State and Government in Ancient India c20.211

c20.211

Fines were naturally one of the items of state's income. It appears that petty fines imposed for small offences tried by village courts were usually assigned to the headman or to the village community. In the case of crimes tried in the state courts, the fines may have gone to the central treasury. The officer in charge of their collection was called *daśāparādhika* in the province of Kumaun.¹