Taxes Through The Ages

From Knowable Magazine:

3,000 – 2,500 BC: First information showing evidence of taxation, past times pharaohs inwards Egypt.

600 – 300 BC: Most premodern societies combat to collect taxes, but Greek metropolis states successfully revenue enhancement wealthy citizens, merchant guilds in addition to goods traveling through their ports.

Qin Shi Huang, showtime leader of the Qin Dynasty.

CREDIT: JESSEW900/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

221 – 206 BC: As the mightiness of China’s aristocracy weakens due to warfare, the Qin Dynasty develops a sophisticated bureaucracy, based on merit. Tax collection improves every bit a result. Europeans volition emulate the Chinese bureaucracy virtually 2,000 years later.

Tax receipt on pottery, Egypt, 174 B.C.

CREDIT: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Middle Ages – Early Modern period: Most states collect no to a greater extent than than v pct of gross domestic product inwards taxes, hampered past times bird tensions, express administrative capacity in addition to an inability to enforce collection. Feudal kings, who involve the back upwardly of aristocrats to retain power, spare nobility from heavy taxation in addition to collect, instead, from pitiable peasants who involve protection from the crown.

French philosopher Voltaire.

CREDIT: H. ROUSSEAU, E. THOMAS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

18th century: French philosopher Voltaire in addition to other Western thinkers accept admiring abide by of Chinese administrative practices, in addition to Europeans slow implement advances that permit them to collect greater revenue enhancement revenues. As inwards China, these occur after wars cause got weakened entrenched elites, sweeping inwards periods of reform...

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Yeah, I got your Voltaire correct here:  

That Time Voltaire Decided To Game the Lottery in addition to Make a Small Fortune

in addition to here:

"Ils ne se servent de la pensée que pour autoriser leurs injustices, et emploient les paroles que pour déguiser leurs pensées"

—François-Marie Arouet--'Voltaire', Dialogue xiv. Le Chapon et la Poularde (1766).

"Men utilisation idea solely to justify their incorrect doings, in addition to employ oral communication solely to conceal their thoughts"