The growth of trade and industry weakened feudalism because it allowed for the rise of a new middle class of merchants and artisans who were not bound by traditional feudal obligations to the landowning nobility. As these new economic classes gained wealth and power, they challenged the authority of the feudal lords and sought to establish a more centralized and efficient system of governance. Additionally, the increasing interconnectedness of global trade networks undermined the isolated and self-sufficient nature of feudal manors, leading to a decline in the importance of feudal relationships and structures.
