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The History of measurement systems in Pakistan begins in early Indus Valley civilization when pastoral societies used barter to exchange goods or services and needed units of measurement.
The System of measurement is a set of units of measurement which can be used to specify anything which can be measured and were historically important, regulated and defined because of trade and internal commerce. In modern systems of measurement, some quantities are designated as base units, meaning all other needed units can be derived from them, whereas in the early and most historic eras, the units were given by fiat (see statutory law) by the ruling entities and were not necessarily well inter-related or self-consistent.
The history of measurement systems in Pakistan begins in early Indus Valley civilization with the earliest surviving samples dated to the 5th millennium BCE. The Mughal empire (1526–1857) used standard measures to determine land holdings and collect land tax as a part of Mughal land reforms. British units of measurement were adopted in South Asia as first the East India Company and later colonial rule gained foothold. The formal Metrication in Pakistan is dated to October 1967[ citation needed ] when the Government of Pakistan adopted the International System of Units (SI)
Kos is an ancient unit of distance used in South Asia which is about 2.25 miles. Kos may also refer to about 1.8 km (1⅛ mile) or 3.2 km (2 miles). [1] The Mughal Empire used Farsang (Parsang) for distance, which was in principle the distance a horse would walk in an hour, about 3 miles = 12,000 cubits. [2]
A Kanal is a unit of area, equivalent to 5445 square feet or one-eighth of an acre. It is mainly used in Punjab province of Pakistan. Under British rule the Marla and Kanal were standardized so that the Kanal equals exactly 605 square yards or 1/8 acre; this is equivalent to about 505.857 square meters. A Kanal is equal to 20 marlas. [3] The Marla (unit) is a traditional unit of area that was used in Pakistan and Marla was standardized under British rule to be equal to the square rod, or 272.25 square feet, 30.25 square yards, or 25.2929 square metres. As such, it was exactly one 160th of an acre.
Paher, is a traditional unit of time used in South Asia, including Pakistan. One pahar nominally equals three hours, and there are eight pahars in a day. The timing of Salat (Namaz) were also used to measure time of the day.
Salat | Time |
---|---|
Fajr (فجر) | Dawn to sunrise, should be ready at least 10–15 minutes before sunrise |
Zuhr (ظهر) | After true noon until Asr |
Asr (عصر) | Afternoon |
Maghrib (مغرب) | After sunset until dusk |
Isha (عشاء) | Dusk until dawn |
The traditional system is still used in the villages and remote areas of Pakistan.
Pakistani System | British / troy System | Metric System |
---|---|---|
1 Tolä | ≈ 0.375 t oz | 11.66375 g |
1 Sèr (80 Tolä) | 2.5 t lb ≈ 2.057 lb ≈ 2 lb 1 oz | 0.93310 kg |
1 Maund (40 Sèr) | 100 troy lb | 37.324 kg |
The current definitions as per the UN are:
Pakistani System | Metric System |
---|---|
1 Tolä | 11.664 g |
1 Sèr (80 Tolä) | 933.10 g |
1 Maund (40 Sèr) | 37.324 kg |
The acre is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong, which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, 1⁄640 of a square mile, 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet, and approximately 4,047 m2, or about 40% of a hectare. Based upon the international yard and pound agreement of 1959, an acre may be declared as exactly 4,046.8564224 square metres. The acre is sometimes abbreviated ac but is usually spelled out as the word "acre".
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in horse racing, where in many countries it is the standard measurement of race lengths, and agriculture, where it is used to measure rural field lengths and distances.
The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed through a series of Weights and Measures Acts and amendments.
Chinese units of measurement, known in Chinese as the shìzhì, are the traditional units of measurement of the Han Chinese. Although Chinese numerals have been decimal (base-10) since the Shang, several Chinese measures use hexadecimal (base-16). Local applications have varied, but the Chinese dynasties usually proclaimed standard measurements and recorded their predecessor's systems in their histories.
The rod, perch, or pole is a surveyor's tool and unit of length of various historical definitions. In British imperial and US customary units, it is defined as 16+1⁄2 feet, equal to exactly 1⁄320 of a mile, or 5+1⁄2 yards, and is exactly 5.0292 meters. The rod is useful as a unit of length because integer multiples of it can form one acre of square measure (area). The 'perfect acre' is a rectangular area of 43,560 square feet, bounded by sides 660 feet long and 66 feet wide or, equivalently, 40 rods by 4 rods. An acre is therefore 160 square rods or 10 square chains.
