History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.432.3

v4.c62.432.3

62) prescribes that the king should well guard all harbours (*velā-pura*) that are near the sea, that when the boats of sailors residing in his own country return to the harbour the king should charge one-tenth (of the price of goods brought) as the duty and that when foreign boats are driven to his harbour by an unfavourable wind, the king should confiscate all their merchandise or may give a little to the owners of those boats. In this connection a very interesting inscription may be referred to. The Moṭupalli pillar Inscription²⁵⁰ of the Kākatiya king Gaṇapatideva (of 1244–45 A. D.) issues (E. I. vol. XII p. 195) a charter of security (abhaya-śāsana) to the sailors who ply between towns in different countries, islands and continents: ‘when ships that made voyages from one country to another were driven or were shattered or touched at a place that was not meant as a place of call, owing to unfavourable winds, former kings forcibly took away all commodities therein such as gold, elephants, horses &c.; but we, considering that wealth is dearer than life itself, have with kindness decided to give everything except the fixed śulka to those sailors who undertake the great venture of crossing the sea, so that thereby we shall secure fame and righteousness; the śulka fixed is as follows’. About *śulka* to be levied on goods brought by the sea the Baud. Dh. S. (I. 10. 15–16) prescribes that it is 10 per cent of the cargo except one best article (which is totally exempted).