1.2.9

The Domesday Book

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The Domesday Book

Although William had won the Battle of Hastings, his position as king was still very insecure. He used several methods to secure his throne and establish himself as king.

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Tax

  • In order for William to feel secure on his throne, he needed to ensure he had the money to raise an army and defend himself against an invasion if necessary.
  • To do this, he would have to tax his people.
  • To do this, he would have to know how much they had.
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The Domesday Book

  • So, William introduced the Domesday Book.
  • He sent commissioners around the country with instructions to find out what people had.
    • For example, how much land they had, how many cows or sheep or pigs they owned, how many peasants worked on their land etc.
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Objections

  • This information was collected from across the country, and compiled in the Domesday Book.
  • This meant that the king knew exactly how much his subjects had, and how much tax he could raise from them.
  • Although this information was useful for the king, many people thought it was an invasion of their privacy, and did not like the way this was carried out.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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