Writeacher, I hope you can help me clarify the following sentences.

I can't understand the relation between the knights and the barons.

1) Henry II was successful in bringing 3)order and stability. To avoid civil wars, he needed to reduce the power of the barons and wanted professional soldiers (mercenaries) to do this. (I can't understand this).
2) Many knights did not want to leave their farms for long military campaigns, so they were happy to pay a tax called scutage instead of giving military service themselves.
3) Henry II sent out judges who gave 'royal justice' as they travelled round the country.
4)This system of law became known as Common Law since it was used everywhere by travelling judges. This was based on custom, comparisons of previous cases and previous decisions.
5) This mixture of experience and custom is the basis of law in England even today.
6) He also set up rules for the purpose of controlling the clergy, which became known as the Constitutions of Clarendon (1164). According to them the king claimed authority in choosing the bishops.
7) Furthermore, clergymen who committed serious crimes were to be tried by a civil coourt as well as an ecclesiastical one.

Knights and barons were two different levels of medieval society. Both were higher than "regular" people (merchants, farmers, et al), but there was a definite order among the knights and nobles, too. Knights were the "entrance class" to eventual nobility, if that makes sense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights
Barons were a bit higher in the nobility range. They had been given lands (and the people who farmed them) by the king, usually as a reward for helping him in some way (usually in battle).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barons
The hierarchy went on up from there. You can see this hierarchy at the right of this second webpage I've linked.

1) Henry II was successful in bringing order and stability. To avoid civil wars, he needed to reduce the power of the barons and wanted professional soldiers (mercenaries) to do this. Mercenaries were men who "rented themselves out" to other kings (often in different countries) to fight in place of them. Mercenaries had no loyalty to anyone else in the country except that king who was paying them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenaries
2) Many knights did not want to leave their farms for long military campaigns, so they were happy to pay a tax called scutage instead of giving military service themselves.

3) Henry II sent out judges who gave 'royal justice' as they travelled round the country.

4)This system of law became known as Common Law since it was used everywhere by travelling judges. This was based on custom, comparisons of previous cases, and previous decisions.

5) This mixture of experience and custom is the basis of law in England even today.

6) He also set up rules for the purpose of controlling the clergy, which became known as the Constitutions of Clarendon (1164). According to them the king claimed authority in choosing the bishops.

7) Furthermore, clergymen who committed serious crimes were to be tried by a civil court, as well as an ecclesiastical one.

All these are right, and it's important to remember that what are being described are situations and practices that were relatively new to the English people ... that is, Henry II was changing things from how his predecessors handled the country.

1) Henry II was successful in bringing order and stability. To understand the relation between the knights and the barons, we need to look at the context. During this time, the barons were powerful landowners who held a lot of influence. They had their own private armies and often competed for power. To maintain control and prevent civil wars, Henry II wanted to reduce the power of the barons. He achieved this by employing professional soldiers, also known as mercenaries, who were not tied to the barons or their interests. By having professional soldiers, Henry II could rely on them to enforce his laws and maintain order without being influenced by the barons.

2) Many knights during that period were also landowners, but they had smaller estates compared to the barons. They usually had responsibilities on their farms and did not want to leave them for long military campaigns. In order to avoid military service, they were allowed to pay a tax called scutage instead. This tax would go towards funding and maintaining a standing army of mercenaries or professional soldiers. It was a way for the knights to contribute to the defense of the realm without having to personally serve in battles.

3) Another way Henry II sought to establish order was by sending out judges who traveled throughout the country. These judges were responsible for delivering "royal justice" - a form of justice that was consistent and impartial, irrespective of the power or influence of local lords or barons. The judges would hear cases, resolve disputes, and apply the law fairly throughout the kingdom.

4) The system of law established by these traveling judges became known as Common Law. It was called so because it was used everywhere they traveled, providing a consistent legal framework for everyone. Common Law was based on custom, comparisons of previous cases, and previous decisions made by judges. It relied on the principle of precedent, where decisions made in previous cases set a standard for future judgments. This system helped to establish a sense of legal certainty and predictability.

5) The mixture of experience and custom in Common Law laid the foundation for the legal system in England even to this day. It forms the basis for the development of laws and the judicial system, ensuring fairness and consistency in the application of law.

6) In addition to his efforts to control the barons and establish a fair legal system, Henry II also introduced rules known as the Constitutions of Clarendon in 1164. These rules were intended to control the clergy, specifically in relation to their rights and privileges. One of the key aspects of the Constitutions of Clarendon was the king's claim of authority in choosing bishops. This challenged the previous practice where the Pope had significant influence in the appointment of bishops.

7) Furthermore, the Constitutions of Clarendon also established that clergymen who committed serious crimes should be tried not only in an ecclesiastical court (church court) but also in a civil court. This represented an assertion of royal authority over the clergy and aimed to ensure that they were held accountable for any crimes they might have committed.

Overall, Henry II's actions aimed to centralize power, reduce the influence of the barons, establish a fair legal system, and assert control over the clergy. These efforts played a significant role in shaping the relations between the knights, the barons, the legal system, and the church during that time.