Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 55

May, 1919]
NOTES ON CURRENCY AND COINAGE AMONG THE BURMESE
51
Spearman, British Burma Gazetteer, Vol. I, p. 450, writing in 1870, says: The amount remitted from the various districts of Pugu before the gyoond Anglo-Burm989 War [to the King) has been ascertained with some approach to accuracy. The revenue was paid in rwek-nee (ywetni ] silver and taking & vigs (lbs. 3.65) or 100 tickals of this as equal to Rs. 130, the annual remittances were, etc."
Horace Browne, in his account of the District of Thayetmyo, 1874, pp. 95f., 101ff., 107 and 111, makes, for the present subject, most valuable rotes on Burmese currency and revenue at all dates from 1783 to 1852, and he says distinctly that the revenue was collected in ywetní silver which he calls 22" 5 per cent. alloy," no doubt under a misapprehension. At any rate, he gives, in every instance, a statement of the rupee value of the old revenue, which is stated in viss of silver, and his calculations show that the tickal of revenue was worth about Rs. 1-7-0. This proves that it was paid in ywetni even if General Browne had not said so in so many words. On one occasion there was, however, a remarkable divergence from this standard. On p. 96 it is stated that the Myêde township was greatly harassed by the officials of Kings Thârâwadi and Pagàn (1838 to 1852), and that "sums were wrung from the people with the maximum of oppression and extortion." There are seven separate calcula. tions in rupees of the value of the silver extorted in viss at this period. In each case the calculations work out at a trifle over half a rupee per tickal, showing that the demand must have been paid in a very debased silver, worth about 30 per cent. only of ywetni.
In La Loubère's time, 1688, the practice in Slam was clearly to refer to a standard silver, the stamped tickal. Thus he says in the quaint English Translation 23 :-"Some informed me, as a thing very remarkable, that the Siamese gold course Silver by weight, because they had seen in the Market that Commodity in one of the Soales, and silver Money [stamped tickals which serv'd as a Weight in the other. The same Names do therefore signifle the Weights and Money both .. Gold is a Merchandize amongst them, and is twelve times the value of Silver, the purity being supposed equal in both the Metals." 24
Y wetni silver was current as a standard in Kiang Tung in 1886, as is shown by McLeod's valuing wholesale prices there in ywetnj.25
The Kings of Burma seem to have kept their treasure in pigs of silver presumably of standard quality. Here is Mr. Gouger's interesting acoount of the Treasury in 1823.26 The King" took his walk to the Shwai-dyke [Shwêdaik=Treasury], in front of which, exposed in the open air, were arranged some hundreds of logs of pure silver, shaped like pieces of ships' kentledge, but unfortunately for me, wanting the handle with which kentledge is furnished for the convenience of lifting. The King made some remark about them. Your Majesty,' said I'must have honest subjects: in my country they would be stolen.' They are too heavy,' he rejoined, They cannot be lifted; each piece weighs 100 viss. My countrymen are very strong--they would walk away with them on their shoulders. I could almost do it myself, Your Majesty. "Try, said the King, 'if you can lift one, I will give it you.' The calculation ran through my head in an instant-365 lbs. av. of pure silver !
21 An interesting variant of value to that usually given, viz., Rs. 126. 22 Vide pp. 101, 103.
23 A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam, Vol. I, p. 72: see Bowring, Siam, Vol. 1, p. 257ff., where the custom is shown to be the same in 1855.
21 See also Mandelslo, Travels, Eng. tra.18., Vol. II, p. 130. 25 Parl. Papers, House of Commons, No. 420 of 1869, pp. 61, 81. 26 The Prisoner in Burma, p. 111f.