The Origin of Metallic Currency and Weight Standards — John Shaqi
The Origin of Metallic Currency and Weight StandardsRidgeway, William
History
The Origin of Metallic Currency and Weight Standards
Ridgeway, William
Money -- Origin; Weights and measures -- History
Next let us turn to India, and to the Aryans of the Rig Veda, who dwelt
in the north-west of the Punjaub at the time when we first meet them.
From their prayers and invocations it is easy to learn in what the wealth
of this simple folk consisted. One or two examples will serve for our
purpose: “The potent ones who bestow on us good fortune by means of cows,
horses, goods, gold, O Indra and Vaya, may they, blessed with fortune,
ever be successful by means of horses and heroes in battle[39].”
Again, “O Indra bring us rice cake, a thousand _soma_ drinks, and an
hundred cows, O hero. Bring us apparel, cows, horses and jewels, along
with a _mana_ of gold.” Yet once more: “Ten horses, ten caskets, ten
garments, ten gold nuggets (_hiranya pindas_) I received from Divodāsa.
Ten chariots equipped with side horses, and an hundred cows gave the
Açvatha to the Atharvans and to the Pāyu.” Even without further evidence
than that which we have already drawn from the wild people of Annam, we
might well assume that there were definitely fixed relations in value
between the cows, horses, gold, rice, and cloth of the Vedic people. But
absolute proof is at hand, for their close kinsmen, the ancient Persians,
have left us in the Zend Avesta ample means of observing their monetary
system. Thus we read in the ordinances which fix the payment of the
physician that “he shall heal the priest for the holy blessing; he shall
heal the master of an house for the value of an ox of low value; he shall
heal the lord of a borough for the value of an ox of average value; he
shall heal the lord of a town for the value of an ox of high value; he
shall heal the lord of a province for the value of a chariot and four; he
shall heal the wife of the master of a house for the value of a she ass;
he shall heal the wife of the master of a borough for the value of a cow;
he shall heal the wife of the lord of a town for the value of a mare;
he shall heal the wife of the lord of a province for the value of a she
camel; he shall heal the son of the lord of a borough for the value of an
ox of high value: he shall heal an ox of high value for the value of an
ox of average value; he shall heal an ox of average value for the value
of an ox of low value; he shall heal an ox of low value for the value of
a sheep; and he shall heal a sheep for the value of a meal of meat[40].”
So too in the fees of the Cleanser we read: “Thou shalt cleanse a priest
for a blessing; the lord of a province for the value of a camel of high
value; the lord of a town for the value of a stallion; the lord of a
borough for the value of a bull; the master of an house for the value of
a cow three years old; the wife of the master of an house for the value
of a ploughing cow; a menial for the value of a draught cow; a young
child for the value of a lamb[41].” Again in the chapter on Contracts:
“The third is the contract to the amount of a sheep, the fourth is the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account