1892.] M. M. Chakravarti —Troy weights of ancient Orissa. 
47 
From silver to copper is an easy descent. No mention of copper 
coins is to be found in the Madala Panji. Most probably in Orissa, 
such coins were not used in ordinary transactions. Their place was 
taken by the time-honoured cowries. 
The cowries were counted by numbers, which were the same before 
as now.* 
4 cowries = 1 gunda 
20 „ = 5 gun das = 1 buri 
80 ,, = 20 ,, = 4 = 1 pan 
1280 ,, = 320 ,, = 64 = 16 ,, = 1 kalian. 
In the Madala Panji the accounts of Ananga Bhima Deva are given 
in marhas, and no mention of cowries as units is to be found. This 
continued as long as the Gangavamsa dynasty lasted, for I find, that in 
the copper-plates of Nrisimha Deva IV, the marhas are given as equiva¬ 
lents. With the advent of the Gfajapati Suryavamsa, cowries became the 
units, and their gifts appear to have been calculated in cowries and 
silver tankahs. 
“ The original gift in cash Rs. 192-8’ or at the rate of 8 kahans 
per rupee = 1,540 kahans.” 
See also No. II of the left side inscriptions at Jaybijay door of the 
Jagannath temple :—“ paddy 500 bliarans, cowries 2000 kahans.” 
While the measures of cowries have remained the same, the ratio of 
them to other measures of the currency did not remain the same. The 
following shows the various proportions between coins and cowries, 
reduced to one common standard for facility of comparison. 
I. In the Lilavati completed by Binds karacharya in 1150 A. D.f 
16 panas (of cowries) = 1 bharma of silver 
16 bharmas = 1 nishka of silver 
.*. 1 nishka = 16 kahans, and 1 bharma = 1 kalian. 
Colebrooke adds that the comparative value of silver, copper and 
shells was nearly the same then as in his time, viz., 4 kahans per rupee. 
N. B .—If these bharmas be identical with Puranas, the average 
weight of which was from 50 to 54 grains,§ then 
1 modern rupee = 165 grains of pure silver = = 3 T \ bharmas or 
= 3 t 3 q kahans. 
# ’Ain-i-Akbari, Gladwin’s Translation, Vol. II, p. 15. 
f It. C. Dutt’s History of India, Vol. Ill, p. 379. 
4 Colebrooke, in Asiatic Researches , Vol. V, p. 91. Quoted in Prinsep’s Indian 
Antiquities, Vol. I, p. 211. 
§ Thomas’ Ancient Indian Weights. 
