This wasn’t as immediate as the other problems. Knowing little about England and its people To raise taxes and run the country effectively, William needed to know who owned land and how much money they had.
Motte-and-bailey castles were built all over the country to protect his supporters.Ĥ. Protecting his soldiers and supporters William needed to quickly find a way to protect his supporters and soldiers in England. His division of land ownership, the feudal system, solved this.ģ. If large landowners opposed him then they could raise money and possibly an army to rebel against him. Controlling the land William needed to make sure that the people who owned land were supportive of his rule. The Harrying of the North dealt with the northern opposition.Ģ. Rebellions in the North could threaten his rule and needed to be dealt with.
Opposition in the North There was support in the north of England for Edgar the Atheling to become king. All four problems were important for different reasonsġ.