Studies in Ancient Hindu Polity (Based on the Arthashastra of Kautilya), Vol. I c11.25

c11.25

The census helped them politically in another way. We see in a passage, already quoted in another connexion,¹ that villages were classified not only as of first, middle, and lowest rank, but also as those that were free from taxation (परिहारक), those that supplied soldiers (आयुधीय), those that paid taxes in grains, cattle, gold, forest produce (कुप्य), etc., and those that supplied free labour (विष्ट); so that the census was of help to Government by supplying information as to which villages formed the most convenient recruiting grounds for the imperial army.