second Coalitions. They were permanently resettled in 1816 after the Hundred Days War and the islands have stuck with France since! Really is incredible the rich history you’ll find in such small places

[@iamothemakhnovist20]

True! As a french I was always curious that England possesses the Channel Islands (called Anglo-Normand Island in French btw lol), but know you remind me that we also have two small funny island off the coast of Canada, which used to be proper UK for sometimes. So actually, it's a fair deal and I like it this way

[@mrwheat9080]

Remember me

[@Jay_Johnson]

@@iamothemakhnovist20 If there is one thing France and Britain are good at it's clinging on to random irrelevant islands and bits of land all around the world.

[@iamothemakhnovist20]

@@Jay_Johnson no France still control important islands, the most populated being La Réunion with over 800 000 inhabitants, or New Caledonia which is fighting for its independence (as well as islands in the Caribbean and Polynesia)

[@TheManSticker]

I actually met the son and heir of the current Seigneur recently. Interesting bloke, seemed to take seriously the idea that Sark is its own little micronation under Crown protection

[@deiansalazar140]

What does he think of the implications and stuff?

[@NovajaPravda]

Can we be an absolute monarchist and try to restore feudalism for him? Would be nice to see an island of feudalism in a liberal sea. We could also employ staff and volunteer to pretend to be medieval serfs in some villages. This could probably drive up the tourism there.

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

I mean… he’s not entirely wrong. Sark isn’t actually a part of the United Kingdom, it’s under the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which is a Crown dependency, meaning it’s autonomous and linked to the UK more by the Crown then by territorial inclusivity. And the position of Seigneur still exists so… it’s not really a leap in logic

[@redeye4516]

Funny enough, he also seems to be in this comment section too, his comment is a little above you from my screen. Perhaps you can catch up lol.

[@LaneCorbett]

We need to help him set up a based Kingdom

[@NorseNorman]

Hello, I am a historian from Jersey who specialises in Channel Island history. Indeed, all Channel Islands are all deeply connected historically as we are all the remaining part of the Duchy of Normandy. To this day we refer to the King of the UK as the ‘Duke’ and Norman law still applies on each island. This includes quirky things like it being illegal for men to knit during certain times of the year and being able to stop any legal proceeding against you by asking Rollo to come to your aid in French! Also in Jersey (and I think Guernsey, though I am not sure) the seigneurs still exist, though there are a number of them and they no longer have the same power that the one in Sark has. That being said, they still have certain rights, such as ownership of any reclaimed land and the right to any real estate of anyone who died without an heir. It is because of laws like this that Sark has been able to govern the way it has for so many years. Not only do we have Norman laws, the Norman language still spoken by a precious few on Jersey, Guernsey and Sark (and the Norman dialect spoken on Sark, Sérčê, is written in the Czech alphabet for some reason). Whilst this video does a very good job at explaining the overview of the horrible things the Barkley brothers did to the Island of Sark, the full story is just insane. It has already been mentioned that they ran their own hand-picked puppet candidates for the 2008 election and shut down all the hotels on the island, putting 1/3 of the island out of work (and crippling Sark’s important tourism industry at the same time). They also intimidated opposition candidates with aggressive legal action, bullying and slander through their funded newspaper. In fact, the editor of said newspaper has been investigated for criminal harassment against 10% of the island's population. Despite taking a more back seat approach in recent years, they still openly intimidate and bully anyone who criticises their corporate interference. A few years ago the Barkley Brothers bullied an ambulance-boat sailor off the island for transporting sick patients to Guernsey instead of using the Barkley licenced transport helicopter. It is a crazy story that really shows the insane levels of interference big business will go to get their own way. It is like a AnCap / Libertarian dystopian fever-dream, with literal corporate overlords literally looking over you from a literal James Bond villain castle island.

[@thesquishedelf1301]

So they went from feudalism to… corpo-feudalism. Meet the new lords, worse than the old lord

[@compatriot852]

There's a difference between libertarians and Anarcho-capitalism, which is the extreme version of it, which just ends up becoming a monarchy/oligarchy

[@JackHeywood]

Anything to read on Sarkese orthography? Very interesting!

