Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: SUBINFEUDATE
Definition: Subinfeudate means giving a part of your land to someone else, who then becomes your vassal instead of being a vassal of your superior. This was a common way to get knights to serve in the king's or baron's service. The knight who received the land would hold it from the baron in the same way the baron held it from the king.
Definition: To grant land to another, who then holds the land as the grantor's vassal rather than as the vassal of the grantor's superior.
Example: In medieval times, a baron might subinfeudate a portion of his land to a knight in exchange for the knight's obligation to spend a fixed portion of time annually in the king's or baron's service. The knight would then hold the land as the baron's vassal, rather than as the vassal of the king.
Explanation: Subinfeudation was a common practice in medieval Europe, where lords would grant land to their subvassals, who would then become vassals of the lord rather than the king. This allowed lords to maintain control over their lands and ensure that they had enough knights to fulfill their obligations to the king. The example illustrates how a knight would become a vassal of a baron through subinfeudation, rather than a direct vassal of the king.