22 



Notes on Indian Currencies. 



[NO. 1, NEW SERIES , 



other people, while another part is devoted to a description of the 

 provisions to be observed in suits for recovery of debts and such 

 actionable matters, all of which are enumerated with the most 

 punctilious nicety. 



In a chapter* on Judicature and on Law, Private and Criminal, it 

 is ordered, that u a false witness speaking falsely through covetous- 

 ness shall be fined a 100 panas, through distraction of mind 250." 



Such examples may be multiplied adlibitum through the 12books 

 of the Institutes : when we have these illustrations so to speak, 

 depicting the highly civilized and social position of the Hindoos 

 certainly 3,000 years ago, to hope for any trustworthy accounts of 

 what may have taken place anterior to that period respecting even 

 so obvious and familiar a topic as money would be vain. 



One thing is certain, a very advanced state of civilization obtain- 

 ed among Hindoos in very ancient times, certainly before Troy 

 was besieged, probably when Theseus reigned in Athens, or when 

 Abraham visited Egypt, and the further into antiquity the thread 

 of their history extends, we are less likely to find any trusty infor- 

 mation of their adoption of a circulating medium and the surround- 

 ing causes that led to it. 



All that can now confidently be asserted is, that the precious 

 metals w r ere anciently found in India in great abundance, and that 

 when in the course of nature the want of a currency made itself 

 felt, a wide choice of qualified substances was available. 



Without drawing at present upon the earlier accounts which 

 pretty generally hold India to be the fountain of everything pre- 

 cious, there are to be found in more modern times numerous allu- 

 sions in the manifold histories of India to the existence of its riches, 

 and to mines of precious ores and stones. 



Abul Fazl (Akbar's Prime Minister) in the Ayeen II, p. 47speakg 

 of the iron mines of Gwalior, of the profitable and rich copper works 

 of Beerat and of a silver mine not worth mentioning. 



* Ch. para 120. 