[@Magneticle]

The Barkley brothers are/were (one has expired) truly despicable. I genuinely hope history remembers them as the awful people they were. I dream of a Brecqhou without their ridiculous construction. Also, Guernsey does also have seigneurs! One of them happens to be the Bailiff (for internationals, not the buff guy in court, but a part-time judge), who was gifted the land back in the 1980s, and as such it's passed down from Bailiff to Bailiff.

[@lawrencep8923]

@@JackHeywood search up sertchais, the local name for the language. similar orthography to french and the other languages of the channel islands.

[@Methus3lah]

This island is actually a really good microcosm of how feudalism was supplanted by capitalism; knowing they could influence elections more easily than lords, wealthy merchants funded revolutions to change politics to their benefit. And most democracies with universal suffrage didn’t start out that way. America famously started as only allowing white, landowning men to vote. This gave the effect of the merchant class supplanting the feudal class. Reminds me of George Orwell’s 1984: “For long periods, the High seem to be securely in power, but sooner or later, there always comes a moment when they lost either their beliefs in themselves or their capacity to govern efficiently, or both. They are then overthrown by the Middle, who enlist the Low on their side by pretending to them that they are fighting for liberty and justice. As soon as they have reached their objective, the Middle thrust the Low back into their old position of servitude, and themselves become the High.”

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

It's interesting as well because the conservative party for a while was "the high" and "the low" against the middle, which is why they expanded the franchise.

[@wiegraf9009]

Uh yeah except in this case the bourgeois usurpers did not in fact take power once there were elections.

[@Methus3lah]

@@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901 it wasn’t necessarily the low and high against the middle. Rather, it was mostly the high scaremongering about race to certain sections of the middle and low, thusly allowing the high to maintain power while the middle fights the middle and the low fights the low.

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

@@Methus3lah I'm talking about Britain. Lord Disraeli. It wasn't about race.

[@Methus3lah]

@@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901 Ah, well honestly if you’re talking about Britain then I don’t know anything about that. Sometimes in America we refer to republicans as the “conservative” party. Sorry for the confusing

[@chronovac]

Dude you have to know the constable was absolutely hyped when that guy actually showed up. "Finally, it is my time to be a hero!"

[@NeroPiroman]

in bosnia it was fully abolished in 1918, because Austria-hungary didnt want to deal with it so it left the system from the ottoman times the same

[@kmmmsyr9883]

Ottoman Empire wasn't feudal, tho. Do you mean the iltizam system?

[@NeroPiroman]

@@kmmmsyr9883 the name might not have been the same, but the System in my country was feudal esentialy, it might not have been the same in iraq for example

[@LukeSky2207]

Well, they only had 10 years to do it, and really didn't care lol

[@NeroPiroman]

@@LukeSky2207 they had 40 years

[@LukeSky2207]

@@NeroPiroman Austria only annexed Bosnia in 1908, no? Although they had held the territory for longer, the Russian conditions for it were probably strict legislation-wise.

[@jasonhaven7170]

Actually, in England, many freehold houses have manorial rights that aristocrats in the region own. These include mineral rights. So in England you can buy a house and own the land underneath, but you won't have all the rights to the land. So feudalism (particularly Lord of the Manor) is still a thing in England.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

That kinda sounds like Canada. You own your home and the land immediately beneath, but if, for example, there's oil discovered on your land the government can take away your land from you . Provided they pay you "fair market value" for your home. We don't really have property rights when dealing with the government.

[@jasonhaven7170]

@@kutter_ttl6786 That's because of the Crown who is the Lord of the Manor of all Canada. The difference here is many and multiple aristocrats across the country own rights to land around the country owned by other people. Only the King has the rights to Canada (but your government can change that at any time), excluding indigenous rights. You can get rid of him, we can't get rid of the aristocrats.

[@prestonjones1653]

Same thing in the US. Mineral rights are a separate legal entity from property ownership.

