History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v3.c45.s8.1

v3.c45.s8.1

The tax yielded a very large sum. In the province of Gujrat, for instance, it was 5 lakhs of Rupees a year, which amounted to 3½ p. c. of its total gross revenue.* Now, if we make allowance for the facts that Gujrat had a large Muhammadan population which contributed to the general revenue but not to the *jaziya* and that the custom duties of the busy ports of Surat, Broach and Cambay greatly swelled the total revenue collected in the province, we shall not be far wrong in holding that the *jaziya* meant for the Hindus an addition of fully one-third to every subject's *direct* contribution to the State. To be a Muslim was to be free from this extra taxation.