1. a tax levied by a feudal lord on his tenants or by a king on crown lands
Usage: historical

Examples

• The medieval lord imposed a tallage on his serfs to fund his military campaigns.
• Royal tallage was collected from towns and crown estates throughout the kingdom.
• The peasants protested against the heavy tallage demanded by their feudal master.
• Historical records show that tallage was a significant source of revenue for medieval rulers.
• The abolition of tallage marked an important step toward modern taxation systems.