161-177

The "kefalatiki" (testagium-mazzucato) on Kos under the knights of st John (1441, 1512)

• Τσιρπανλής, Ζαχαρίας Ν.

On the basis of evidence taken from unpublished documents in the archives of the Knights of St John, the author has established the following facts.a. On Kos, the second most important island after Rhodes in the Order’s domain, a poll-tax of ten aspers per person per year was levied. It had been in existence since the Byzantine period, and in 1441 the women of the island rose up in protest against it. Although forbidden by the Governor to do so, two of the women managed to travel secretly to Rhodes, where they besought the Grand Master to abolish the poll-tax. The Head of the Order decided to postpone the levy for a while, and decreed that "loyal” subjects would enjoy complete exemption from paying the capitation.h. In its efforts to reinforce the notion of the "Rule of Justice”, the central administration of the Order unhesitatingly censured its peripheral local officials when they applied pressure in levying taxes or forbade disgruntled subjects to communicate with Rhodes.c. Finder the Knights, the taxation system and compulsory services in the Dodecanese varied from island to island, according to the individual characteristics of each place and what exemptions the Order had granted in exchange for other services. In the course of an overall examination of the subject, the author discusses the following taxes and compulsory services from the Byzantine period to the time of Turkish domination: the tithe on animals; the so-called mourti on agricultural produce; the tax on the use of a private dwelling, the transfer of property, and sales in general; the servitudo marina; the building or repairing of the Castle (kastroktisia); and the transporting of timber to the coast for the building of warships (xili).Two documents are published here for the first time: Arch. n° 355 (Liber Bullarum, 1441-1442f. 225v, dated 25 October 1441, and Arch. n° 401 (Liber Bullarum, 1511-1512), f. 238r, dated 25 June 1512, both from the National Library of Malta.

• History and Archaeology
• Political Science

• Ιστορία
• Πολιτική επιστήμη
• Οικονομία

Περιέχει παρένθετο πίνακα και επίμετρο