varnam

Karl Marx, the father of communism, argued that contradictions within capitalism would bring about its own end and it would be replaced by communism. He also believed that capitalism would end through the organized actions of the working class. We don't know if Indian Naxalites have read or believe in these fairy tales, but they have taken it on themselves to murder people in the name of this ideology and they believe that murdering feudal landlords is the way to salvation. People of the Early Middle Ages (500 - 1050 CE) would have disagreed with this point of view.

During the Early Middle Ages, the society was mostly agrarian and feudalism was built on an economic foundation known as manorialism. A lord controlled a manorial village and some lords controlled many. In the village, there were peasants, blacksmiths, carpenters, and priests and at the bottom of the food chain was the serf who lived in a hut along with chickens and pigs. The hut was smoke filled and when it rained the earth floor would turn into mud. The serfs earned no respect and they were depicted as ugly, dirty and cowardly creatures.

Manorialism and Feudalism expected a social order that was stable and organic. People were expected to accept their social status and perform the role as per their ranking in the social order. This social order was not to be upset and people were not expected to change their position in this social order. The clergy helped in this aspect by maintaining that, "God himself willed that among men some must be lords and some serfs."

As Europe moved into the High Middle Ages, there was a revival of urban economy and the re-emergence of central authority. With the invention of the heavy plough, the use of windmills for grinding cereals, and three-field system of managing  land, there was an agricultural revolution. The rebirth of towns led to a commercial revolution and the rise of an enterprising and dynamic middle class. The development of towns gave new opportunities to the serfs and they escaped from the manor seeking fortune and freedom. Some of them made a living selling food and the others through trade.

The lords despised people who made a living through trade because they thought trade and manual labor were degrading. The clergy cursed them because they thought that the pursuit of riches was shameful and was an obstacle for salvation. They finally came up with a name for these dynamic progressive people -- bourgeoisie which means citizens of the burg, the walled town.

The feudal and manorial establishments were not destroyed by revolts but by a change of the economic system. The change of economic system was not from feudalism to classless stateless clueless concepts of mass ownership, but into capitalism.  It was not violence but economic opportunities and financial freedom that changed the lives of the serfs.

Reference: Western Civilization Volume 1, Medieval Civilization In Western Europe