Nerd Time:  Beholden is an English medieval term meaning obligation.  I suspect that it originated as a term used by feudal lords and kings to describe their relationships in the feudal system.  It is now used as a synonym for indebted.  

Ceremonies of importance such as pledging loyalty to nobles and kings during feudal times were done in public with many witnesses to confirm the pledge.  The word beholden was probably derived from behold, meaning to see.  The public pledge was the binding oral contract between the two parties delineating the rights and responsibilities of each to the other.