The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c11.t22.16

c11.t22.16

One of the hill caves in Govardhana (Nasik District in the Bombay Presidency) was excavated at Uṣava-dâta's expense.⁴ Among his numerous benefactions we read of the gift of 300,000 cows, the construction of the flights of steps on a river and the giving away of sixteen villages for religious purposes. This philanthropist used to maintain 100,000 scholars and priests with board. He bore the marriage expenses of eight Brâhmaṇas at Somnath in Gujarat. His quadrangles, public halls and halting places as well as gardens, tanks and wells were spread over the country from Broach and Bassein, the ports on the Arabian Sea coast, to Daśapura in Malwa, far inland in Upper India. Ferry boats were placed by him over six rivers in northern Bombay. Both sides of these rivers were also furnished with rest houses and equipped with arrangements for the distribution of water to travellers. Moreover, he founded ions for the support of several academies of Vedic learning parts of the Maratha country. te endowments for public purposes were undoubtedly every epoch of Hindu history. But none the less the financial of public administration weighed heavy upon the "pillars ate". The government could not afford to depend solely upon riotism and voluntary contributions. The expenses of national eeping had to be met regularly from the resources of the empire. iance department had therefore to raise the necessary revenue k or by crook.