[@jasonhaven7170]

@@prestonjones1653 That's inherited from British law with regards to the Crown. Also, it depends what state you're in. Oklahoma respected property and mineral rights when oil was found on a 12-year-old Black girl's land.

[@TurdFerguson43]

Mineral rights exist practically everywhere in the world. You don’t own the column of earth from the ground all the way to the core of the earth, just like you don’t own the entire sky above.

[@rafaelbogdan9307]

The last part was such a "mission failed successfully" story for the Barclays, it's perfect 😂

[@schalitz1]

Billionaires ruining paradise for everyone else, and they wonder why people hate them.

[@BloodRider1914]

I thought you were going to talk about Mauritania and its abolition of slavery around this time. Interesting topic as well. Correction: Formally abolished in 1981, only enforced in 2007.

[@masterdeetectiv9520]

It abolished it in 1981 tho

[@GwainSagaFanChannel]

Doesnt that make them the last country to abolish slavery?

[@BloodRider1914]

@@GwainSagaFanChannel Yep

[@jrak193]

@@GwainSagaFanChannel Well, google says Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981, but they are still the last country to formally abolish it. The thing to remember is that a lot of third world countries, still have slavery that their governments either can't fight or don't want to.

[@abyss198]

From my understanding Mauritanian authorities don't enforce that law as much either way.

[@samedjones]

I live here, we're not a fan of the Barclay brothers

[@NoaManic]

Damn, now I can say I was alive during Feudalism!

[@Sabrowsky]

Props to the constable who thwarted a psycho with a gun by politely asking for his firearm

[@sebastianprimomija8375]

Wait a minute...🤔 Are we just gonna ignore the part where essentially two rich merchants use democracy to subvert the legitimate authority of a feudal lord, try buy off all the candidates and rule behind closed doors. Is there no lesson here we could draw from this? I think there's a lesson here. 🤨 edit: Now I think I understand why the Tokugawa Shogunate put the merchant class at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Merchants kinda sus.

[@TheKeksadler]

Somethin something, the weakness of democracy

[@sebastianprimomija8375]

@@TheKeksadler Yeah, like factionalism is the goal not the representation of the people, big thinks in this comment section. Big thinks.

[@DuxSanctiHadriani]

It can only lead to shadow oligarchy.

[@zandaroos553]

Yet the public still rejected them and their influence.

[@NorseNorman]

This video summary really only uncovers the top of the iceberg. I would highly recommend reading the New Yorker piece 'Sark Spring'. The Barkley Brothers also stalked, bullied and intimidated opposition candidates and the editor of the Barkley propaganda newspaper was investigated for criminal harassment against 10% of the island's population. Not too long ago they bullied an ambulance sailor into leaving Sark because he transported sick patients to Guernsey using his own boat instead of the Barkley owned transport helicopter. It is seriously messed up.

[@apoema42]

A similar institution still exist in Brazil. There is a town in Rio de Janeiro state called Petrópolis which once hold many houses and propriety of the Brazilian Imperial Family. The republic came and they made out a deal so a propriety "tax" would incurred on the sale of any house/propriety in the town and would be paid directly to the old Imperial Family. I am not too much into the details of it but I believe it still survive in Brazil's Legal code under the guise of a property fee or something.

[@doppel232]

I am Brazilian, and this is cool

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

And the rural farmland areas of the Philippines still operate on the Hacienda model of feudalism.

[@TheMechanicalHermit]

The tax is called "Laudêmio" or informally "Prince's Tax" - I never expected to see my hometown namedropped in a video about European feudalism out of all things! Such a great little place, minus the recurrent floodings due to dereliction of the infrastructure, thanks to the mayor and state's poor excuse of an administration.

[@j6154]

SO glad to see a big KZbinr cover this topic, ive been to sark lots of times (i live on jersey, the nearby island), such an interesting little island!

[@avantelvsitania3359]

Discovered the History of Sark a few days ago. Incredible that you made a video about it.

[@henrymach]

Erm... There's a city in Brazil where you still have to pay a fee (called laudêmio) to the royal family (which was deposed in 1889, by the way) whenever you buy or sell a property

[@cfv7461]

Who collects it?

