A system based on hierarchies of land ownership is

The system based on hierarchies of land ownership is called feudalism. In this system, the king owned all the land and granted parts of it to his nobles (lords), who in turn granted parts of it to their own vassals (knights). The peasants who lived and worked on the land were not considered owners, but instead owed labor and taxes to their lord in exchange for protection and the right to live on the land. The hierarchy of land ownership created a social and economic structure in which power and wealth were concentrated in the hands of a few at the top, while the majority of people were subjugated to their lords. Feudalism was prevalent in medieval Europe from around the 9th to the 15th century.