A kings duty is to give protection to his citizens and levy taxes from them for his livelihood. Since the Vedic society is divided into four classes of menthe brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudrastheir means of livelihood are also mentioned in the scriptures. The brahmanas should live by spreading knowledge and should therefore take contributions from their disciples, whereas a king should give protection to the citizens for their development to the highest standard of life, and he can therefore levy taxes from them; businessmen or mercantile men, because they produce foodstuffs for the whole of society, can take a little profit from this, whereas the sudras, who cannot work as either brahmanas, ksatriyas or vaisyas, should give service to the higher classes of society and be provided by them with a supply of the necessities of life.   (More...)