The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c11.45

c11.45

Still the subjects of the king were not only reminded in times of war, when the king’s army protected the frontiers of the land, and through the administration of justice exercised by him and by those authorised by him, of a power standing above them and surrounding and protecting them all; the people had duties which made them realize very clearly the fact of their being citizens of the State.¹ Whilst the king has for his care the securing of protection against external enemies and the preservation of internal order, the people also, as a counter-duty on their part, bear the cost of administration of the State, the army and the Court by payment of taxes. Similar conditions we have probably to suppose for the Vedic period; at least there seems no reasonable ground for understanding by the Vedic *bali* anything else than a fixed tax.² Probably, in the oldest times there were voluntary presents—according to Zimmer,¹ the only tax which the Vedas prescribed that the people should pay to the king—principally for meeting the cost of the king's Court, and when we find mention of the offer of such presents in the epics² and also here and there in the Jātakas, this is to be considered a survival of the old custom. On the occasion of the coronation ceremony (chattamaṅgala), described in the Kummāsapiṇḍa Jātaka, we find among the people surrounding the throne citizens with various kinds of presents³ (*nānāvidha-paṇṇākārahatthe nagaramanusse*). Petitioners expected obviously a favourable reception of their prayer when they did not appear before the king with empty hands. The Brāhmaṇa who goes to the king with the request that he will replace the second dead ox, gives him a present (raṇṇákāra II. 166) with the words, “May the king be victorious.”