[@marsar1775]

@@cfv7461 i do

[@cfv7461]

@@marsar1775 then to the guillotine with you 🔪

[@Leo-cw8se]

Petrópolis if I'm not wrong. It was a form by wich the Republican Government found to compensate the Royal Family for deposing them from the throne via a military coup d'état and, of course, confiscating all their properties in the country and sending them into exile.

[@hotman_pt_]

Which city?

[@snepgames3565]

Recognised Sark just from the thumbnail, been there a few times, its quite nice. really tiny. I'm in Jersey!

[@tacidian7573]

The Channel Islands sound like nice travel destinations. Everything seems like a mix of English and French.

[@LPPokefan]

That's a lot of interesting history for such a tiny island, thanks for sharing!

[@btbb3726]

Interesting and well done! Nice script and narration! Thank You! I’ve subscribed 👍🏻

[@Poseidon4862.]

I still have so many question though! What was their economy like? Was it a capitalist system under a monarchy? How did that work? What was the feudal ruler’s life like? What was anyone’s life like? If feels like there should be so many layers to this…

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Economy was actually pretty tourist based thanks to the longtime Lady of Sark, Dame Sybil Hathaway, as she did much to encourage it. Other then that, mostly agriculture. In terms of Sark lords, they mostly behaved like constitutional monarchs since Sark has its own legislature, the Chief Pleas.

[@Poseidon4862.]

@@Edmonton-of2ec thanks!

[@alexandruianu8432]

Why ~800-2008? 800 is a ridiculously late date. The first laws establishing feudalism were under Diocletian, as peasants on farming estates were bound to the land, effectively mandating serfdom (this was after the crisis of the 3rd century mostly destroyed the Roman fiduciary economy, forcing land owners to become mostly self-sufficient).

[@LukeSky2207]

That's serfdom, not feudalism. The most you can say about "Roman feudalism" was the clientelism system, that feudalism kinda only made official.

[@littleredpony6868]

@@LukeSky2207 you can look at it as a protofeudalism system. Given what was going on at the time it’s understandable why they did what they did

[@Epsilonsama]

Probably we don't have enough records of Roman Sark or if there was even a community living there at that time. ~800 is when we first have records of said goverment.

[@a.p.2356]

I'm really curious what life was like when it was still technically feudal. It sounds like you could own property, but was a significant chunk of it still owned directly by the Seigneur? Was the island expected to provide men at arms to the Crown in times of war? What did the Seigneur do with the pigeons?

[@zakuraiyadesu]

Love the videos, man. Keep it up!!!

[@AESTHETIC-yk3zk]

Was on Guernsey and Sark last october, really beautiful places!

[@herothecrow994]

How was this the first time I realized where the word “landlord” came from A lord That controls land

[@Hand-in-Shot_Productions]

Indeed! It's simple!

[@Anastas1786]

Feudalism is also where "tenant" and "lieutenant" came from. A "tenant" is someone who lives or works under a landlord rather than holding land in his own right. A "lieutenant" is someone who holds a position or property _in place of_ ("in lieu of") the real "tenant".

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

Yeah, although I think landlord wasn't a lord in the sense of nobility, but below a "real lord" in a sense

[@PiousMoltar]

Boy you're gonna be shocked when you find out what "tabletop" means.

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

I did not know your channel, this is the first video of yours I've seen on my feed, and you picking appart what feudalism is and isn't was an instant sell for me. I've subscribed.

[@bobbyjoe1111]

First time i see a video with commentary from you, you have a good voice for this type of thing!

