Ownership of the Soil in Ancient India : The evidence of certain texts discussed

U. N. Ghoshal

Ownership of the Soil in Ancient India : The evidence of certain texts discussed

Vol. 2 · No. 1March - 1926pp. 198–203English

Summary

Responding to K. P. Jayaswal’s theory that the king owned all land in ancient India, Ghoshal re‑examines legal and literary sources. He analyses passages from Manu, Yājñavalkya, the Mahābhārata and inscriptions to argue that private ownership existed alongside royal overlordship. Landholders paid taxes and owed allegiance to the king but could transfer, mortgage or bequeath their holdings. The article discusses various tenures, such as brahmadeya grants, and notes the concept of bhūmiphala (fruits of the soil) belonging to the cultivator. Ghoshal contends that the king was seen as the protector rather than proprietor of the soil.

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Conclusion

The study concludes that ancient Indian society recognised forms of private land ownership and that state claims were limited by customary rights. The debate reflects differing interpretations of dharma texts rather than a uniform doctrine of state ownership.

Key passages

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“In Hindu Polity (Part 11, pp. 873-188) Mr. K. P. Jayaswal has presented પડ with an elaborate discussion relating to the question of ownership of the land in Ancient India.”
“These statements are open to objection on more than one ground. For, in the first place, even if we follow J., in taking the phrase ‘bhimeradkipats, as consisting of three distinct words* Skumeh’ ‘adhe’ and ¢ 6૭૭૪“ and understand the last term to mean ‘protector”, how 15 it possible to render the whole, as J. does, in the sense of ‘protector of both the upper and the sub-soil.”
“The result of the discussion in the foregoing pages would seem to show that three ૦૫૬ of the texts quoted by J. to disprove the king's ownership of the land do not support his case, but prove just the”

Works cited in this article

Hindu Polity
Manusamhita
Arthasastra
Early History of India
Oxford History of India

Discussed in this article

People

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Madras Museum 3

Texts & works

Dynasties, sects & groups

Western Calukya dynasty

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In this issue

Vol. 2 · No. 1

1–15A Short History of CeylonWilhelm Geiger 16–27Stupa and TombB. M. Barua 27–38Rasātala or the Under‑WorldNandu Lal Dey 38–47The Trade of India (from the earliest period up to the 2nd century A.D.)P. T. Srinivas Iyengar 47–52SalihotraGirindranath Mukherji 53–67Some old Bengali Books and Periodicals in the British MuseumSushil Kumar De 67–76Patañjali as he reveals himself in the MahābhāṣyaPrabhat Chandra Chakravarti 77–86A Copper‑plate Grant of Viśvarūpa Sena of BengalHariprasad G. Shastri 89–128Inscriptional Excursions in Respect of Asoka EdictsB. M. Barua 129–146Principles of Hindu Taxation – Canons of TaxationJ. N. C. Ganguly 146–157Hindu Politics in Italian – MachiavellismBenoy Kumar Sarkar 157–158Two Seals from CutchD. B. Diskalkar 159–176Indian Literature Abroad (In China) IIPrabhat Kumar Mukherji 177–180The date of Kaniska and Mr. KimuraSten Konow 180–182A Note on Excavation‑work by Medieval BengaleesRamesh Basu 183–186Perumal's ApostacyK. Rama Pisharoti 186–188A Note on the Evidence of Pāṇini on Vāsudeva‑worshipK. G. Subrahmanyam 188–191Progress of Archaeological Research in MysoreC. S. Srinivasachari 192–195The Cerebralization of the Dental Nasal in PāliVidhushekhara Bhattacharya 195–198Calcutta Imperial Library 198–203Ownership of the Soil in Ancient India : The evidence of certain texts discussedU. N. GhoshalCurrent article 204–214ReviewsNalinaksha Dutt, U. N. Ghoshal, D. Bhattacharya, Panchanan Mitra, Subimal Chandra Datta 215–219Select Contents of Oriental Journals

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