Medieval society was feudal, based on a rigid hierarchy and divided into three orders, or social classes: the nobles, the clergy and the peasants. The main form of organization of medieval society was known as "feudalism." Within this system, people were divided into three "estates", the nobility, the clergy, and commoners. In the countryside, most people who were not nobles were peasants or serfs, tied to the land, and working for the noble who held the land. The world around humans, the possibilities of a better life. Why did the rigid social structure of the Middle Ages begin to break down? It was becoming easier to communicate over longer distances. Lower classes were beginning to see alternative ways of earning money.
