I was wondering how the Domesday Book could have had as much authority as it did when I'm assuming the demographics of Medieval England must have changed relatively quickly such that the information it contained became very out of date. How long was the Domesday Book relied on by English authorities? Why was there no attempt to update the book? Was there any equivalent of such a record on the Continent? How did the book assist in the administration of the government of England beyond aiding in the collection of taxes?

-- MichaelCoburn - 09 Sep 2014