Sri Lankan units of measurement

Last updated

A number of different units of measurement were used in Sri Lanka to measure quantities like length, mass and capacity from very ancient times. [1] Under the British Empire, imperial units became the official units of measurement [2] and remained so until Sri Lanka adopted the metric system in the 1970s. [3] [4]

Contents

Traditional units

Various units were used in Sri Lanka at different times and some only in certain regions. Some of these remained in use well into the colonial period. [1] [5] The following is only a partial list.

Length

One cubit was equal to 0.464 m (18.5 in). [2] The Bam̆ba (Fathom), still in use as of 2016, is the distance between a man's outstretched arms. It is roughly 6 feet in length. "Bam̆ba" is usually used to measure depth in wells and pits. [1] Units used in measuring long distances included the "Gavuva", "Yoduna", and "Usaba" (plurals Gavu and Yodun - a Yoduna was 4 Gavu) and the "hoo kiyana dura", which was the audible distance of a shout of 'hoo' by a person. [5] Base of these system of measuring length was the human body.

King Nisshankamalla have established milestones called "Gaavutha Kanu" from a Gavu to another. Two of such have been found in Katugahagalge and Valigaththa in Southern Province. [6]

The smallest unit was known as "Paramaanuwa", which was equal to 3.306×10−11 m (1.302×10−9 in). A typical span was taken roughly equal to 22.86 cm (9 in). These small units of measurement were used in making of statues and buildings. Following are the relationships between the units used in ancient times. [6] [7]

Sri Lankan Ancient Units of Length
Smaller Unit=Large UnitApproximately Equivalent Metric amount
1 Paramaanuwa3.30667×10−8 mm (1.30184×10−9 in)
36 Paramaanu=1 Anu1.1904×10−6 mm (4.68662×10−8 in)
36 Anu=1 Thajjaari4.28544×10−5 mm (0.000001 in)
36 Thajjaari=1 Ratharenu0.00154 mm (0.00006 in)
36 Ratharenu=1 Likkha0.05554 mm (0.00219 in)
7 Likkha=1 Ukha0.38878 mm (0.01531 in)
7 Ukha=1 Dhannamaasa2.72143 mm (0.10714 in)
7 Dhannamaasa=1 Aangula19.05 mm (0.75 in)
7 Aangula=1 Viyatha (Span)228.6 mm (9 in)
2 Viyatha=1 Riyana (cubit)457.2 mm (18 in)
7 Riyana=1 Yatthi3200.4 mm, 3.2004 m (126 in, 10.5 ft)
4 Yatthi=1 Abbhantara12.8 m (42 ft)
5 Abbhantara=1 Usabha64 m (210 ft)
10 Usabha=1 Gavuva640 m (2100 ft)
4 Gavuva=1 Yoduna2560 m (8400 ft)

Area

Measurements of area used in ancient Sri Lanka was a system derived from paddy agriculture. [6] Area was often measured in terms of the land that could be sown with a specific amount of seed or rice, including the Pǣla, Amuna, Kiriya (4 amunas), and the Riyana. In one region, a Kiriya was about 8 acres. [5] Following are relationships between some typical measures of area. [6]

Sri Lankan Ancient units of Area
Smaller Unit=Larger UnitApproximately Equivalent Metric amount
1 Laaha4.59870 m2 (0.00114 acres)
40 Laaha=1 Pǣla183.94802 m2 (0.045455 acres)
12 Pǣla=12 Kuruni2207.37623 m2 (0.54545 acres)
44 Kuruni=1 Amuna8093.71 m2 (2 acres)
1 Amuna=25 Kareesa3237.49 m2 (0.8 acres)
4 Amuna=1 Kiriya32374.9 m2 (8 acres)

In a stone inscription written by King Bhathikabhaya Abhaya at Dunumadalakanda in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 1 Kareesa to a temple in the area. In another stone inscription written by King Kutakannabhaya Thissa at Horiwila in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 8 Kareesa to a temple named 'Thissa' in the area. [6]

James Prinsep, writing in 1840, stated that "at ... Ceylon ... English measures only are used, or at least a cubit based on the English measure of 18 inches." [8] : 96 

Badulla Pillar Inscription, in which prohibition of frauds in weighing is stated Badulla Pillar Inscription.JPG
Badulla Pillar Inscription, in which prohibition of frauds in weighing is stated
Madatiya ( Adenanthera pavonina ), which was a base unit used to measure small weights. Adenanthera pavonina2.jpg
Madatiya ( Adenanthera pavonina ), which was a base unit used to measure small weights.

Weight

One candy, or one bahar, was equal to 226.8 kg, [1] or 500 lbs, [8] : 86  or according to The Indian Trader's Guide 480 Dutch pounds or 520 pounds Avoirdupois. [9] Small weights could be measured in seeds, such as the Thala (Sesame), Amu, Vee (Rice) (3 Amu), Madati (8 Vee), Majadi, Maditi, Kalanda, and Manjadi. [5] In ancient times, there have been an accurate system to measure weights. Following are some such weight measuring units used. [6] Units like Madati ( Adenanthera pavonina ), Vee (Rice) are based on weights of those seeds.

