A system, common in Europe in the Middle Ages, where access to farm land was gained by service to the owner: the feudal lord. Initially, no money was involved in transactions between the serf and the lord, although the payment of cash in lieu of service became common in the later Middle Ages; see T. Aston, ed (1987). In India, the feudal zamindari system divided rural society into three broad classes: landlords (zamindars), tenant farmers, and landless labourers. Women, Untouchables, and tribal peoples were excluded from decision-making at both regional and national levels. See N. Mohammad (1992); also on feudalism in India, see Sharma (1985) J. Peasant Studs 12: 2–3.