Cultural Taxation and Formation of Identity in Travancore

Abstract

A tax system can be defined as the financial obligation levied or imposed upon subjects of a region or state, in order to generate revenue for its existence. It is the basis of every economy and vice-versa, economy is the basis of every state. Hence, Travancore, a erstwhile native kingdom which had later developed into a princely state, too had levied different types of taxes from its subjects. Being a kingdom ruled by different dynasties, that can be traced back to the Ay dynasty, it had a tax system that could help the authority assert their dominance, legacy and authority upon the people. The different types of taxes that existed in Travancore included taxes on land, commodities, agriculture, commerce, trade, rituals, culture and so on with different dimensions. Mostly these taxes which had social implications were related to culture and further caste oriented, that in turn divided society into different groups on the basis of race, gender and occupation and helped to form and reveal the identity of a person.