121*2 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Dec. 



which followed his [foolish experiments in defrauding his subjects. 

 Nor can we, I think, accuse the wisest monarch that ever sat on the 

 throne of Dehli, of attempting to adjust a real value in exchange of 

 1 to 7f to 1 to 10, which is the market rate given by Purchas, the 

 English traveller of the date. As I observe, however, that Mr. Thomas 

 places as much faith in Gladwin's translation, as he apparently does 

 in Abul Fazl's figures, I think it right to mention that the former 

 cannot be depended upon. Abul Fazl does not exactly say that 

 J a tola of gold was about equal in value to Rs. 4, meaning thereby 

 more or less, the w r ord he uses is nazdik, which I take to mean ' some- 

 thing less.' Abul Fazl in treating of these matters is generally loose, 

 he could not well be otherwise — there is usually something more, or 

 something less, and when we consider that their system of weights 

 commences with an imaginary point, ivahmiyah, and runs through 

 7 or 8 imaginary weights, until it reaches a sh'ur which is about 

 J a grain ; and that the basis of the currency was the copper dam, which 

 Abul Fazl himself admits had an extremely fluctuating value in the 

 market, we cannot expect very great accuracy, or accept the mint 

 valuations of that time as a very faithful guide to the value of gold, 

 expressed in silver, in the markets of the N. W. Provinces of India, 

 about the middle and end of the 16th century. Had Mr. Thomas 

 gone a little further into Abul Fazl's accounts, he would have found 

 it stated, that when 'Azad-ud-dawlah was diwan, " the Emperor, in the 

 20th year of his reign, issued orders that on the gold coins up to 3, 

 and on the silver rupees up to 6 grains of rice, short weight should 

 be allowed without deduction for wear and tear, they being counted as 

 full weight, though if anything in excess, an allowance should be made, 

 and the coins not (as heretofore J) be considered full weight, if 9 grains 

 in weight short. In accordance with this regulation, (t. e. Akbar's,) 

 a mohur that was 1 surkh short was valued at 355 dams and a little 

 more, the value of 1 surkh of coined gold which is 4 ddms, and a Utile 

 more C T V?), being deducted. According to the former regulations, 

 [Todar Mull's] for a deficiency of 1 surkh, 5 ddms were taken, and what- 

 ever was deficient in excess of 3 grains, if only half a grain, was esti- 

 mated as 5 ddms, and for a deficiency of IJ surkhs they took 10 ddms, 

 and even exacted the full amount from those not quite up to this limit, 

 whereas, according to the new regulations, the deduction was something 



