Page:Madras journal of literature and science vol 2 new series 1857.djvu/197

JULY — SEPT. 1857.] for India. 187 An arrangement on the Tola tmit will first be considered.

Though the larger Weights throughout India are utterly devoid (in practice) of rule or uniformity, being generally misshapen lumps of metal, or stones, and varying in value as well as de- nomination in every district almost,'^ there has from time imme- morial been a small weight called a tola, in use by Goldsmiths and •Jewellers, which has maintained a ponderary value of about 182 or 184 grains. "When the Government of India, by Act VII. of 1833, (the main purport of which ^as to fix the weight of the Furrucka- bad rupee at 180 grains)f decided on 180 grains as the tola, they in the same Ac eclared that this tola should be " the unit of a " general system of Weights in all Government transactions.^*

The " Table" of Weights adopted by the Government of India for the use of their own offices, is in accordance with Native usage in Bengal, and was approved of by the Chambers of Commerce in Calcutta and Bombay. It is as follows : 1 Tola = 180 Grains. 5 Tolas =r= 1 Chittak. 16 Chittaks = 1 Seer = 80 Tolas = 2'057l43 lbs. avoir. 40 Seers = 1 Mun = (or maund) = 82 *lbs. exactly.

thus the " Seer" is said to be so many Rupees weight ; but it is very seldom pos- sible to say what was the weight of the Rupee forming the original unit. The Rupees of the different Native Governments varied considerably, and even under the British rule the Sicca Rupee of Bengal was 192 grains, when the Arcot Rupee of Madras was 176^, These differences in the small unit would effect the larger ones considerably, and aggravate the uncertainty as to what was their original and leal value. Besides this, terms of the same denomination do not by any means denote the same value. A Candy, (Khundee) for instance, in one place differs very much from the Candy of another place. Again, a Candy (for in- stance) of Metal, is not the same as a Candy of Tobacco ; and there is a different Candy for Cotton and Sugar. The Candy used in buying, is not always the same in the same place, as the Candy used in selling. t The Furruckabad rupee used in the N. W. Provinces, had l^therto been 180'234 grains. The Rupee of Madras and Bombay had been for some years 180 grains. The " Sicca" Rupee of Bengal still remained at 192 grains, but this coin- age was discontinued in consequence of Act XVII. of 1835, and since that date the Company's Rupee of 180 grains has been the only Rupee coined at any of the Government Mints. I
 * The traditionary and acknowledged unit of Weight is generally the Rupee ;