Oath of Salisbury

The Oath of Salisbury refers to an event in August 1086 when William I of England summoned his tenants-in-chief and "landowning men of any account" to Salisbury,^[1] where they swore allegiance to him and to be faithful against all other men. The oath was demanded at a time of crisis when the Conqueror was facing revolt and invasion. There seems little doubt that it was intended as a practical assurance and reminder rather than as a constitutional statement.

References

1. ^ "William I 'The Conqueror' (r. 1066-1087)". The Royal Household. http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/TheNormans/WilliamItheConqueror.aspx. Retrieved 10 December 2010. 

[[Category:Feudalism in England]Through this oath, william made his barons swear fealty to him.As a result of which all the land as well as the land owning men in England came under his power.He introduced a new brand of feudalism in England but he was not the first to introduce feudalism. He merely continued a trend that existed in England since the time of Anglo saxons.He seized the land of the saxons and leased it to his Norman followers. During those days,the barons respected only their just superiors. This resulted in the lower classes disrespecting the king.But William wished to be the lord of the whole England.This is the reason why he brought in the doomsday book-a register that keeps record of all the landlords,lands and the feudal dues of each lord as well as the salisbury oath which made him the unquestionable leader of the then England.