How did the Norman Conquest replace much of England’s Anglo-Saxon aristocracy?

The Norman Conquest resulted in the near-total replacement of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with a new Norman ruling class through a combination of military force, land redistribution, and administrative restructuring.12

Following his victory at the Battle of Hastings, William I systematically suppressed indigenous revolts, most notably in the north between 1069 and 1071. These rebellions led to the ruin of the existing English higher aristocracy, allowing William to redistribute their lands. He granted these estates to approximately 180 Norman tenants-in-chief, who held their fiefs in return for military service and the provision of knights.314

This transformation extended beyond secular leadership:
* Clergy: William replaced almost all Anglo-Saxon bishops and abbots with Normans, appointing his adviser Lanfranc as archbishop of Canterbury to reorganize the church.31
* Infrastructure: To secure his control, William introduced the construction of castles, which served as vital bases for military and administrative authority.34
* Administration: While William retained existing English governmental structures, he utilized the Domesday Book survey to formalize the new feudal landholding patterns across the kingdom.315