The chapter explores the socio-economic and political transformations in western Europe from the ninth to sixteenth centuries, primarily focusing on the 'three orders' of society: the clergy, nobility, and peasants. It highlights the complexities of feudalism, which shaped relationships among these groups, and discusses how shifts in agriculture, technology, and trade influenced societal change. Furthermore, it examines the impact of the Black Death and the rise of monarchies in the late medieval period.