Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery. Serfs who occupied a plot of land were required to work for the Lord of the Manor who owned that land, and in return were entitled to protection, justice and the right to exploit certain fields within the manor to maintain their own subsistence. Serfs could also be drafted into their lord's army. During her reign as the Duchess of Erat, Polgara all but eliminated serfdom in her holdings, much of which now makes up the independent kingdom of Sendaria.