Taxation

Non-Muslims subjects in the Ottoman Empire were obliged to pay two basic taxes: tithes, which related to agricultural produce, and the poll tax, levied on all males over 14 years of age. Despite its name, the first of these actually involved rendering 1/7 of the crop. Tax collection was assigned by auction to private bidders, who often imposed arbitrary increases on taxpayers. The poll tax was particularly burdensome - in 1672 it amounted to 400 aspers (Ottoman silver coins), to which a further 20 were added as tax collectors' commission. The total sum was equivalent to approximately thirty days' wages earned by a well-paid labourer.

Taxpayers were also liable for additional regular or extraordinary taxes, as well as for various kinds of statutory labour, i.e. unpaid work for the public benefit. Lastly, Christian subjects were also liable to pay taxes to the Church of Crete.