Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India c8.52

c8.52

Besides, the customs duty, merchants had to pay many tolls and cesses. The warden of the marches (*antaḥpāla*) realised a toll of 1¼ *paṇas* per load. The animals had to pay a cess ranging from ½ and ¼ *paṇas*. In return the warden had to perform certain duties. For instance if the goods of a merchant were looted in his territory then he had to meet his loss. The warden after inspecting the foreign goods sealed them and despatched them to the Superintendent of Customs. A spy in the garb of a merchant determined the quality and quantity of a merchant's goods and despatched the information received to the king. The king to show his omnipresence sent the information to the Superintendent of Customs and who in his turn conveyed it to other merchants. This was done to ensure that a merchant did not make a false declaration. In spite of these precautions if the deceptions were found out then the fine on a merchant was eight times of the regular duty and if the goods were of superior quality then they were confiscated by the state. The import of harmful goods was prohibited, but such articles which were not easily available in the country could be imported without any duty. On all goods such as external (*bāhya*) produce of the districts (*āntarika*), the goods manufactured in cities (*ātithya*) and foreign goods were dutiable both on their import and export.³⁶ On the dried fruits and meat the duty was one-sixth of their prices. The duties were determined on chankshell, diamond, pearl, coral, precious stones, and necklaces, with the opinion of the experts. Duty was also levied on linen, orpiment, manganese, red lead, minerals, colouring materials, sandalwood, agar etc. On linen, *dukūla* silk yarn, armours, kermes, antimony, vermilion, metals of various kinds and ores, sandalwood, spices, and fermenting materials, hides, ivory, bed-spreads, coverings and silk cloth and animal products of goats and rams, the duty chargeable was 1/10th or 1/15th part of their prices. In the same way the duty on textile materials, four-footed animals, cotton, aromatics, medicines, wood, bamboos, barks, skins, earthen pots, grain, oil, salt and parboiled rice was 1/20 to 1/25 of their values. Besides these merchants had to pay one-fifth of the customs duty as the gate toll. This, however, could be excused.