The Peasants Revolts Failed to Bring Freedom & Helped The Birth of Feudalism
The Rise of Rebellion in the Medieval World
During the 9th-14th centuries the peasants across Europe revolted against unfair taxation, oppression, and economic hardship. These uprisings are known as the Peasants Revolts, and were driven by desperation as common people struggled under systems that exploited their labor. Unlike past revolts that led to reform, these uprisings failed, and instead reinforced their rulers strength and grip on power. Instead of securing freedom, these failed protests helped establish the feudal system, a rigid hierarchy that locked peasants into generations of forced servitude.
The failure of these movements offers a crucial lesson for modern protests that lack strategy, leadership, and public unity. They can result in greater oppression rather than meaningful change. Modern societies face similar struggles, where civil unrest is often used as justification for governments to impose greater restrictions rather than solve systemic issues. The Peasants Revolts serve as a warning that disorganized resistance can lead to the very chains it seeks to break.
The Cause of Peasants Revolts Were Oppression, Taxation, and Desperation
By the 9th century, European peasants lived under crushing hardship. Kings and noble families controlled the land, while common people worked tirelessly just to survive. The introduction of harsh taxation, war debts, and unjust laws made their situation unbearable.
Wars between kingdoms drained national resources, and rulers passed those costs onto the lower classes. Peasants were forced to hand over most of their crops in taxes, leaving them without enough food to feed their families. Lords and landowners who controlled local territories demanded additional labor from peasants in exchange for what they called “protection.” However, this was a lie, when invading armies or roaming bandits attacked, peasants were left to defend themselves while lords secured their own wealth.
Resentment grew as people watched their leaders live in comfort while they suffered. Peasants identified the deep inequalities in the system, and this lead to widespread frustration that eventually boiled over into rebellion.
A Protest That Backfired Was The Great Peasants Revolts of 1381
The English Peasants Revolt of 1381 was one of the most significant uprisings of the medieval period. Led by Wat Tyler, the rebels marched on London, demanding lower taxes, fair treatment, and an end to feudal bondage. At first, it seemed as if they had won. King Richard II met with them and appeared to agree to their demands.
Their brief victory collapsed when Tyler was suddenly murdered by royal forces. Without their leader, the revolt fell apart. The king broke his promises, ordering mass arrests and executions of those who participated in the rebellion. Instead of gaining freedom, the peasants found themselves under even stricter rule than before.
This was not an isolated event. Across Europe, similar revolts ended in failure. In France, the Jacquerie Revolt of 1358 was brutally crushed, with thousands of peasants slaughtered. The German Peasants War of 1524-1525 saw similar results, as local rulers violently suppressed those seeking economic justice. Rather than weakening feudalism, these revolts helped rulers justify harsher control over the lower class.
How Failed Protests Strengthened Oppression
Instead of leading to freedom, the Peasants Revolts gave rulers a reason to tighten control over society. By the 15th century, the feudal system was fully established, binding peasants to the land with no legal way to leave their position. Lords controlled everything, from who could own land, to how much food peasants could keep, even who they could marry. The system of oppression that the rebels had fought against became more powerful than ever.
Rulers used failed peasants revolts to justify expanding their authority. They enacted laws that restricted movement, preventing them from leaving their assigned lands. Military forces became stronger, ensuring that future uprisings would be crushed before they gained momentum. Society became rigidly divided, making social mobility nearly impossible for those born into the lower class. Rather than inspiring reform, these revolts allowed those in power to consolidate control and reinforce the very oppression they sought to escape.
Modern Parallels of Protests That Are Used to Justify More Control
History Repeats itself. Just as medieval rulers used failed revolts to increase their power, modern governments use civil unrest as an excuse to impose stricter laws, surveillance, and control.
After any major protest, officials claim that they must “restore order”, but instead of addressing the underlying causes of unrest, they pass new policies that restrict public freedoms. Laws are introduced that make it harder for people to organize, gather in public, or voice dissent. Law enforcement agencies receive increased funding, not to protect the people, but to quell future uprisings before they begin.
This pattern mirrors the biblical account of Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites (Exodus 5:6-9). When Moses demanded freedom for his people, Pharaoh responded by increasing their labor, making their suffering worse. Rather than listening to the cries for justice, he used their protest as an excuse to impose greater control.
Modern governments follow the same playbook. Instead of addressing issues like economic inequality, corruption, and social unrest, they pass restrictive laws that make it harder for people to resist oppression. Every protest becomes an opportunity for those in power to expand their authority. If people fail to recognize this tactic, history will repeat itself. Governments will continue using public unrest as a tool for increasing their own power rather than addressing the real problems facing society.
Why Protests Must Have Clear Leadership and Strategy
The Peasants Revolts demonstrate a harsh truth about protests that lack organization and leadership. Without clear demands and order, a group of frustrated people often lead to greater oppression instead of reform. These failures are seen in modern demonstrations, and allows the ruling class to justify harsher laws and solidify control over the lower class.
This lesson is just as relevant today. Disorganized protests allow governments to manipulate instability for their own benefit. By creating fear and division, they justify enacting policies that restrict freedoms rather than fix injustices. Without proper leadership, protests risk becoming fuel for greater oppression rather than tools for meaningful change.
To create real change, movements must be structured, strategic, and backed by strong leadership. Without these elements, history has shown that the people fighting for justice may end up making oppression even stronger. Come back next week and explore more to see Xtrusion Solution’s unique angle for examining how Faith was misused by Pope Urban II in 1095 Ad, and lasted for nearly 200 years.
