Administrative System of the Marathas c23.s13.41

c23.s13.41

Traders shall every day pay one kakani to the Superintendent towards the charge of stamping the weights and measures."³⁶ Imported commodities were similarly stamped before they could be offered for sale. "When merchants with their merchandise arrive at the toll-gate, four or five collectors shall take down who the merchants are, whence they come, what amount of merchandise they have brought and where for the first time the sealmark has been made on the (merchandise). Those whose merchandise has not been stamped with sealmark shall pay twice the amount of toll. For counterfeit seal, they shall pay eight times the toll. If the sealmark is effaced or torn (the merchant in question) shall be compelled to stand in ghatikasthana. When one kind of seal is used for another or when one kind of merchandise has been otherwise named, the merchants shall pay a fine of 1¼ panas for each load."³⁷ Every information about this particular impost has been supplied by the Mauryan sage and there is hardly anything left to be desired. We are therefore in a position to estimate its exact character and even a careless comparison will convince one that this Mauryan impost is undoubtedly the prototype of the Marathi *Bat Chhapai*. It has been described by Mr. Elphinstone as a fee on the annual examination of weights (this specially affected the retail traders but fell on others too) and measures.³⁸ From an entry in the Peshwa's Diaries it appears that a fee was charged for *Chhapa* or stamping of cloth. "The duty on stamping cloth was 5 p.c. on the value of imported cloth and 2½ p.c. on cloth of local manufacture and sellers of unstamped cloths were ordered to be fined."