Local Government in Ancient India c13.s1.7

c13.s1.7

The utilization of this joint-stock was determined by the corporation itself either every month or six months in the manner following,³ viz. (*a*) by division among the members or partners of the association, or (*b*) by donations to the deserving, such as the infirm, diseased, distressed, blind, and idiotic, orphans and helpless women, or (*c*) by expenditure on such public works as might be decided upon by the guild. The division of the net joint-fund among the members was of course proportioned according to the amount contributed to the fund by each individual member (i. e. according to his share in the joint-stock). It is also clear from the words of Bṛhaspati cited above (p. 251) that all funds bestowed by the king on a single member of a corporation belonged to all or the entire body, thus showing the communistic principles on which the corporation was governed. All expenditure of the society, besides royal gifts, is similarly common to all.