Maharishi Yagnyavalkya, in his smruthi, advises a just ruler to accumulate wealth through dharmic means and also spend a part of it on charity to the worthy. The successive chapters of the smruthi advise the importance of documenting the land and wealth donated, so that they continue to benefit the receiver even after the times of the king.
The smruthi goes on to discuss the possible materials on which such documents can be recorded and the prescribed format to be followed when describing the donations. Inclusion of eloquent praises of the royal ancestry, and the achievements and conquests of the king and his benevolent contributions were also made mandatory by the smruthi when recording the grants.