The Domesday Book was also used to estimate how many extra soldiers could be raised in a conflict.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. To record weather
• D. To appoint sheriffs

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of what the Domesday Book was used for beyond simple taxation. The Domesday survey, completed in 1086, collected detailed information about landholdings, resources, and the people who held and worked lands. That information made it possible for the king to estimate how much wealth and how many potential fighters could be mobilized in a conflict. In this period, military obligation came from feudal retinues and the local fyrd, and knowing where land, plough teams, and free men were located helped gauge how many soldiers could be raised and how they could be funded or provisioned. So, saying that the Domesday Book was used to estimate extra soldiers reflects its role in planning military capacity, not just taxes.

It wasn’t about recording weather, which would be unrelated to governance and warfare, nor about appointing sheriffs, since sheriffs were royal appointees whose appointment was not a function of the Domesday returns. The key idea is that the survey provided a practical snapshot of resources and manpower across the realm, enabling the crown to forecast how many troops could be raised in a time of need.