Norman Conquest on England; the Term Paper

Among the practices of the Anglo-Saxon in England before the conquest include, the introduction of their religious beliefs into the country. England became a Christianity practicing nation, as most of the Anglo-Saxons were Catholic Christians. Additionally, their political landscape had the organization of a divided nation, which devolved power to the states, then later the unified state. Therefore, due to this dynamic organization of the states in England, England was the most organized of all states in Western Europe. The country had divisions into shires, which are equivalent of counties and hundreds also called wapentakes (Warren et al., p 78). Under these divisions, taxation assessment continued progressively, from hundreds to the shires, then the central kingdom. Tax collection was a duty of the local appointed agents of the kingdom, who after assessing the people, levied them. The tax was in the form of coins, with fresh coins minted three times every year in sixty royal mints throughout the country. This was a roman system and the Anglo-Saxons maintained the system. The royal officers and shire reeves managed this system.

The basic system of building was the hearth, with the king hosting a retinue of warriors in his land. The land as a defining currency and thus, the lord sought to own more land. The immediate family of the ruling and other important people in the society also got rewards of land from the king in the system before the conquest. In battles, the Anglo-Saxon in England did not have well-organized army. In times of battles, the farmers and other men rode to the battle food but fought on fought.Hence, the country had limitation in organizing and maintaining the army.

After the conquest, the Normans brought several changes to the system of rule in England. Although the Anglo-Saxons and Normans had a similar origin, the many centuries of separation caused the differences. After the conquest, William the conqueror changed the system of defense as he maintained his group of warriors. He thus introduced the system of an organized army and organized fighting in the battlefield. This strengthened the security and independence of England. Additionally, it is notable that, the New England, after the conquest maintained the practice of taxation and state divisions as they found in the country. Additionally, they did not change the system of religion and names of places. Instead, they only replaced the elite in these institutions with their own group of people. Moreover, the king also establishment the law of forests, which then reduced the exploitation of land for farming in the country as the old England, was practicing. England, after the conquest developed and grew at a good rate, as the Normans were more development oriented as compared to the Anglo-Saxons; hence, the conquest played more to the advantage of England development. However, the negative side of the invasion in England was the large emigration of people, which left England depopulated. The impact on the societal development was that slavery lessened while the native Anglo-Saxons became indistinguishable. However, the conquest still played to the advantage of development of England into a better state than before.

Works cited

Warren Hollister, Robert Stacey, and Robin Chapman Stacey, the Making of England to 1399.

8th edition,.....