The term “feudal” has been employed in literature with a broad and varied significance, often evoking the historical legacy of medieval social and political order, while also serving as a critical device to reflect on contemporary structures. Some authors use it to describe tangible organizational frameworks, such as military brigades and land-holding hierarchies, as seen when military organization was linked to feudal consequences [1] or when feudal warfare denoted a lack of scientific precision [2]. Others draw on its nostalgic and even derogatory connotations to contrast the rigid, patriarchal, and elitist systems of the past with modern ideals—whether critiquing the feudal condition of women [3, 4] or lamenting the remnants of feudal property rights [5, 6]. In addition, “feudal” appears as a metaphor denoting a fragmented political order or an outdated, oppressive social regime, as illustrated by discussions of feudal fragmentation leading to civil war [7] and the clash of feudal parties [8, 9]. Thus, across a spectrum ranging from historical documentation to social criticism, the word “feudal” functions not only as a descriptor of an antique system but also as a potent emblem of resistance to modernity’s drive for progress and equality [10, 11, 12].