System of units of measurement historically used in Afghanistan
A variety of units of measurement have been used in Afghanistan to measure length, mass and capacity. Those units were similar to Iranian , Arabian and Indian units.[1] In 1924, Afghanistan adopted the metric system .[2] [3]
Length
These lengths are not necessarily standardized and could differ between different regions of Afghanistan:[4]
1 gaz-i-shah (Kabul yard) = 1.065 meters (m)
1 girah-i gaz-i-shah = 0.066 m
1 gaz-i-mimar (mason's yard) = 0.838 m
1 gaz-i-jareeb (for land) = 0.736 m
1 jareeb (one side) = 44.183 m
1 biswah (one side) = 9.879 m
1 biswasah (one side) = 2.209 m
1 jareeb (land measurement) = 2,000 m2 (standardized)
1 goes = 1.16 m (45.67 in)[1]
Localized differences
British sources from the late 19th and early 20th century described some Afghanese weights as follows:
1 Herati seer = 8 tolas = 1 ⁄10 British (Indian) seer
1 Herati man = 40 seers = 4 seers British
1 Herati kharwar = 100 mans = 10 maunds British
1 Mazar seer = 1 1 ⁄2 Kabuli seers (11 1 ⁄4 ) British seers
1 Mazar man = 16 Mazar seers = 4 maunds 20 seers British
1 Mazar kharwar = 3 Mazar mans = 13 maunds
1 kadam or gaz-i-shari (Turkestan ) = 28 inches (pace ) = 16 tasa
1 farsakh (Herat) or 1 sang (Turkestan) = 12,000 kadam = 5 miles
1 grain per kulba (southern Afghanistan) = 50 Kandahari kharwars
1 Tashkurghan seer = 9 British seers
1 Taskhurghan man = 8 seers = 1 maund 32 seers British
1 Kandahari yard = 41 1 ⁄2 inches British
1 tanab (Kandahar) = 85 acres British