Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/247

 —

— BAH

169

measures in use in the Bahraich bazax, I have ascertained that the cubit thus determined was as nearly as possible equal to 18f inches. The table then proceeded as follows

= 1 gattha or kasi = 56 inotes. 20 Kasis = 1 kachcha jarib = 93 feet 4 inches. 110 Jaribs = 2,200 kasia = 1 kos = 3,422 yards 3 Haths

Thus the kos was

'^^®

Yard measure.

by about 98 yards.

measures mentioned above are as follows,

J^^

three in First.

feet 8 inolies.

short of two English statute miles

number



—The bazzazi or sikandari gaz

=

1| hdtha

=

2 feet 4 inches.

This yard is by far the oldest of the three, and has from time immemorial been used by the weavers and the cloth merchants, also for measuring all kinds of country-made cloth. Second.

—The Qatai gaz

=

IJ haths

=

2 feet 8| inches.

used by the tailors in measuring the cloth when they make it up, and also by masons, carpenters, &c., in all measurements in work connected with their trade. The cubic contents of all excavations effected by hired labour will be determined by this yard. This

is

Third.

— The

ilahi gaz

=

2J haths

=

42 inches.

This yard was only introduced about 40 years ago when European piece-goods for the first time began to find their way into the market. Among the natives it is universally looked upon as an English measure, and to this day European cloth and nothing else is measured by this yard.

The local land surveyors state that in their reckoning 2 ungals equal one girah, ten girahs equal one hdth or cubit, and three haths are equal to one kasi, which is generally measured by a man taking two paces, equivalent to 75 ungals or fingers'-breadth. There are none of the elaborate

differential scales

used in surveying.

According to the standard mentioned by the Settlement Officer, a local bigha will be a square of 93 feet 4 inches, viz., of 968 square yards, not one-third of the Government bigha of 3,025 square yards, and curiously enough this is exactly one-fifth of the acre of 4,840 square yards. Others state that the local bigha has been determined, and that 2 bighas 17 bis was 16 biswdnsis of the local bigha are equal to one Government bigha. No authority could be quoted for the latter statement. of the district in the Nawabi consisted mainly of the well-known Gorakhpuri paisa. One paisa of this Coinage. The Gorakhcurrency was worth some 30 years ago from 20 to 24 pun paisa. gandas or '' fours" of cowries. For the last two or three decades, however, the value of the coin, as measured by cowries, has been decreasing, and at the present time its market value varies from 12 to 8 gandas of these shells.

The copper currency

The Sher Shahi paisa was also current, being worth only 16

or 16^ gandas, while the copper coin current on the other side of the Other copper coins. Qogj-a, in Bara Banki, called Maddu SAhi and Nawab Sihi, was worth from 21 to 26 gandas.