The ashar, derived from the Celestial word meaning “tithe,” was a tax levied by the Shahanshah and the Imperial Faith on those who did not follow the Imperium’s faith.
Many houses did not convert to the faith of the Imperium following the Pelegonic Conquest. Recognizing his fragile position as Shahanshah of the largest Empire ever created, Pelegon I did not require his vassals to submit to his new faith, but did order that those who did not convert must pay an additional tribute tax to the Golden Falcon Throne.
Over time, this led many lords to convert to the Imperial Faith, though many did so only nominally and continued to keep their gods in private (a reality which had become an open secret by the reign of Adrastus I).
Shahanshah Adrastus I Pelegon abolished the ashar during his reign for three primary reasons:
- By punishing those who did not convert, Adrastus felt that the ashar encouraged false conversions, done only for material and political gain. Therefore, while the number of stated adherents to the Imperial faith was high, many of these adherents were not true believers. Adrastus was a deeply pious man and felt that the Elohim were displeased by these false professions of faith.
- Adrastus, a man deeply concerned with religious tolerance, felt that taxing those who worshipped differently than him was fundamentally unjust.
- A shrewd politician, Adrastus felt that the ashar created tension between himself and his vassals. By removing it, he strengthened his standing amongst his vassals. This especially helped to heal the erosion of Imperial prestige and authority which had occurred during the reigns of the unruly Deshna I and the senile Odios I.