1867.] The Initial Coinage of Bengal. 21 



Next in order, may be quoted historical evidence of Firiiz Shah's 

 fiscal re-organizations, in the course of which mention is made of 

 pre-existing pieces of 48, 25, 24, 12, 10, 8, and 6 kanis, the lowest 

 denomination called by that name ; afterwards the narrative goes on 

 to explain that, in addition to the ordinary Ghital piece already in 

 nse, Firiiz Shah originated, for the benefit of the poorer classes of his 

 subjects, subdivisional \ Chital and \ Chital pieces. 



As the spoken languages of the Peninsula enables ns to restore the 

 true meaning to the misinterpreted Sanskrit Jcarsha* so the Dravidian 

 tongues readily explain the term hdni, which finds no place in Aryan 

 vocabularies, but which Avas incorporated into the vernaculars of 

 Hindustan, during the southward migrations of the Scythic tribes. 

 In Telugu, hdni means -^y, or one quarter of a sixteenth"' (Brown). 

 In Ganarese ¥ 'j (Reeve), and in Tamil — (Winslow). Wilson's 

 Glossary gives " Kdni, corruptly, Caivney. Tel. Tam. Karn. ~, or 

 sometimes -^j."f 



The term Icdni, in addition to its preferable meaning of ^ T , was, as 

 we see, also used for the fraction —, but its application in the former 

 sense to the ruling integer in the present instance, seems to be con- 

 clusively settled by the relative proportions assigned to the modified 

 tankali of Muhammad bin Tughlak, when compared with the normal 

 weight of the earlier coin (: 64 : : 175 : 50 : : 136'718j. 



The method in which the subdivisional currency was arranged, 

 consisted, as has already been stated, of an admixture of the two 

 metals, silver and copper, in intentionally varying proportions in 

 pieces of identical weight, shape and device ; so that the traders in 

 each case had to judge by the eye and hand of the intrinsic value of 

 the coin presented to them. To European notions this system would 

 imply endless doubt and uncertainty, but under the practised vision 

 and delicate perceptive powers of touch, with which the natives of 

 India are endowed, but little difficulty seems to have been experi- 

 enced ; and I myself can testify to the accuracy of the verdicts pro- 

 nounced by the experienced men of Delhi, whose instinctive estimates 

 were tested repeatedly by absolute assay. I published many of these 



* Num. Chron. iv. 58 ; J. A, S. B. xxxiii. 286. 



f There is a coin called a " Do-gani or Doodee," still quoted in the Madras 

 Almanacks. 



