A medieval tax or tribute consisting of the provision of carts and cart services, or a payment made in lieu of providing carts for royal or military purposes.
From Medieval Latin 'caruagium,' derived from 'carua' (cart obligation). Caruage evolved as a specific feudal tax in England and Normandy, distinct from traditional property taxes, reflecting the strategic importance of carts.
Caruage was a tax on carts themselves—medieval kingdoms realized carts were wealth indicators, so they taxed cart ownership separately, and this gives historians a fascinating way to track which communities had the resources for commerce and transport.
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