A political system built around land ownership is called

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the name of a political (and social) system in which power, authority, and social relationships are organized around the ownership of land.

Step 2: Explain the concept Feudalism was a system common in medieval Europe (and found in other forms elsewhere). Its key features:

• The king or overlord owned the land.
• Land (called a fief) was granted to nobles or lords (vassals) in exchange for loyalty, military service, and taxes.
• Peasants or serfs worked the land and in return received protection.
• Political power and social status depended on how much land one held.

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Monarchy: Government headed by a king or queen, usually hereditary. It is about who rules, not about land ownership as the foundation.
• B. Fascism: An authoritarian, ultra-nationalist system with a dictator, as under Mussolini in Italy. It is not based on land.
• C. Feudalism: Power and obligations based on land holding. This fits the question.
• D. Communalism: Communal ownership and living in a community, often linked to communal land use in traditional societies. It is not a political system of land-based hierarchy.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C. feudalism.

Exam tip: Link the words "feud" → "fief" (land). Whenever JAMB mentions land, lords, vassals, or serfs, think feudalism. Also remember: Monarchy = rule by one royal; Fascism = dictatorship; Communalism = shared community living.