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More like living on a body of water was like having access to a highway. And while a lot of trade happened along a river, it's also a risk for invasion from arm
by chrisco255 2y ago
More like living on a body of water was like having access to a highway. And while a lot of trade happened along a river, it's also a risk for invasion from armies and raiding parties, hence the need for protection.
- WalterBright 2y agoHaving lived in Germany for a while, and toured the castles along the Rhein, I was told by the tour guides that toll extraction was their purpose.
- digging 2y agoTour guides of historical sites are often completely or even willfully wrong about facts like this, but in a sense almost all castles exist to exert control over nearby resources so they're probably right.
- shiroiushi 2y agoIt's probably both. Rivers are convenient for transport, which means raiders can also target them since so much valuable stuff is transported that way. A castle is a sensible way (in those times) to put a protective force in place against the raiders. However, the castle and the people protecting river traffic need money, so of course that comes from tolls. It's no different than any "protection racket" or police force: the money has to come from somewhere to offer protection, so some form of tax is normally used.
- chrisco255 2y agoYou don't really need a whole castle to collect a toll (just a gateway of some kind). You need a castle to protect a village from raiders.