Hi!

In Sweden the move to feudalism and mounted knights came around 1280.

The king Magnus Birgersson also called Magnus Ladulås (which would mean something like Barnlock, i.e. the king who put a lock on the farmers barns, meaning they could not anymore be subject to chieftains or nobilities freeguesting, up until this point powerful men could visit the farmers and demand food and supply for themsleves and their company as they saw fit)

But that was not the issue here. Magnus created the nobility and mounted knights in Alsnö stadgar in about 1280. In return for providing the king with mounted knights the chieftains and important families of old would gain freedom from taxation.

Of course this step is part in a longer process but this event (alsnö stadgar) usually is considered the time when feudalism and mounted knights are put in effect in Sweden.

It was the move away from the "ledungen" to the massive heavy cavalry.

As stated in some previous post the nobility in Sweden remained few and in comparison to continental patterns their power was very limited. The biggest class was the free farmers who much like their viking ancestors kept their rights to influence politics, if need be with the sword. (the Swedish farmers defeated more then one army of heavy knights in thier days, swedish nobility and kings, danish nobility and kings and german mercanaries all experienced this)

Kalle