Discuss the significance of the Domesday Book to the consolidation of Norman authority in England.

Candidates are required to offer a considered and balanced review of the significance of the Domesday Book to the consolidation of Norman authority in England. There are several reasons for Domesday including consolidating and defining changes in land tenure that had occurred in the years since 1066. The aim was to resolve disputes between Normans and Anglo-Saxons. An additional purpose was to clarify rights and dues that were owed to the monarchy by landholders and to ensure the efficient collection of taxes. More immediately it would give a clear picture of the resources of the barons, which William could call on to help repel the threatened invasion from Denmark. In the longer term, the Domesday Book helped to embed the feudal structure more effectively and laid the basis for the continuing authority of the Norman kings in England.