 Taxes were levied on artisans such as potters , sheep herders , weavers , oilmen , shopkeepers , stall owners , brewers and gardeners . Taxes on perishable items such as fish , meat , honey , medicine , fruits and essentials like fuel was as high as 16 % . Taxes on salt and minerals were mandatory although the empire did not claim sole ownership of mines , implying that private mineral prospecting and the quarrying business may have been active . The state claimed all such properties whose deceased legal owner had no immediate family to make an inheritance claim . Other miscellaneous taxes included ferry and house taxes . Only Brahmins and their temple institutions were taxed at a lower rate . 
