Taxation has played a decisive role in the development of societies, governments and political institutions. In this engaging historical study, Ferdinand H. M. Grapperhaus traces the development of taxation across a millennium, combining fiscal history with political and social anecdotes. The book examines taxation in Europe from 1000 to 2000, in the United States from 1765 to 1801 and in India from 1526 to 1709. Rather than presenting taxation solely as a technical or legal subject, Grapperhaus shows how taxes affected rulers and subjects, provoked resistance, financed wars and helped shape the relationship between citizens and the state. (AI-generated content description)