History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c18.s1.49

c18.s1.49

A further brief contribution on these inscriptions has been provided by Professor A. Chakravarti, who quotes and considers the Poygai inscriptions in his introduction to *Nīlakēci*,⁴ and arrives at original conclusions. "It is evident," he writes, "that Dr. Hultzch (*sic*) makes an unfortunate mistake in translating *Ācuvakkatamai* as the tax on Ajivikās (*sic*). *A priori* it is absurd to suggest that any minister would propose levying a tax on wandering mendicants who have to beg for their daily food. . . . Further, from the context it is clear that the term refers to some kind of professional tax since it occurs in the midst of words relating to professional tax, ‘the tax on looms, the tax on shops, the tax on gold-smiths (*sic*), and the tax on oil mills, and *Ācuvakkatamai* translated as the tax on Ajivikās (*sic*).’ Probably the term *Ācuvakkatamai* refers to the tax laid on Bronzesmiths (*sic*) who made moulds for casting vessels and other objects of bell-metals. The Tamil term *ācu* is generally used synonymously with mould. Hence it can only mean a tax on moulding and casting. It is not for us to determine exactly what it means. It is enough for our purpose to state that it does not and cannot mean tax on Ajivikās (*sic*) and the rendering given by Dr. Hultzch (*sic*) is evidently wrong."⁵