How did the crusades and mercantilism affect the feudal system?

The Crusades and the rise of mercantilism significantly weakened the feudal system by shifting economic power and social structures. The Crusades opened new trade routes and increased demand for goods, leading to the growth of a merchant class that challenged the traditional land-based wealth of feudal lords. As trade expanded, towns grew, and more people moved away from rural feudal estates, diminishing the serfs' reliance on feudal lords. This transition ultimately facilitated the rise of centralized monarchies and the decline of feudalism.