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The Tamil units of measurement is a system of measurements that was traditionally used in ancient Tamil-speaking parts of South India.

These ancient measurement systems spanned systems of counting, distances, volumes, time, weight as well as tools used to do so. While modern India uses the metric system International System of Units (Tamil Nadu state included), some of these older day measurement systems, especially those of counting, are still used today.

Other units that have persisted are those of area – the 'ma' (not to be confused with the dollar-cent) and the ‘ground’, both used to measure land and the ‘molam’ which has been relegated to measuring the length of a sandanam garland sold on streets.

There are several similarities between the measurement system used in Tamil Nadu and that used by the Indus Valley civilisation. Recent excavation studies from Keeḻadi reveal existence of an older non-vedic civilisation in Tamil Nadu.[1] New discovery suggest possibilities of source of ancient Indian mathematicians in Tamil Nadu.[2][clarification needed]

Units of time in ancient Tamil history

Area Measurement

In Jaffna, Sri Lanka For House property

Varaku Culture (V.C.)

Paddy Culture (P.C.)


Units of ancient trade

Balance weights

Thanga edaihal

The above is not in line with South Indian Inscriptions. 2 kuṉṟima குன்றிமணி = 1 māñcāḍi மஞ்சாடி 20 māñcāḍi மஞ்சாடி = 1 kaḻañcu கழஞ்சு Ceylon Currency and Coins by H W Codrington page 10 too agrees with 20 māñcāḍi = 1 kaḻañcu.

Porutkal yedaihal

Grain volume

1 padi = 1800 avarai pods = 12,800 miḷagu seeds = 14,400 nel grains = 14,800 payaṟu grains = 38,000 arisi grains = 115,200 sesame ellu seeds

Fluid volume

Length

Likeness (Sārttal)

Likeness has attributes of tone, sound, colour and shape for comparison of a given substance with a known standard.

Whole numbers

Old Tamil numerical characters The following are the traditional numbers of the Ancient Tamil Country, Tamilakam.

Rank 101 102 103 104 105 106 109 1012 1015 1018 1020 1021
Words பத்து நூறு ஆயிரம் பத்தாயிரம் நூறாயிரம் மெய்யிரம் தொள்ளுண் ஈகியம் நெளை இளஞ்சி வெள்ளம் ஆம்பல்
Character ௰ ௱ ௲ ௰௲ ௱௲ ௲௲ ௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௱௲௲௲௲௲௲ ௲௲௲௲௲௲௲
Reading pathu nūru āyiram pattāyiram nūraiyiram meiyyiram tollun īkiyam neļai iļañci veļļam āmpal

Tamil texts also elaborate the following sanskritized version :

Malaysian text elaborates the following version

Fractions

Currency

Divisions of a Day

சிறுபொழுது (Daily)
1. மாலை (mālai): 6 pm-10 pm
2. இடையாமம் (iḍaiyāmam): 10 pm-2 am
3. வைகறை (vaikaṟai): 2 am-6 am
4. காலை (kālai): 6 am-10 am
5. நண்பகல் (naṇpagal): 10 am-2 pm
6. எற்பாடு (eṟpāḍu): 2 pm-6 pm

Divisions of the Year

பெரும்பொழுது (பெரும்பொழுது என்பது யாது எனில் பன்னிரு மாதங்களை ஆறாய்ப் பகுத்தது)

1. கார்காலம் (Kārkālam): ஆடி, ஆவணி
2. குளிர்காலம் (Kuḷirkālam): புரட்டாசி, ஐப்பசி
3. முன்பனிக் காலம்(Muṉpaṉik kālam): கார்த்திகை, மார்கழி
4. பின்பனிக் காலம் (Piṉpaṉik kālam): தை, மாசி
5. இளவேனில் (Iḷavēṉil): பங்குனி, சித்திரை
6. முதுவேனில் (Mutuvēṉil) :வைகாசி, ஆனி

See also

References

  1. ^ "Keezhadi Excavation". Sivaganga District. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. ^ Issac, Anna (19 September 2019). "Major discovery in Tamil Nadu's Keezhadi: A possible link to Indus Valley Civilisation". The news minute. Heverlee, Belgium: The news minute. Retrieved 28 January 2020.

Sources

Categories