Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/731

 MONEY, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES. 695

The greater part of the commerce of Persia centers at Tauris, which is the chief emporium for the productions of Northern India, Samarcand, Bokhara, Cabul, and Beloochistan. It is stated in a French report, that the European imports into Tauris amounted, in the year 1868, to 60,000,000 francs or 2,400,000/., whereas in 1840 they were only 40,000,000 or 1,600,000/. All the European mer- chandise that reaches Tauris passes by Constantinople to Trebizonde, whence it is forwarded by caravans. Most of this trade to Persia is in the hands of Persian merchants residing at Tauris. There are also in that city three European houses. The principal of these is the Russian firm Ralli, which was founded in 1837. As this firm was long with- out a rival, it had for a time almost a monopoly of the European commerce in Persia.

The direct trade of Persia with Great Britain is of the smallest. There were no exports from Persia to Great Britain in 1863 and 1864, while in 1865 they amounted to only 51 11. in value, in 1866 to 1/., in 1867 to 960/., and in 1868 to 20/. In the year 1869 there were, again, no exports to the Untted Kingdom. The imports of British produce into Persia direct were of the value of 530/. in 1864; of 16,243/. in 1865; of 25,906/. in 1866; of 14,069/. in 1867; of 17,498/. in 1868 ; and of 16,985/. in 1869. The imports of 1869 consisted mainly of cottons and cotton yarn, valued at 5,459/., of copper, 4,,780/., and of refined sugar, 3,092/. In 1867, the British cotton imports amounted to 4,199/., and in 1868 to 4,711/.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of Persia, and the British equivalents, are : —

Money.

The Reran = 1,000 Dinars, or 20 Shahis = Hid. „ Toman = 10 Kerans. . = 9s. 3\d.

The gold coins of Persia, consisting of Tomans, five-Keran and two-Keran pieces, contain no alloy.

Weights and Measures.

The Batman — 40 Sihrs, or 640 Miscals. = 13£ lbs. avoirdupois.

„ Collothun = 3| Cepichas, or 6£ Chenicas = 1-809 imperial gallon.

,, Artata = 8 Collothun. . . = 1*809 imperial bushel.

„ Zcr = 16 Gereks. . . . = 38 inches.

,, Fersakh, or Parasang. . . . = 4^ miles.

Besides the weights and measures here enumerated there exist a great variety of local standards. In foreign commerce, Russian weights and measures are largely used.