State and Government in Ancient India c20.168

c20.168

*Vishti* or forced unpaid labour was fairly common in ancient times. Poor people could afford to pay a tax neither in cash nor in kind, but it was felt that they also should pay something to the state in return for the protection they got from it. This they could do most conveniently by offering free service to the state. They were not usually employed all through the month and it was therefore felt that it would be but equitable to require them to work for the state free for one or two days in the month.³ The state was of course to feed them during this period.⁴