In the Mauryan empire, 'Pindakara' was a tax:

In the Mauryan period, "Pindakara" was a tax paid by villages, assessed as a lump sum on a group of villages (rather than on individual farmers).

About Pindakara:

• "Pinda" means a lump or a whole, and "kara" means tax.
• It was assessed on a whole village or a group of villages, which paid it collectively.
• It is mentioned in the Arthashastra of Kautilya.
• It seems to have been a customary tax, paid regularly by the villages.

Taxes in the Mauryan period:

• "Bhaga": the king's share of the produce.
• "Bali": a religious or additional tax (originally a voluntary offering).
• "Pindakara": a lump-sum tax on villages.
• "Senabhakta": a tax or levy for feeding the army when it passed through an area.
• "Hiranya": a tax paid in cash (gold), probably on certain crops.
• "Udakabhaga": a water tax for the use of irrigation provided by the state.
• "Shulka": customs and tolls on goods.
• "Kara": a general tax.
• "Vishti": forced labour for the state.

Importance of revenue in the Mauryan state:

• The Mauryan state maintained a large army and a large number of officials, so it needed a lot of revenue.
• The Arthashastra describes many sources of revenue, including land, mines, forests, trade, crafts and fines.
• It says that the treasury is the basis of the state's power.
• The state also earned revenue from its own lands (sita lands), cultivated by labourers under state supervision.

Officers:

Revenue was collected by officers at the village, district and provincial levels.

Why not the other options?

• ✗A tax on pilgrims is mentioned separately.
• ✗Customs on imports were called by another term.
• ✗Labour paid by artisans was a form of forced labour (vishti).