Revenues of the duke of Brabant

Although defeat was often synonymous with financial catastrophe, victory usually allowed a ruler to recover his expenses. Unfortunately this was not always the case. In 1329, while John III had indeed succeeded in subduing Renaud, lord of Fauquemont, rumour had it that the long siege of the robber baron's fortress had cost the duke the equivalent of four times the value of the seigniory. I have deliberately glossed over the financial aspects of warfare. The subject is worthy of a detailed treatment, which cannot be undertaken within the scope of this work. It seems useful, even so, to describe briefly the financial means available to the prince to carry on his belligerent projects. To simplify a complex situation, it can be said that the duke, like the other territorial princes of the era, drew his revenues, in coin and in kind, principally from two sources: his domains, and the aids.

As landlord, the duke imposed on his domains a whole series of very varied taxes, which made up the greater part of his revenues. Here I am thinking of the income of the local or particular receivers, the income of the officers of justice, the income from timber, the income of the Household, the income of the Mint, the revenues obtained from the Lombards, from the moneychangers, and from the Jews, the town taxes and his life annuity over the town of Leuven.