1300 european history

There were three estates or social divisions during that time, the first estate--the nobility, the second estate--the peasantry-and the third estate--the clergy. In short, the fighters, the workers and the prayers. Of these the worst off were the peasants who were little more than slaves-owned no land, and were generally at the mercy of the other two estates.
The nobility had a good thing going for itself. Of course they did have to fight when the occasion required it.


Here is an excerpt on the nobility which partially answers your question about the benefits of being part of that estate.


Excerpt:

As the second Estate, the medieval nobility had special legal status. A man who was a member of the nobility was free in his person and in his possessions. His only limitation concerned his military obligation to his lord. As a member of the nobility, he had certain rights and responsibilities: he could raise troops and command them in the field, he held his own courts of justice, he could coined his own money. He was the lord of all those people who settled on his land.

Steven Kreis

http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture23b.html