A system of units of measurement, also known as a system of units or system of measurement, is a collection of units of measurement and rules relating them to each other. Systems of measurement have historically been important, regulated and defined for the purposes of science and commerce. Instances in use include the International System of Units or SI, the British imperial system, and the United States customary system.
Li, also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer. This is then divided into 1,500 chi or "Chinese feet".
Metrication in Canada began in 1970 and ceased in 1985. While Canada has converted to the metric system for many purposes, there is still significant use of non-metric units and standards in many sectors of the Canadian economy and everyday life. This is mainly due to historical ties with the United Kingdom, the traditional use of the imperial system of measurement in Canada, interdependent supply chains with the United States, and opposition to metrication during the transition period.
Metrication is the act or process of converting to the metric system of measurement. The United Kingdom, through voluntary and mandated laws, has metricated most of government, industry, commerce, and scientific research to the metric system; however, the previous measurement system is still used in society. Imperial units as of 2024 remain mandated by law to still be used without metric units for speed and distance road signs, and the sizes of cider and beer sold by the glass, returnable milk containers and precious metals, and in some areas both measurement systems are mandated by law.
The earliest recorded systems of weights and measures originate in the 3rd or 4th millennium BC. Even the very earliest civilizations needed measurement for purposes of agriculture, construction and trade. Early standard units might only have applied to a single community or small region, with every area developing its own standards for lengths, areas, volumes and masses. Often such systems were closely tied to one field of use, so that volume measures used, for example, for dry grains were unrelated to those for liquids, with neither bearing any particular relationship to units of length used for measuring cloth or land. With development of manufacturing technologies, and the growing importance of trade between communities and ultimately across the Earth, standardized weights and measures became critical. Starting in the 18th century, modernized, simplified and uniform systems of weights and measures were developed, with the fundamental units defined by ever more precise methods in the science of metrology. The discovery and application of electricity was one factor motivating the development of standardized internationally applicable units.
The bigha or beegah is a traditional unit of measurement of area of a land, commonly used in northern & eastern India, Bangladesh and Nepal. There is no "standard" size of bigha and it varies considerably from place to place.
Ganweriwal, more commonly known as Ganweriwala, is an archaeological site in the Cholistan Desert of southern Punjab, Pakistan. It was one of the largest cities within the Indus Valley civilisation, one of the most extensive Bronze Age Civilisations, and is believed to have been a city centre within the Civilisation. The site was rediscovered in the 1970s by Mohammad Rafique Mughal but has not been properly excavated. Collection of surface finds and surveying of the site has shown mudbrick walls similar to those found in other Indus Valley sites, as well as unicorn figurines, a copper seal and an impressed clay tablet. The future of the site as well as any excavation work is threatened by the continuing development of the surrounding area for agricultural use as well as the construction of a road through the middle of the site.
A kanal is a unit of area used in Indian Subcontinent. It is primarily used in northern India and Pakistan.
A marla is a unit of area used in the Indian subcontinent.
The history of measurement systems in India begins in early Indus Valley civilisation with the earliest surviving samples dated to the 3rd millennium BCE. Since early times the adoption of standard weights and measures has reflected in the country's architectural, folk, and metallurgical artifacts. A complex system of weights and measures was adopted by the Maurya empire, which also formulated regulations for the usage of this system. Later, the Mughal empire (1526–1857) used standard measures to determine land holdings and collect land tax as a part of Mughal land reforms. The formal metrication in India is dated to 1 October 1958 when the Indian Government adopted the International System of Units (SI).
There are a number of Spanish units of measurement of length or area that are virtually obsolete due to metrication. They include the vara, the cordel, the league and the labor. The units of area used to express the area of land are still encountered in some transactions in land today.
Garden Town is a residential neighbourhood and union council located in Gulberg Tehsil of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
The kos, also spelled coss, koss, kosh, koh(in Punjabi), krosh, and krosha, is a unit of measurement which is derived from a Sanskrit term, क्रोश krośa, which means a 'call', as the unit was supposed to represent the distance at which another human could be heard. It is an ancient Indian subcontinental standard unit of distance, in use since at least 4 BCE. According to the Arthashastra, a krośa or kos is about 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
Before the introduction of the metric system, one may divide the history of Indian systems of measurement into three main periods: the pre-Akbar period, the period of the Akbar system, and the British colonial period.
The measurement of land in Punjab, India is an important aspect of agriculture and land management in the region. Punjab has a unique system of measuring land, typically done in units of bigha and acre. The measurements can vary slightly depending on the specific region and local customs.