sentences:  This consisted of building monasteries and religious monuments, donating property such as the income of villages for the support of monks, and exempting donated property from taxation.Donations were most often made by private persons such as wealthy merchants and female relatives of the royal family, but there were periods when the state also gave its support and protection.In the case of Buddhism, this support was particularly important because of its high level of organization and the reliance of monks on donations from the laity.