A tax of one-tenth of agricultural produce or income paid to support the Church and clergy in medieval Europe. This religious obligation was often enforced by law and formed a major source of Church wealth and power.
From Old English 'teogotha,' meaning 'tenth,' related to 'tien' (ten). The practice derives from biblical precedent, particularly the Old Testament requirement to give a tenth of one's produce to support religious institutions.
The tithe was so fundamental to medieval life that entire wars were fought over 'tithe barns' - those massive stone buildings where farmers stored the Church's share of their harvest! In England, tithe disputes helped fuel the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, showing how religious taxes could spark political revolution.
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