A History of Agriculture in India v2.c81.s5: No Tax on Gardens
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c81.s5
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No Tax on Gardens
v2.c81.s5.1
Growing of fruit plants is costly. The upkeep of a garden involves intensive labour and manuring. Fruit plants are also subject to many hazards. Wind storms cause havoc in mango gardens. One day you find mango trees laden with fruit. Next day a wind storm comes and the trees are bare. Rain on flowering peaches, pears, plums and oranges in the month of March will wash away the pollen and fruit would not set. Knowing the problems of gardens and gardeners, Jahangir did not tax them. In the Tuzk, he narrates the following anecdote about a king and a gardener.
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A King came to the gate of a garden in the heat of the day. He saw an old gardener standing at the gate, and asked him if there were any pomegranates in the garden. He said: "There are." He told him to bring a cup of pomegranate juice. The gardener had a daughter adorned with grace of person and beauty of disposition. He made a sign to her to bring the pomegranate juice. The girl went and at once brought a cup full of pomegranate juice, and placed some leaves upon it. The King took it from her hand and drank it. Then he asked the girl what was her reason for placing leaves on the top of the juice. She, with an eloquent tongue and a sweet voice, represented that it was not wise at once to drink off a quantity of liquid when he was bathed in perspiration, and in such a hot air. On this account she had placed the leaves on the liquid by way of precaution, so that he might drink it slowly. The King was greatly pleased with her sweet ways, and it crossed his mind to admit the girl into his Palace. After this he asked the gardener: "How much profit do you derive from this garden every year?" He answered: "Three hundred dīnārs." The King asked: "What do you pay the Diwan (tax-collector)?" He answered: "The King takes nothing from the trees, but takes a tenth of the cultivated crops." It came into the King's mind that there were in his dominions many gardens and countless trees. If he were to get a tenth of the garden produce as well, it would amount to a large sum, and there would be no great loss to the cultivator. Hereafter he would order a tax to be levied on garden produce. He said then: "Bring me a little more pomegranate juice." The girl went, and after a long time brought small quantity. The King said: "The first time thou camest quickly, and broughtest more. This time thou didst stay a long time, and broughtest less." The girl said: "The first time I had filled the cup with the juice of one pomegranate, and brought it; this time I pressed out five or six pomegranates and did not get as much juice." The astonishment of the King increased. The gardener represented: "The blessing of produce depends on the goodwill of the King. It occurs to me that you must be a king. At the time when you inquired of me the income from the garden, your disposition must have changed. Consequently the blessing passed away from the fruit." The Sultan was impressed, and drove that idea out of his heart. He then said: "Bring me once more a cup of pomegranate juice." The girl went again, and quickly bringing a cup full to the brim, gave it, smiling and gladly, into the Sultan's hand. He praised the intelligence of the gardener, and explained the actual state of affairs, and begged the girl of him in marriage, and married her.
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This true tale of that truth-preserving King has remained as a memento on the page of time. In truth, the manifestation of such spiritual (?) results is the mark of good intentions, and the fruit of justice. Whenever all the energies and purposes of justice-observing Kings are devoted to the comfort of the people and the contentment of their subjects, the manifestations of [Figure: FIG. 54. Shah Jahan in a garden. Late seventeenth century. (Courtesy: Indian Museum, Calcutta)]
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FIG. 53. The Nishat Garden was laid out by Asaf Khan, brother of Nur Jahan, on the shores of the Dal Lake, Srinagar. Its twelve terraces rise dramatically higher and higher to the mountain-side.
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well-being and the productions of fields and gardens are not far off. God be praised that in this age-enduring State no tax has ever been levied on the fruit of trees, and is not levied now. In the whole of the dominion not a *dam* on this account enters the public treasury, or is collected by the State. Moreover, there is an order that who ever makes a garden on arable land, its produce is exempted.⁴
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⁴ Rogers, Alexander (tr.), Beveridge, Henry (ed.), *The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri* or *Memoirs of Jahangir*, pp. 52, 53