It is stated that frauds in weighing was a punishable offence and only weights approved by the government should be used in weighing, in Sorabora Wewa Pillar Inscription (Badulla Pillar Inscription) which was written by King Udaya IV. [6]

Sri Lankan Ancient Units of Weight
Smaller Unit=Larger Unit
4 Veeha=1 Gunja
2 Gunja=1 Maasaka
2+1⁄2 Maasaka=1 Aka
8 Aka=1 Dharana
5 Dharana=1 Swarna
2 Swarna=1 Pala

Capacity

Different units were used for liquid and dry capacity. [2]

Liquid

One seer was equal to 1.2 quarts and one parrah was equal to 6.75 gallons. [2] Another source suggests that a seer was equal to 1.86 imperial pints or 1.06 litres. [10] These were mostly introduced in the period which coastal areas were governed by Portuguese and Dutch.

Dry

Units to measure dry capacities were mainly used in agriculture. Some of them are as following:

Sri Lankan Ancient Units of Dry Capacity
Smaller Unit=Large Unit
2 Patha / Koththu / Hundu=1 Mana
2 Mana=1 Seru
1 Seru=1 Bandara Naliya (Royally accepted base unit) / 1 Naliya
2 Seru=1 Serika
2 Serika=1 Laha / Yala / Kuruni *
2 Laha / Yala / Kuruni *=1 Marikkala
2 Marikkala=1 Thimba
2 Thimba=1 Busala
5 Laha / Yala / Kuruni *=1 Bera
2 Bera=1 Pala
4 Pala=1 Amuna

* capacity of Kuruni varies from area to area [11]

One ammonam was equal to 203.4 L. [1] One parrah = 1⁄8 ammonam, oneseer = 1⁄288 ammonam and the chundoo was equal to nearly half a pint. [2]

Maccauly stated in 1818 that to the north of Colombo an Ammonam contained 16 Parahs, and 2+1⁄2Ammonams equalled one Acre, but that to the south there were 8 Parahs to the Ammonam. He describes the Parah as a measure 16.7 inches wide and 5.6 inches deep. [9]

Montgomery, writing in 1835, described the interior measurement of a Parrah as a perfect cube of 11.571 inches, and the seer as a cylinder of depth 4.35 inches and diameter 4.35 inches. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubit</span> Ancient unit of length

The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term cubit is found in the Bible regarding Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and Solomon's Temple. The common cubit was divided into 6 palms × 4 fingers = 24 digits. Royal cubits added a palm for 7 palms × 4 fingers = 28 digits. These lengths typically ranged from 44.4 to 52.92 cm, with an ancient Roman cubit being as long as 120 cm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand (unit)</span> Unit of length

The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length standardized to 4 in (101.6 mm). It is used to measure the height of horses in many English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was originally based on the breadth of a human hand. The adoption of the international inch in 1959 allowed for a standardized imperial form and a metric conversion. It may be abbreviated to "h" or "hh". Although measurements between whole hands are usually expressed in what appears to be decimal format, the subdivision of the hand is not decimal but is in base 4, so subdivisions after the radix point are in quarters of a hand, which are inches. Thus, 62 inches is fifteen and a half hands, or 15.2 hh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Prinsep</span> English scholar, orientalist and antiquary (1799–1840)

James Prinsep FRS was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India. He studied, documented and illustrated many aspects of numismatics, metallurgy, meteorology apart from pursuing his career in India as an assay master at the mint in Benares.

The megalithic yard is a hypothetical ancient unit of length equal to about 2.72 feet (0.83 m). Some researchers believe it was used in the construction of megalithic structures. The proposal was made by Alexander Thom as a result of his surveys of 600 megalithic sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. Thom also proposed the megalithic rod of 2.5 megalithic yards, or on average across sites 6.77625 feet. As subunits of these, he further proposed the megalithic inch of 2.073 centimetres (0.816 in), one hundred of which are included in a megalithic rod, and forty of which composed a megalithic yard. Thom applied the statistical lumped variance test of J.R. Broadbent on this quantum and found the results significant, while others have challenged his statistical analysis and suggested that Thom's evidence can be explained in other ways, for instance that the supposed megalithic yard is in fact the average length of a pace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digit (unit)</span>

The digit or finger is an ancient and obsolete non-SI unit of measurement of length. It was originally based on the breadth of a human finger. It was a fundamental unit of length in the Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Ancient Greek and Roman systems of measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of measurement</span>

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 history of measurement systems in India begins in early Indus Valley civilisation with the earliest surviving samples dated to the 5th 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stupas in Sri Lanka</span>

Stupas, also called dagebas and cetiyas, are considered an outstanding type of architectural creation of ancient Sri Lanka. Under the influence of Buddhism, there were several changes in the field of architecture in Sri Lanka. The stupa commands a prominent place among these changes. The Stupa is also known by synonymous names such as Chaithya, Dagaba, Thupa, Seya and Vehera. Stupas designed and constructed in Sri Lanka are the largest brick structures known to the pre-modern world.

