Aldarion
Neoreactionary Monarchist
Tax Policy of Gondor
As can be seen from military organization, Gondor is in fact a centralized monarchy in the vein of Byzantine Empire. It remained a fairly centralized monarchy, with not a trace of feudalism to be s…
fantasyview.wordpress.com
As can be seen from military organization, Gondor is in fact a centralized monarchy in the vein of Byzantine Empire. It remained a fairly centralized monarchy, with not a trace of feudalism to be seen. History is also similar: where Arnor fell apart into multiple kingdoms (echoing both barbarization of Western Roman Empire, and later division of Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms), Gondor endured. Much like Byzantium, part of reason for its endurance was that it was much less exposed: whereas Arnor had no major physical barriers between its core lands and Angmar, Gondor's core lands were protected from Mordor by Anduin, and from wild men by the White Mountains. Similarly, Eastern Empire had its core lands protected by the Danube, Black Sea, and Taurus / Antitaurus ranges; and while Danube ultimately proved permeable, Bosphorus protected Anatolia.
(read rest on the blog)