Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 230

202
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
NOVEMBER, 1931
Taking the maund at 281 lb., the total ration was thus about what might be expected : with a much smaller maund, the royal slaves would have been seriously underfed, a thing which is inconceivable in the conditions of the period.
In the next reign, that of Firüz, 3 sers of grain daily were allowed for each prisoner taken in war (Eliot's History, iii, 331); at 281 lb. to the maund, this gives a daily ration of nearly 2.2 lb., granted by an exceptionally kind-hearted king; and this is very close to what would be allowed to prisoners at the prosent day. There is no doubt then that the equations quoted are substantially correct.
On the other hand, various passages relating to booty taken in war are quite incredible when interpreted in terms of a maund of this size. They have usually been read as fantastic exaggerations, and it may be agreed that exaggeration is probable in the case of narratives written some time after the event; but precise accountancy was the rule of the period, and it is probable, though not certain, that some at least of the figures given in contemporary narratives are taken from official returns, which would certainly not exaggerate the value for which the makers might be held responsible. These figures can be interpreted on the theory that the original Arab mann of nearly 2 lb., which was certainly used by the early Moslem invaders, Burvived in the treasury departments for use in the case of gold, silver, and precious stones.
The Arab mann of 2 ritis is familiar in all the lexicons, and it was so defined by the early geographer Ibn Khurdadba (Eliot's History, i, 14). Nunez shows that this unit prevailed in the sixteenth century at Ormuz, where the maund was 2.2 Portuguese pounds. He shows also that a maund of this size ruled, with local variations, on the east coast of Africa from Quiloa to Sofala ; and since we know that such civilisation as existed on this coast was the work of the Arabe, we may reasonably infer that this unit had been introduced by them. This Arab maund appears also in Persian literature, as where Hafiz speaks of two maunds of wine 88 sufficient for three people : a pint of wine weighs about 20 ounces, so two maunds, or about 4 lb., would give just over three pints, a pint a head for the party. Again, Abdurraz&q, who came to India as an ambassador in the fifteenth century, wrote (EUiot's History, iv, 40) that elephants' food was made up into balls of about 2 maunds each: obviously this is not an Indian maund of 25 lb. or more, but the Arab maund which the writer knew in his own country.
That a maund of about this size was in regular use among the early Moslem invaders of India can be inferred with confidence from some passages in the Tarikh-i Baihaql, a contemporary, and obviously trustworthy, account of the reign of Masalld, son of Mahmûd of Ghazni. In one place he tells (p. 131) of a knock-out blow delivered with a 20-maund mace'; I am Assured by oxperts that a mace weighing 40 lb. would be far too heavy to be used, and this phrase is best read as a variant of dah-manf, as in the expression ndchaka-i dah-mans, which Steingass interprets as a very heavy battle-axe'; but obviously the reference in both phrases is to the Arab maund, and not to one of those which prevailed in India.
Again, we read (p. 361) that on one occasion Ghaznt sent to the Caliph a tribute of 25,000 maunds of indigo. Having regard to the scale on which the trade in indigo was carried on, this maund cannot be much more than about 2 lb. ; 22 tons of indigo would be a very substan. tial figure for those days.
Again, there is the detailed account of Masaad's wine-party (p. 825, translated in Eliot's History, ii, 145). It was a special oocasion, and the wine was served in large goblets (adiginf), each containing half a maund. Taking 20 ounces to the pint, and a 2 lb. maund, such a goblet would hold 4/5 of a pint, and obviously a much larger maund is out of the question. Various details given in this chronicle show that in the matter of alcoholio consumption the period may fairly be compared with the Regency. It is hardly necessary to cite authorities to show