Communalism is a political and economic arrangement whereby land is jointly owned by a community. It is usually associated with rural areas. In a communal system, although land is commonly owned, cultivation of the land is on an individual basis, and labour is organized on the basis of the family.

The Features of Communalism

The following are the features of communalism:

1. It encourages polygamy as a means of increasing the labour force of the family
2. There is little or no division of labor.
3. It is a classless system.
4. It is associated with underdeveloped or third world countries.
5. Production is subsistence.
6. There is uniformity in price of all state-produced goods.

EVALUATION

1. Define communalism.
2. State five (5) features of communalism.

FEUDALISM

The Meaning of Feudalism

This is a political system, which recognizes two strata of the society (the nobles and the peasants). The nobles are the landowners who own all the means of production under the feudal system. On the other hand, the peasants or the down trodden are landless and live solely on their labour. In feudal states, the major focus are landlords, peasants and agriculture. Feudalism was widely practiced in Nigeria even up to recent history.

Features of Feudalism

The following are the features of feudalism:

1. Political power flows from the top to the bottom i.e. it is hierarchical, starting from the empire to the least state on the ring.
2. It is solely based on land ownership
3. The subjects are compulsorily loyal to the lords and nobles.
4. It is exploitative because it succeeds to the detriment of the serfs.

The Merits of Feudalism

The merits or advantages of feudalism are as follows:

1. It promoted the spirit of liberty.
2. Administration was politically decentralized.
3. The system helped to preserve traditional administrative systems.
4. Stronger kingdoms under the empire helped weaker ones in times of war.

The Demerits of Feudalism

The demerits or disadvantages of feudalism are as follows:

1. The system was highly exploitative.
2. The system was a breeding ground for anarchy.
3. It was very difficult to form a national government.
4. The state was disintegrated.

EVALUATION

1. Define feudalism.
2. State four (4) features of feudalism.
3. Highlight the merits and demerits of feudalism.