[@kmmmsyr9883]

Turkey had a weird history with feudalism. Throught the Late Medieval and Early Modern Periods, the Ottoman Empire was a centralized absolute monarchy. Sultan's army was made of 2 main parts: kapıkulus (slave soldiers of devshirme system, inc. janissaries) and timariots. Kapıkulus were literally "owned" by the sultan and was among the first centralized professional armies of the time. The reason Ottomans recruited Christian boys was to prevent any future feudal lords from gaining power. Since they were recruited in small age, they had no relatives, and since they were convert slaves, they had no power over the population. Also, sultans after Mehmed II favored them over Turkish timariots. At first glance, the Turkish tımar system might seem similar to European feudalism. Tımar means fief in Turkish. Unlike kapıkulus, timariots were Turkish noble cavalries. They were given land and were expected to govern it and send soldiers whenever the sultan demanded it. However, to prevent them from gaining power as they did in Europe, the central government would change their places in every 3 years. The Porte would send officers to inspect if they farmed the land, etc. They didn't own the land, but just governed it in the name of the sultan and the Porte had the right to seize their lands at any time. However, while feudal society was crumbling in Europe, it arose in the Ottoman Empire. With the economic collapse of the Ottoman Empire and its tımar system, the Porte had to actually sell the lands under the name of the iltizam system. This led to the rise of the "ayan (local notable)" class. Local notables bought lands previously owned by the sultan and armed themselves. Some of them grew quite powerful in places like Lebanon and Albania. And last nail on the coffin, Mahmud II needed their help to be able to reform the military by removing the Janissary Guild, so he signed the Sened-i İttifak, which we can call the Turkish Magna Carta, giving the notables too many legal rights. In Eastern Turkey, feudalism lived on synthesized with Kurdish tribalism even after the foundation of the Republic and it was ended in the Dersim Rebellion in a bloody way.

[@hexapodc.1973]

That’s kinda interesting, it’s sounding to me like late ottoman history followed a pretty similar course of late Byzantine history. Because early on after the east west split, and for centuries after the emperors had pretty centralized control over their empire, but that started to change during about the 1200’s and 1300s during the pronoia system, and that eventually led to local lords getting hereditary roles and far more local power. And while feudalism itself was never really introduced properly, I’m pretty sure this was more about the Byzantines being too proud to stoop as low as feudalism and never really admitting to themselves the state of their empire

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

I remember reading European works from the Renaissance era, talking about how feudalism prevents tyranny by decentralising states, and contrasting that with the ottoman empire, which was a centralised, and therefore tyrannic, land. Then it talked about how France was becoming the turkey of Europe I think.

[@valtontony826]

Albania 💪

[@j.p.vanbolhuis8678]

"recruited christian boys" is a nice euphemistic way to describe robbing them from their parents at young age, forcibly convert them at young age, and them let them fight and murder their parents and nephews whenever the local population rose in rebellion because of these thefts. The Devshirme (blood tax) were an important factor in the recurring rebellions in the Balkans. Seems like people do not like it if you steal their children. Huh. Who knew.

[@kmmmsyr9883]

@@j.p.vanbolhuis8678 Dude, you look funny when you nitpick just to whine and virtue signal under a perfectly normal comment. I have some objections, but won't raise them just to not give you an opening to an argument. Just wondering, what are those "rebellions caused by devshirme system"? Can you name 10 of those rebellions as an example?

[@michaelsilver253]

The story of Sark (pretty sure it's Sark) in WW2 is super dope, old lady mindfucks Nazi officers while still collecting her two geese per chimney from her subjects

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Apparently, she noted they always gave her the sick and old birds. This crazy lady also led a raid on a German grain depot, they had to take charge of the garrison sent to liberate the island because the 3 British officers there weren’t up to the challenge

[@no_rubbernecking]

Wow. We know we're visiting Europe when geese/chimney is an official government unit of measure for... something. 😆

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

@@no_rubbernecking No… they’re being literal. Two birds per chimney on the house

[@no_rubbernecking]

@@Edmonton-of2ec So... you don't see any humor in that? Or insanity?

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

@@no_rubbernecking Its not really crazy since it was 80 years ago and they… don’t do it anymore?

[@sidehustlessimplified]

Amazing and very well done video!

[@FlamingKetchup]

Andre Gardes has a short film, called The Man Who Tried to Steal an Island, according to IMBD. Sadly it seems it was only available in screenings in Guernsey and Sark in 2013.