The kos, also spelled coss, koss, kosh, 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).

Some approaches in the branch of historic metrology are highly speculative and can be qualified as pseudoscience.

Before the introduction of the Metric system, one may divide the history of Indian systems of measurement into three main periods: the pre-Akbar's period, the period of the Akbar system, and the British colonial period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy (unit)</span> South Asian traditional unit of mass

The candy or candee, also known as the maunee, was a traditional South Asian unit of mass, equal to 20 maunds and roughly equivalent to 500 pounds avoirdupois (227 kilograms). It was most used in southern India, to the south of Akbar's empire, but has been recorded elsewhere in South Asia. In Marathi, the same word was also used for a unit of area of 120 bighas, and it is also recorded as a unit of dry volume.

Saddha Tissa was the king of Anuradhapura from 137 BC to 119 BC. Saddha Tissa was the son of Kavan Tissa of Ruhuna and the brother of Dutthagamani. He was the ruler of Digamadulla, the present day eastern province of Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abhaya Wewa</span> Ancient reservoir in Sri Lanka

Abhaya Wewa, historically Abhayavapi or Bassawakkulama reservoir, is a reservoir in Sri Lanka, built by King Pandukabhaya who ruled in Anuradhapura from 437 BC to 367 BC, after constructing the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devanampriya</span>

Devanampriya, also called Devanampiya, was a Pali honorific epithet used by a few Indian monarchs, but most particularly the 3rd Mauryan Emperor Ashoka The Great in his inscriptions. "Devanampriya" means "Beloved of the Gods". It is often used by Ashoka in conjunction with the title Priyadasi, which means "He who regards others with kindness", "Humane".

Several units of measurement were historically used in Singapore to measure length, mass, and volume. During 1968–1970, the metric system was adopted in Singapore. The metric system is used for most official purposes and only metric measures are permitted for trade. Despite these restrictions, fabric is still commonly sold by the square yard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinhalese monarchy</span> Monarchy of Sri Lanka (543 BCE–1815 CE)

The Sinhalese monarchy has its origins in the settlement of North Indian Indo-Aryan immigrants to the island of Sri Lanka. The Landing of Vijay as described in the traditional chronicles of the island, the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa and Culavamsa, and later chronicles, recount the date of the establishment of the first Sinhala Kingdom in 543 BC when Prince Vijaya, an Indian Prince, and 700 of his followers are claimed to have landed on the island of Sri Lanka and established the Kingdom of Tambapanni. In Sinhalese mythology, Prince Vijaya and followers are told to be the progenitors of the Sinhalese people. However according to the story in the Divyavadana, the immigrants were probably not led by a scion of a royal house in India, as told in the romantic legend, but rather may have been groups of adventurous and pioneering merchants exploring new lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yodha Ela</span> Trans-basin diversion canal in Sri Lanka

Yoda Ela or Jaya Ganga, an 87 km (54 mi) long single banking water canal carrying excess water to Tissa Wewa reservoir from Kala Wewa reservoir in Anuradhapura. The Yodha Ela is known for achieving a rather low gradient for its time. The gradient is about 10 centimetres per kilometre or 6 inches per mile.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Washburn, E. W. (1926). International Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology. New York: McGraw-Hil Book Company, Inc. p. 4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Clarke, F. W. (1891). Weights Measures and Money of All Nations. New York: D. Appleton & Company. pp.  23.
  3. ↑ "History". Measurement Units and Services Department. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. ↑ Cardarelli, F. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins . London: Springer. pp.  7. ISBN   978-1-4471-1122-1.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Pieris, Kamalika. "Weights and measures in ancient and medieval Sri Lanka". Daily News (Sri Lanka) . Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 History Grade 10 (in Sinhala). Tharanji Prints, 506, Highlevel Rd., Navinna, Maharagama.: Education Publications Department - Sri Lanka. 2015. pp. 73, 74, 75.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ↑ Davids, T. W. Rhys (1877). On the Ancient Coins and Measures of Ceylon : With a Discussion of the Ceylon Date of the Buddha's Death. 57 and 59, Ludgate Hill, London, England: Trübner & Co. p. 15.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. 1 2 Prinsep, James (1840). Useful tables, forming an appendix to the Journal of the Asiatic Society: part the first, Coins, weights, and measures of British India. Bishop's College Press. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 Maccauly, Thomas (1818). The Indian Trader's complete Guide, being a correct account of coins, weights, measures &c. &c. at the different settlements of India and adjacent native sovereignties of Asia. Calcutta. p. 42. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Seer". Sizes, grades, units, scales, calendars, chronologies. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Kahandagamage, Piyasena (2009). කමත් භාෂාව. M. D. Gunasena. pp. 5, 17, 18, 25, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44. ISBN   978-955-21-1111-2.
  12. ↑ Montgomery, Martin (1835). "Ceylon". History of the British colonies: Vol 1: Possessions in Asia (2nd ed.). Cochrane. p. 561. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.