Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.3

c7.s6.3

About the collection of taxes it may be mentioned that the collectors were very oppressive to the poor-folk. We are told of a king who invaded another king for non-payment of taxes (kappaka).¹⁶ The Vivāgasuya refers to a district-officer (ratthakūḍa) named Ikkāi who harassed the people of five hundred villages under his jurisdiction by means of various taxes (kara), custom duties (bhara), interest, bribe, insult, compulsory contribution (dejja), punitive taxes (bhejja), extortion of money at the point of the sword, by giving shelter to thieves, by setting fire and waylaying the travellers.¹⁷ The Bṛhatkalpa Bhāṣya refers to the king of Sopāraya who demanded tax from the merchants (negama). They refused to pay and the king ordered his tax-collectors to burn down their houses.¹⁸