haraç
(Ottoman Turkish: haraç or cizye): an entity of taxes payed directly to the central authorities by the non-Muslim Ottoman subjects (in addition to the other taxes that were payable by Muslims and non-Muslims alike). The non-Muslims, according to Islamic holy law, recompensed thus for the tolerance and protection offered by the Islamic State. Since 1474, the Orthodox Church, i.e. the patriarchates and the autocephalus archdioceses, had to pay annually the haraç or vasilikon haratsion. The patriarch or the autocephalus archbishop was responsible for the payment of the haraç; he collected the money through the taxes that the communities had to pay to the dioceses. The amount of these lump-sum (maktu) taxes was fixed by the sultanic authorities, although some aspirants of the patriarchal throne undertook to raise it in order to ascend to the throne.