Indian Antiquary Vol 26

SR No.: 032518
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 209

August 1897.)
CURRENCY AND COINAGE AMONG THE BURMESE.
203
tickals per man, which the Myê wan had this day ordered to be assessed. This is the third demand that has been made apon them, and considering the excessive price of provisions (4 to 5 tickals per basket (of rice)), it does seem, even for Burma, somewhat unjust. At Mogaang three tickals, at Maingk'un two, and here two, making from the whole force, say 1,500 who pay, out of the 2,000 men, 10,500 tickals. It is true, that with the money thus collected the troops are furnished with rice, but it is probably at the rate of 500 per cent, above what they themselves buy it at, and above what the Myöwun actually pays for it. The peculiar beauty and refinement of the transaction is that the money is paid out of the sum each man received for his services on the present mission, and although they were paid in silver varying from 25 to 60 per cent. alloy, the Myöwun's assessment must be made in ruetree (ywetni), nearly equal to rupee silver.''09
The ways of this exemplary Burman official ander the late dynasty are thus clearly explained to us. His escort received something under 40% of the pay collected for them in the first transaction. Of standard silver each man had received in fact 40 tickals at the outside and of this the Myöwun had extracted from him before the journey was balf through 7 tickals for food, for which the Myöwun had paid about 14 tickals. So that his personal profits at that stage had amounted to 65 % on the original transaction. It is hard to believe that any "paymaster-general" of forces could make such profits, were the facts not stated in the matter-offact diary of an eye-witness.
As to the disastrous effect this particular official's exactions had locally on occasion, Bay. field tells us (p. 164) that the people of Yenkè had to pawn their cattle in order to meet them.
In estimating revenue, Bayfield usually states the sum simply in viss and occasionally in "viss of silver." The silver he meant was evidently ywelni, as he says . cit. p. 230) :-" The total amount of revenue received last year was 220 viss of silver, equal to about 25,000 rupees." This would make a tickel worth about one rapee and a seventh, shewing this estimate to be in terms of ywetni. Similarly, he estimates large payments in viss and " viss of silver:” thus, at p. 163, he puts the cost of a monastery at 95 viss, and at p. 224, part of the price of a Kachin Chief's bride at a "viss of silver." But when talking of commercial prices he is sometimes careful to state the quality as well as the weight of silver: thus, in Khyangdaung in 1836, rice sold at 50 tickals of 25 % to 30 % money per 100 baskets (p. 158), and paddy sold in the Bhamo market at 15 tickals of 10 % silver per 100 baskets (p. 230). These sums I take to be respectively worth in existing rupees about Rs. 39 and Rs. 13, the latter a price which would make a modern Rangoon rice-miller's fortune in a single year.
Horace Browne, Account of the District of Thayetmyo, in giving (pp. 95 ff., 101 ff., 107, 111) a description of the revenue in Burmese times from 1783 to 1852, not only says that the revenue was paid in yetní, but gives several calculations of the value in rupees of revenue stated in viss of silver, and these calculations shew that it was paid in ywetni. And they, morcover, prove that the ways of Dr. Bayfield's Myowun were not confined to that official, as the following interesting quotation from Gen. Browne's observations (r. 103) will sufficientiy shew :
The interference of the officials with the standard currency Gn King Pagan's time, 1846 to 1852), and weights of the country caused universal alarin and dissatisfaction. The revenue had always been paid in "rwelnee" (5 % alloy) silver. The standard now was raised and 20 to 30 per cent. extra was demanded on the plea of this silver being of too low a value. The revenue collectors, moreover, now claimed the right of attaching pieces of lead to the royal standard weights which were used in receiving revenue."
* Ywet is 85 % of Burmese pure silver and modern rupee silver is 90% X. In Bayfield's time it was probably of less value.
es Op.cit, pp. 104, 169, 176, 185 : and pp. 157, 230, So does Crawfurd, Sion, throughout his book, in cattles and piculs. See pp. 331, 579, etc.
04 This is a mistake: see later on under the description of getni. 6 Esther percentage would have raised the quality beyond the pureat silver the Burmese could make!