[@getcrepuscular9755]

Good thing we aren't giving our surpluses to landlords and title holders today PS: Why didn't you label the free territory on your history of Ukraine video?

[@luisfilipe2023]

Feudalism ended land ownership didn’t

[@EmperorTigerstar]

Because the video shows Ukrainian *states*, and a stateless military group isn't a state.

[@real_nosferatu]

Ok commie

[@Oscar-ds2vb]

under feudalism you work for a lord that provide you with protection and security. what we have today/is developing today is the worst of all systems. 100% dehumanized economic system. were the "lords" doesnt even provide protection.

[@concept5631]

​@@EmperorTigerstar What kind of names would anarchists give their territory? Since most of the stuff countries use are associated with "states" in one way or another.

[@philipjackson8974]

oh hey Sark ive been there! i am from Jersey so it is very easy to get there if you or someone you know owns a boat I actually went there when i was young in 2005 and were were carted around on a donkey drawn carrage

[@Hand-in-Shot_Productions]

I've heard of odd little Sark, but I've learned a lot more about it! I didn't know they have Gardes's gun in a museum, or that the Seigneur only has to pay 1.79 pounds for ruling an entire island! I would like to retroactively applaud the people and authorities in Sark for their process of democratization. Thanks for the video!

[@semi-useful5178]

Seems like going to democracy was the worst thing that happened to them since Nazi occupation.

[@tacidian7573]

André Gardes probably thought he'd John Rambo his way to the top of Sark Island.

[@adithyaavadhani]

It’s actually a fact that England and Wales follow a feudal system of land law to this very day. I’m not talking about one old law or something like that, the system itself, entirely is feudal in nature.

[@AmazingAwesomeAlaska]

How

[@peteranderson037]

"Oh yeah, I'll tooooootaly end feudalism on this island." -The Lord of Sark probably /s

[@404_nowheresnotfound3]

This is some of the best history I have seen in awhile! Made my day! Thank you.

[@tcjdv]

So glad you made this video! I wrote a paper on this event in college right after it happened, and I’m a little surprised it’s not a more popular topic of discussion in history circles.

[@yourguysheppy]

Hey I was just recommended your video randomly by KZbin, real interesting stuff

[@aaronmorton5427]

@8:55 is that a Tintin reference portraying the Barclay brothers and Thomson and Thompson?

[@riblix4744]

Yes.

[@Taipei_103]

Sark should do something with Sealand.

[@LaneCorbett]

Sark becomes Sealand

[@xXxSkyViperxXx]

Sealand becomes Sark

[@only1thatmakessense]

Enjoyed that video, music was cool too particularly liked the part about the one man army !

[@tristanholderness4223]

always cool to hear about the Channel Islands! My granddad is from Guernsey, but was evacuated immediately before the German invasion. He still goes back pretty regularly

[@alface935]

7:34 You just cant make this up Sometimes reality is more strange than fantasy

[@curtiswfranks]

That single first purchase by the Barclays could have paid for the next hundred millennia of Seigneurs, assuming that it was not invested and the agreement remained fixed.

[@SonnenShades]

thanks for making this video it was very cool

[@xyznihall]

great video

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

Kinda funny how the Allies just didn’t even try to liberate the Channel Islands until after the German general surrender

[@pocketmarcy6990]

That’s because they were super fortified and not incredibly important to liberate so the allies just left them

[@ainzsama5101]

@@pocketmarcy6990 thats the point

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

@@pocketmarcy6990 I’m sure the people living there appreciated that

[@johnpoole3871]

@goldenfiberwheat238 I am sure they did. Not being in a warzone is nice.

[@Tulkas219]

@@johnpoole3871 - As somebody whose relatives where there I can confirm that it was not nice at all. After D-Day the islands became cut off so the German garrison and the population no longer received supplies. There was starvation and malnutrition for nearly a year. Had a Red Cross ship not eventually arrived there would have been many casualties and many suffered ill health for years to come as a result of the lack of food. When it was pointed out to Churchill that British citizens would starve if the islands weren't liberated he reportedly said "let them starve." Not surprisingly his legacy is not as well regarded here as he is in the rest of the UK.

