The manor is a unique feature of feudalism. Feudalism was a political and economic system that emerged in medieval Europe. It was characterized by a hierarchical system of land ownership and obligations. The manor was a self-sufficient economic unit that was owned by a lord and worked by peasants. The lord provided protection for the peasants, who in turn worked the land and paid tribute to the lord in the form of labor, goods, or money. The manor was a key feature of feudalism as it formed the basis of the feudal economic system.