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The institution that was common in Medieval Europe is called Feudalism. The lords, who held the fiefs on condition of service of service to the king, were called the Feudal Lords.
They, in their respective fiefs, were all powerful and acted as petty kings.
The categories of the Feudal Lords:

(i) Dukes and Earls.

(ii) The Barons.

(iii) The Knights.

Main Functions of the Feudal Lords:

Every Feudal Lord was expected to pay homage to his overlord and could then be invested with some formal rights. He also had to provide the military services to his superior lords. Every feudal lord was first a vassal and then an overlord with a number of vassals of the King him.

For example, the Dukes and Earls were the vassals of the King and owed him allegiance. The Barons were the vassals of the Dukes and the Earls. The knights were the vassals of the Barons. They performed military service to their overlords.

The relations of Feudal Lords with the Peasants and the Serfs:

The Peasants and Serfs had land which they cultivated for themselves. But they had also to work on the lands cultivated entirely for their lords.

In fact, the Serfs were the domestics of their lords. They had no right and no freedom. They were living the miserable conditions.