[@ShadowDragon1848]

It´s funny that two billionaires tried to abolish feudalism and introduce their own form of "feudalism". ^^

[@rhamlet5290]

Capitalism is just feudalism with extra steps.

[@MrToddino]

Many such cases, nothing has really changed

[@Donderu]

@@MrToddino if anything, most times it gets worse

[@tacidian7573]

New management

[@themercer4972]

Thanks a lot. This was interesting to hear about. I agree it could make a good movie or mini series. Anyhow this vid has me interested enough to go learn a bit more about Sark island.

[@landonpotts6815]

Great video

[@Egemony]

The fact that it was hiding somewhere in the UK is the least surprising fact in this video

[@catmonarchist8920]

NOT in the UK. Outside of the UK but run by the UK through the crown unlike islands on the other side of the world that are part of the UK but self governing (like the Falklands, Pitcairn, Caribbean islands, etc.)

[@Egemony]

@@catmonarchist8920 Yeah, the video itself made a remark that this dynamic itself is a relic of feudalism as well. Regardless, with that said the islands are in one way a "subordinate" of the UK

[@christianwestling2019]

Sad that it ended. Living history in small scales is awesome.

[@matro2]

Feudalism has never ended in my heart.

[@athanaricwilhelmsson]

same

[@TheMaster4534]

Feudalism = cringe Absolutism = based

[@Toporzel-]

@@TheMaster4534 Commonwealthism = Based

[@kcck7588]

@@Toporzel-imagine being okay with a appointed leader simply because their ancestors 🤣

[@Eok6]

True, feudalism is the best

[@Jesse_Dawg]

This video was great. Please more like this

[@StevenEveral]

Feudalism: The thing that Emperor Tigerstar loves talking about. 😉😂 Edit: I just re-watched the Extra Credits series on the Hundred Years War just yesterday, then Emperor Tigerstar goes and makes this. Cool but weird. 😎😎

[@iamothemakhnovist20]

As a french this video made me laugh a lot and was interesting bcs I know those islands are so close to France, and I don't know this guy André Gardes who tried to invade Sark, but he clearly has a french name and I think he desperately tried to give these islands to France 🤣.

[@adventussaxonum448]

Yes, but the constable who punched him on the nose probably had a French surname too. Many Channel Islanders do, like English footballers Matthew le Tissier and Graeme le Saux.

[@iamothemakhnovist20]

@@adventussaxonum448 true

[@kennarajora6532]

He was a French Nuclear Physicist.

[@johncasey1020]

Very interesting !

[@tylertodd4774]

Love the video! The background music is a bit loud though compared to the voiceover.

[@hotimportknight]

One of my ancestors families were given this island hundreds of years ago to keep pirates off of it. I do a lot of genealogy and found quite a few generations from Sark before they eventually went to Quebec. Can't think of the name off hand though without digging back in the tree... Edit: I think the family name was de Cartaret or Hamon, which turned into Emond and Americanized to Amo (for some reason).

[@neilbain8736]

So much to explain so well explained. The Crown really is complex. The Seigneur certainly knew how to deal with the Nazis in WW2. She knew just how to command authority and was personally acquainted with just the right people (I think this included both German and British Nobility) to Get Things Done and Give The Invaders A Hard Time. There's at least a radio program on just this. Passport to Pimlico picked up on this in a brilliant post war Ealing Comedy starring Margaret Rutherford and Stanley Holloway is considered a classic. The Mouse That Roared (Peter Sellars) is another. And what happened to the Barclay Brothers is something they sorely miscalculated.

[@mencken8]

So thankful for the initial disclaimer that it would be impossible to give a good explanation of feudalism in a You Tube video. So seldom does the author of any video do this. Bravo.

[@jasonz7788]

Awesome thanks

[@JackHeywood]

You might be interested in making a video about the history of Lundy island, off the northern coast of Devon.

