Indian Antiquary Vol 43

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 84

80
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAY, 1914.
bought all came to hand, though question at what rates, as havinge not herde of theire bargayne. Those I provided here, bought from the weaveres, was accordinge to custom of the buzare, bothe for price and allowance, which is a savoye per cent... and makes 20 per cent. difference or abaitment, to saye, for 100 rupes gross wee payed 80 net,33 which is the 4 aneys or distury [dasturi, discount]. . . . Now for the future provision of rawe Ambertyes at Lackhoure (which must bee our Course if you intend anye greate investments therin), theye are bought there in Infinite quantityes browne from the weavers, and of all sizes and prizes, of which there is 3 sorts, viz., rasseyes [razai] 34 zeffer conyes [zafar-khâni] and Jehngeres [jahangiri]. The rasis are generallye course narowe bredthe, of about our halfe Jehanger Coved Broade, and fewe or none above 2 rupees net the peece. The Zefferconyes are for at most broader then those from 1 to 6 rup. the net peece. And the Jehangers the broadest of the 3 sortes, whereof som are a full Jehanger Coved, but those very fewe, fine, and high prized, from 3 to 12 rups. net per peece. In lengehts these are about 13 coveds and therin litell diference betwene either of the sortes. And theise are all the sortes of Ambertyes Lackhoure yeldeth, of which if you intend provisions in all of them, 20000 peeces maye yearlye bee provided browne, but then wee must have the yeare and meanes beforehand to bee perpeatually doeinge therin for that their whitinge (as formerly advized you) is exceedinge teadious and troublesome, thoughe put forth as bought, and theire charge in cureinge them more or lesse, accordinge to their finenes and breadth, some 24 some 3, and some 3 rups. per courge, besides sope etts. But herin maye bee bothe some tyme and charges gayned if you aprove to have some of them caumsoucks [kam-sûkhâ, unfinished] and onlye washt out of theire grease or mandye [mândi] and no starche; but to send them you rawe as from the loome, wee are cirtaynlye perswaded theire thred will rott before theye come to your hands (and therfore intreate your exprese order therin), and was the principall resone wee sent you so fewe this yeare, which were only 25 peeces for samples; wherby you might judge of the cloth, beinge rawe, and know it's longht, breadth and vallue, all which it selfe expresseth. The disturies [dasturi, discount] in buyinge it browne at Lackhoure is as the merchant makes it. Some cut of [f]a savoye [25 p. c.] some halfe a savoye [12 p. c.], some a rupeye per peece, and some buye it for nett, which is all to one efecte, for what allowance soever you deducte it is inhaunced in the price, and therfore no setled custom, everye one acordinge to his fansye. The custome of tearinge of the reza [reza, scrap or fragment] from the length of the browne amberty is more benifitiall to the merchant here, by its sayle aparte, then the length of the remaynder can advantage by its seeminge fyner, and is at least ten per cent.;35 which in theire gaynes theye accompt not of, but allot it to the defrayinge theire charges and curinge of the rest; which custom wee neither have nor purpose to follow, but to white the intier pece as bought from the loome. Theye are not all of one exacte length, but some come out shorter then others by a coved, and generalye maye bee 13 coveds Jehanger longe, or of Puttanna, betwene which and the coved of Lackhoure is 33 They paid, however, Rs. 5 too much. Discount of a saudi would be 25 p. c. not 20 p. c. This is shown by the statement" which is 4 aneys or distury," i. e., 4 annas in the rupee or discount-25 p. c. "Four aneys or is also interesting as showing that the rupee of account in Patna in c 1620 was of 16 annas and not of 12 as usual in Bengal at that period.
34 Razdi, ordinarily a quilt, coverlet; here applied to narrow breadth cloth.
35 This statement means that the reza was usually 10 p. c. of the whole piece and constituted a species of discount, like our own 13 to the baker's dozen."