Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c10.s9.16

v1.c10.s9.16

We may now attempt to form an idea of the goods that had to pay customs dues and of the rate of duties levied by the Government. A copper plate grant dated A.D. 1382 mentions a great array of goods and the rate of customs the people had to pay on them. The annual dues were as follows: Immovable property: for light assessment villages (sthāvara sthaḷaka hoṅguṭṭageya grāmakke) 1 bēle per gadyāṇa, for villages cultivated on half share (vāravan ikkuva grāmaṅgalige), 1 bēle per gadyāṇa, according to the rent payable in money; for rice and grain 2 bēle per khaṇḍuga for government and private shares united (bhaṭṭa nānādhānya irāya prati-khaṇḍuga ondakke ibbala). Particulars of the dues payable on grain carried by pack bullocks (mūleya svāmyada vivara): for the nava ratna (nine kinds of grain?) [=gems?] 2 fanams per gadyāṇa reckoned on the price. Perfumes: fresh camphor 1 hāga per kuruju (or kūru); paṇne (?) 1 bēle per kuruju; musk 1 bēle per tōla; the red flower crocus sativa 1 hāga each; dark sandal chips (agilu) 1 aḍḍa per tōla; sandal wood 1 hāga per tōla; sāndu javādi puṇugu pratikaṇaju three per hāga; vastra paika dēvagiri javali 1 bēle (? cloths from Dēvagiri); wedding cloths 1 visa; white cloths 80 pieces to a malavi, 1 aḍḍa; silk cloths 1 aḍḍa per tōla; raw silk, 1 hāga per tōla; spun cotton 1 aḍḍa per malavi; cotton 1 hāga per malavi; wool, (kambali? blankets?) 1 hāga per malavi; sack cloth (kāgeyapaḷḷe) 1 visa per piece (paṭṭe); rugs and carpets (ratnagaṁbaḷi jambuk-hāna) 1 hāga per maḷavi; palmyra leaves (for writing upon) 1 hāga per maḷavi;; gōṇi (bags made out of sack cloth?) 1 hāga per maḷavi of pieces. Grains: for these six kinds, nellu, jōḷa, rāgi, navaṇi (or navaṇe), barugu and sāve, 1 bēle per load. Split grains: gōdhi, kaḍale, ellu-agase, kusube, hesaru, uddu, togari, huruvaḷḷi, and other pulses, 1 hāga per load. A load of rice, 1 bēle; a bullock load of great value,¹ from other countries (para-dēśadiṁda bahumānyada ettiṅge) 1 hāga; a load of buffalo ghee 1 aḍḍa; a load of salt 1 bēle; a load of jaggery 1 hāga; a load of sugar 1 aḍḍa; a load of areca-nut 1 hāga; a load of betel leaves for chewing 1 hāga; a load of chillies 1 aḍḍa; turmeric, garlic, cummin seed, fenu greek, mustard, and the rest 1 hāga; a cart-load of sugar-cane 1 hāga; a load of aḷḷada 1 hāga; a cart-load of nārivaṇa fruit 1 hāga; a cart-load of mēlōgara fruit 1 hāga; āhoṛe each hulu vīsa; a load of fruits for eating and mēlōgara 1 bēle; betel vines 1 leaf per row; areca-nut trees 1 nut daily for each line; timber 1 bēle a cart-load; straw and firewood 1 bēle a cart-load; siṅgavaḷtigeya māṭuvāghēṇiṁdam (?) country bred horses (ōlagaṇ kudurege) 1 bēle a gadyāṇa a vīsa (?) āghēṇiṁdam mēle holeya kudure kheḍiliya kudure nāḍu kudure 1 bēle a gadyāṇa; elephants 1 hāga per gadyāṇa; camels 1 bēle a gadyāṇa; female servants (toṭṭiṅge) 1 bēle per gadyāṇa; carts 1 bēle per gadyāṇa; bullocks, bēle a head; she-buffaloes, 1 hāga a head; goats, sheep and such other cattle (ā) [ṇ] ḍu kuṛi kālu-naḍe) 1 vīsa according to the excise rate; (on goods coming from) both roads, 1 bēle per gadyāṇa; servants (or followers? parivārike) 1 paṇa a head every year; chargers (attached to the suite) of an amara-daṇṇāyaka 5 paṇa every year; great officials of the executive department (list?) (?viniyōgada paikakke), from 10 up to 100 honnu; field slaves (?pariyantarada-jīvitagāṭarige) a paṇa a year for each; life-long slaves (? hechchu-jīvitagāṭarige) on every 100 gadyāṇa 2 paṇa every year; princes for the grants to the viceroy (?kumāraru dhoregaḷa umbalige) on every 100 gadyāṇa 2 paṇa every year . . .²