State and Government in Ancient India c20.114

c20.114

of villagers, agnates and castemen.¹ The communal ownership of land did not, however, permit the state to dispossess an individual of the land he owned ; it merely restricted his power of its disposal, lest an unwanted or undessirable person should be introduced in the village community to disturb its peace. It is interesting to note that in the Vedic age even the king was permitted to gift a piece of land only when the adjacent residents agreed to the proposal.²