Legal Definitions - carucage

Definition: Carucage (kar-uh-kij) is a historical tax that was imposed on either the plows used on the land or on a carucate (an area of land that could be plowed by one plow team in a year).

Example: In medieval England, carucage was a common tax that was levied on landowners. For example, if a landowner had five plows working on their land, they would have to pay a carucage tax for each plow.

Explanation: This example illustrates how carucage was a tax on the plows used on the land. The more plows a landowner had, the more tax they would have to pay. This tax was used to fund various projects, such as building roads or supporting the king's military campaigns.

Example: Another example of carucage is the tax that was imposed on a carucate of land. For instance, if a landowner had a carucate of land that could be plowed by one plow team in a year, they would have to pay a carucage tax for that land.

Explanation: This example shows how carucage was also a tax on the amount of land that could be plowed by one plow team in a year. The tax was based on the productivity of the land, and landowners had to pay it regardless of whether they actually used a plow on the land or not.