[@lawrencep8923]

Always gives me a smile to hear people from overseas talking about the Bailiwick. I love my home

[@Hazzar595]

Profile pic checks out

[@shaunhouse8469]

Sark was the setting of Mervin Peake's novel "Mr Pye", when a production company made a serial of it for Channel 4 starring Derek Jacobi they got special dispensations to have the first private car on the island to film from - they used a Citreon 2CV

[@cactusscenarios]

Woah, really interesting!

[@randyjones3050]

Honestly, when I was listening to the story of how the Island became a democracy, all I could think is that this story sounds like the potential storyline for a weird British comedy. (Back in the day when the BBC still made funny comedies.)

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

That is shame, I think Sark lost a quirk that made it unique.

[@mOS3s__]

Simply fascinating

[@peterbreis5407]

Fantastic!

[@TheStickCollector]

Crazy it took this long. I wonder if it will ever come back?

[@genericname4739]

If we don't exterminate ourselves via Thermonuclear War it could in the form of a intergalactic human empire...if only we weren't so ignorant and divided.

[@johnseppethe2nd2]

@@TheLongDon you can own land though. If the person in control agrees to give it yo you through voluntary contracts then you get to own the land. Simple as

[@TheStickCollector]

@@genericname4739 that's the problem. People are too ignorant for their own good. Rarely any of them can see the bigger picture in terms of global unity, just greed and lust.

[@johnseppethe2nd2]

@@TheLongDon Taxation itself is simply part of a deal you make. If you live in a country, you must abide by certain rules.

[@catmonarchist8920]

If we leave the ECHR over the channel migrants it could happen

[@dougfowler1368]

I know at least one other person has posted on how that one man invading was defeated by a constable basically like you would see in an episode of Hogan's Heroes, but I would like to see an entire video on that. I mean that is just such a crazy story.

[@Owl54321]

I 11:25 visited Sark a few years ago. The old Seigneurs house had the most amazing flowers but it did feel a bit Wickerman!

[@Sfaxx]

2:50 omg maps with land marked in blue always screw with my brain… Especially since I seem to process maps via shapes on them long before I start reading labels

[@no_rubbernecking]

I thought the Isles of Scilly were still a feudal domain within the Duchy of Cornwall? Do you have any info about that? Thanks. Edit: Also seigneur is pronounced sane-YUR. The pronunciation you're using is actually correct for Spanish (señor).

[@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901]

Britain still has duchies, principalities and crownlands from the feudal era. I think this video is more technically about how this feudal state had no elections.

[@no_rubbernecking]

@@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901 Thanks, that's kind of what I was thinking but it's good to have some confirmation. 👍🏼

[@petersmythe6462]

I would say feudalism should involve manorialism, agrarian society, and a state structure AND property system based on inheritance of land. One of the key reasons the world isn't feudal any more is that land is no longer the primary form of property ownership. It is A FORM of property and it can still be inherited, but the vast majority of value in the world comes from industry-produced goods and tertiary services, and the property system of the world is based on those goods and services and the means to produce them. It is not based on the inheritance or ownership of land and everything in it. States also do not work like they did under feudalism. The state isn't simply the largest landowner and what they say goes. Modern state structure is much larger, more pluralistic (even in dictatorships) and more bureaucratic (again, even in dictatorships) than feudalism.

[@QuibieGG]

I'd watch that anime, too. :D (Fun video. Thanks for posting.)

[@Locutus]

I'm from Jersey 🇯🇪. This video was very accurate!

[@refreshingryan]

Sounds like serfdom was pretty great for this island given all the stories I see in the comments, I wish the practice was still in place there as a reminder of the past in a way

[@ndm0227]

The Channel Islands are not part of the UK, but they are ultimately controlled by the UK government and Crown. Because of course…

[@PlatinumAltaria]

No, they're controlled by the States Assembly and States of Guernsey respectively. They're no more "controlled" by the British government than Australia is; the main difference being that the UK provides them with representation and defence, which is a pretty good deal due to their tiny sizes.

[@tacidian7573]

​@@PlatinumAltaria What an interesting arrangement.

[@jlaw131985]

I knew about Sark from a Citation Needed video by the Technical Difficulties.