Empires collect human assets as taxes

Fenestella

Banned
In East Asia, hegemons demanded a special form of tribute:

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B2%A2%E5%A5%B3
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/공녀
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/貢女

sorry there's no English entry, it's basically quotas of women of desirable traits imposed on tributaries.

The upside of such programs is the acquisition of female slaves through peaceful deliveries instead of violent raids.

Could such programs have existed elsewhere?

I think it could have existed and be mutually beneficial: for example, in the Roman Empire, economically underdeveloped regions/provinces could make more qualitative and quantitative deliveries of women and pay less taxes.

Or had they already been doing this, am I reinventing the wheel here?
 
The Ottomans had a "human assets" tax. Young Christian boys were taken to become the Janissaries, and young women were taken in a less formal but still legal (as opposed to extra-legal/looting) process. Just one example.
 
The Ottomans had a "human assets" tax. Young Christian boys were taken to become the Janissaries, and young women were taken in a less formal but still legal (as opposed to extra-legal/looting) process. Just one example.

The Devishirme is a really peculiar institution, but, to some extent, most of the pre-contemporary conscription methods can be classified as "blood tax". I'm not thinking of a particular system, but I'm sure that was quite common practice to have a draft quota for a particular village and a rich fellows could simply hire someone/give a slave instead of going to war.
 
The Devishirme is a really peculiar institution, but, to some extent, most of the pre-contemporary conscription methods can be classified as "blood tax". I'm not thinking of a particular system, but I'm sure that was quite common practice to have a draft quota for a particular village and a rich fellows could simply hire someone/give a slave instead of going to war.

I'm not much of an expert on the middle ages, but I think medieval vassalage agreements often required vassals to provide troops from their demesnes to their lord. The peasants in turn were required to serve their lord in times of war as part of their labor obligations towards him.
 
Depending on how you view Human Assets, Corvee Labor as a form of Tax is as old as Cities. The Sumerians would force a certain amount of citizens to labor for the benefit of the Government if they could not pay taxes with material wealth.

It's actually one of the more plausible theories behind how the Pyramids were built. . .
 
Depending on how you view Human Assets, Corvee Labor as a form of Tax is as old as Cities. The Sumerians would force a certain amount of citizens to labor for the benefit of the Government if they could not pay taxes with material wealth.

It's actually one of the more plausible theories behind how the Pyramids were built. . .

Pyramids+were+built+by+aliens+the+picture+states+that+egyptian_9e3787_4804176.png
 

Fenestella

Banned
I don't think that 'peaceful' enslavement of women counts as a positive? Just saying.

That line 'upside of ..' is being deliberately sarcastic.
Those were criminal programs in slavery practicing societies.
I think the roller coaster of women being captured in slave raids and sold on slave markets might be even more traumatic
 
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Depending on how you view Human Assets, Corvee Labor as a form of Tax is as old as Cities. The Sumerians would force a certain amount of citizens to labor for the benefit of the Government if they could not pay taxes with material wealth.

It's actually one of the more plausible theories behind how the Pyramids were built. . .

The difference is that this and feudal military obligations, and what the OP is talking about, is that obligations like these were only temporary. The OP's example is that of a "blood tax" where members of the conquered society were taken permanently to be essentially slaves.

As slorek says in the second post, the only other example I can think of of this was the Ottoman collection of Christian boys, though there are probably other examples.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Slaves being a part of the tribute is not uncommon. In the early 20th Century the tribute to the Ethiopian emperor, paid by his vassals, was partly paid in slaves
 
Depending on how you view Human Assets, Corvee Labor as a form of Tax is as old as Cities. The Sumerians would force a certain amount of citizens to labor for the benefit of the Government if they could not pay taxes with material wealth.

It's actually one of the more plausible theories behind how the Pyramids were built. . .

Indeed, Corvée is the oldest type of tax.

After thinking well, I remember now another example of blood tax: French colonial troops (Tiralleurs) were forcefully recruted. Each particular area had a "draft quota" and the tribal leaders needed to offer healthy men to serve their conial master in wars. Sounds like the Devshirme to me.
 
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