corvee
Unpaid mandatory work
Corvee is unpaid labor that subjects owe to a lord, government, or other authority—a form of taxation through work rather than money.
Historically, peasants performed corvee on roads, bridges, or the lord's land.
The term appears in discussions of feudalism and colonial exploitation: The corvee system built much of the colony's infrastructure.
Also spelled corvée.
Feudal bound labor
- feudalismLand-for-service social structure
- manorialismMedieval estate labor system
- conscriptionMandatory military enrollment
- compulsoryRequired, not optional
unpaid · peasantry · vassalage · bondage · forced labor · road work · ditch digging · castle building
Offering of respect
- levyCompulsory government charge
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- titheTenth for clergy
- in-kindWith goods, not money
obligation · dues · exaction · impost · demesne · annual service · commutation
serfdom
Feudal bound labor
- feudalismLand-for-service social structure
- manorialismMedieval estate labor system
- conscriptionMandatory military enrollment
compulsory · unpaid · peasantry · vassalage · bondage · forced labor · road work · ditch digging · castle building · bridge repair
tribute
Offering of respect
- levyCompulsory government charge
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- titheTenth for clergy
in-kind · obligation · dues · exaction · impost · demesne · annual service · commutation
corveewage labor
Work exchanged for payment
contract labor · freelance work · fee-for-service · commissioned work · piece work
corveevolunteer work
Freely given service
liberty · autonomy · self-employment · leisure · freedom