> What the nobility had to offer peasants was safety. I believe the main offering was pain. Submission was a good way to avoid it, and peasants were not stupid

> What the nobility had to offer peasants was safety. I believe the main offering was pain. Submission was a good way to avoid it, and peasants were not stupid enough to pass on it. On the other hand, our definition makes it look like the relation was consensual, and a good deal for everyone involved.