hroughout the Ottoman PERIOD, the non-Muslim population of Greece was liable
for an annual poll tax (cizye, harac) in return for religious toleration.
This tax was in accordance with Islamic law which provided that all 'infidels'
living in the land of the 'faithful' were obliged to pay protection money.
Each household (hane) was assessed, and there were only small variations in
the amounts charged. All adult male subjects were liable for more or less the same
amount. Widows who were heads of households paid a reduced rate, and relief was also
given to poorer families. Women, minors, invalids, and in certain cases priests and
monks were exempt, as were Christians with special responsibilities, such as the
matalos and the Vlachs, who were charged with the defense of the mountain
passes.
This tax, widely known as harac from the 16th century onwards, symbolized
the social and economic inflexibility of the time. Today the term connotes the unbearable
economic and psychological burden of taxation in general.