Dotation

A dotation [dɔ.ta.sjɔ̃] was a grant of revenues from territory conquered by the First French Empire. The dotations were made by Emperor Napoleon to family members, government figures and military officers as a means of securing their support. Those granted land were known as donataires. The system saw almost 6,000 donataires holding dotations worth, in theory, 30 million francs per year by the time of the Empire's collapse in 1814. The loss of revenue to the conquered states was significant; the Kingdom of Westphalia was never financially solvent under French rule because of the dotation system taking 20% of its income.