Flax Tax Revolt

The  (: Revuelta del Impuesto al Lino) was a popular uprising that occurred in the Ventoran of Nauigio for several days in July 226 BCE. Increasing food costs played a role, leading to a mistrust of governing officials. The precipitating event was governor Ciríaco Macías Biscana's announcement on July 23 of a tax on used for any purpose other than sail-making. Linen craftsmen who were not members of the sailmaker's guild immediately decried the tax as unequal and unfair. The appearance of tax collectors in the linen workers quarter resulted in a mob descending upon the tax collectors, killing three of them. Sailmakers attempted to defend some tax collectors and the situation degenerated into a. The revolt lasted until July 26 when Governor Macías withdrew the tax and promised amnesty for those involved in the revolt. By then the linen quarter was largely destroyed, along with substantial stocks of cloth.

Background
Nauigio, the first southwest Alutran city state on the Abayadi Sea was an established trade center. It had extended its jurisdiction inland from the coast to provide food and other resources for the townspeople. In exchange, the city-state promised protection to its hegemons. As a trade center, shipbuilding, ship repair, and supplies, including sails, were important economic activities for Nauigio. The sailmaker's guild felt linen was the best material for sails, so the surrounding fields not committed to foodstuffs planted flax for producing the linen.

As a result of not understanding the concept of crop rotation, the continued planting of flax in these same fields began resulting in smaller and smaller annual harvests. In similar fashion, some of the grain harvests were also shrinking. 226 BCE was a rather dry year in the region. In anticipation of a smaller than expected flax harvest, the governor decided to tax non-sailmaking use of flax in an effort to ensure adequate supply to one of the city-state's key economic activities. Macías did not appreciate the disparate impact the tax would have non linen craftsmen who were not sailmakers. While some were somewhat wealthy from making clothing for the upper class in the city-state, most linen craftsmen only made enough to live on since sailmaking was the more important trade. Coupled with rising food costs and the likelihood of not being able to afford their livelihoods, linen craftsmen found the situation unacceptable.