Radha Kumud Mukhopadhyay

“ The kind and degree of the maritime activity of the period will be evident from the various kinds of port-taxes that were levied. Thus villages on sea-shores or on the banks of rivers and lakes had to pay regularly a fixed amount of tax. [17] Fishermen had to yield one-sixth of their haul as fees for fishing license. [18] Merchants also had to pay the customary tax levied in port towns. [19] Passengers arriving on board the State or the king's ship had to pay the fixed and requisite amount of sailing fees. ”

“ Besides these taxes payable to the Port Commissioner, there were the various sorts of ferry fees, which are also very interesting and equally indicative of a brisk trade and a throbbing commercial life. A man with a minor quadruped carrying some load had to pay a ferry fee of one masha. ”

“ With regard to the equivalent of the amphora and the tonnage of these ancient vessels, McCrindle says: "The amount of cargo carried by ancient ships was generally computed by the talent or the amphora, each of which weighed about a fortieth of a ton. The largest ships carried 10,000 talents or 250 tons. The talent and the amphora each represented a cubic foot of water, and as the Greek or Roman foot measured about .97 of an English foot, the talent and the amphora each weighed very nearly 57 lbs. See Torr's Ancient Ships, p, 25." ↑ V. A. Smith's Early History of India, p. ”

“ Persons using their own ferries; and
(7) Dealers supplying villages of marshy districts with seeds, necessaries of life, commodities, and other accessory things. Again, Brahmans, ascetics, children, the aged and afflicted, royal messengers, and pregnant women had all to be provided by the Superintendent with free passes to cross rivers. [39] There was also another regulation permitting foreign merchants who had often been visiting the country, as also those who were well known to local merchants, to land freely in port towns. ”

“ Vincent Smith remarks, "the existence of these elaborate regulations is conclusive proof that the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century b.c. was in constant intercourse with foreign states, and that large numbers of strangers visited the capital on business." ”