State and Government in Ancient India c20.65

c20.65

Temples, which owned extensive lands, were naturally not exempted from taxation. Sometimes, if their income was small, only a quit rent was charged; but usually the full rate was in operation. We have cases of temples selling part of their lands in order to pay the government revenues due from them;⁵ sometimes we even find their lands being sold away by government for default in the payment of land tax.⁶