February 2012 | Hope is a waking dream

Measurements in ancient Tamil land were of seven kinds. They were number counts, balance weights, fluid volumes, grain volumes, length, time and the likeness. Ancient tamils were used only mind-calculation for their daily necessaries. Their life is mixed up with calculation for everything. They have enough tables of units for all kind such as weighing, counting, measuring, etc.,. which is similar to the Indus Valley Civilization. They have fractional tables which includes divisor of 2, 5, 8 & etc.,.

The Tamil peoples are using still their basic unit of distance measurement called muzham to measure the length of jasmine garland. Ancient tamils also used muzhakkuchi (scale/tape) which is the basic measuring instrument to build a temple or other building. One of the temple which used muzhakkuchi is Tanjore Big Temple from Tamil Nadu, India.

Units of time in ancient Tamil history

1 kuzhi(kuRRuzhi) = குழி (குற்றுழி)= 6.66 millisecond-the time taken by the Pleiades stars(aRumin) to glitter once.
12(base 8) or 10 kuzhigaL= 1 miy= 66.6666 millisecond-the time taken by the young human eyes to flap once.
2 kaNNimaigaL (கண்ணிமைகள்)= 1 kainodi (கைநொடி)= 0.125 second
2 kainodi= 1 maatthirai (மாத்திரை) = 0.25 second
6(base 8) or 6 miygaL= 1 siRRuzhi(nodi) சிற்றுழி (நொடி)= 0.40 second-the time taken for a bubble (created by blowing air through a bamboo tube into a vessel 1 saaN high, full of water) to travel a distance of one saaN (சாண்).
2 maatthiraigaL= 1 kuru (குறு) = 0.50 second
2(base 8) or 2 nodigaL= 1 vinaadi வினாடி = 0.80 second-the time for the adult human heart to beat once
2¹⁄₂ nodigaL= 2 kuru= 1 uyir உயிர் = 1 second
5 nodigaL= 2 uyir= 1 saNigam சாணிகம் = 1/2 aNu அணு = 2 seconds
12(base 8) or 10 nodigaL= 1 aNu= 4 seconds
6(base 8) or 6 aNukkaL= 12 saNigam= 1 thuLi துளி = 1 naazhigai-vinaadi நாழிகை வினாடி = 24 seconds
12(base 8) or 10 thuLigaL= 1 kaNam கணம் = 4 minutes
6(base 8) or 6 kaNangaL= 1 naazhigai= 24 minutes
12(base 8) or 10 naazhigaigaL= 4 saamam சாமம் = 1 siRupozhuthu சிறுபொழுது = 240 minutes= 4 hours
6(base 8) or 6 siRu-pozhuthugaL= 1 naaL நாள் (1 day)= 24 hours
7 naaTkaL= 1 kizhamai கிழமை (1 week)
15 naaTkaL= 1 azhuvam அழுவம் (1 fortnight )
29.5 naaTkaL= 1 thingaL திங்கள் (1 lunar month)
2 thingaL= 1 perum-pozhuthu பெரும்பொழுது (1 season)
6 perum-pozhuthugaL= 1 AaNdu ஆண்டு (1 year)
64 aaNdugaL= 1 vattam வட்டம் (1 cycle)
4096(=8^4) AaNdugaL= 1 Oozhi ஊழி (1 epoch)

Area Measurement

1 Marakkal vaedaipadu (seeds required for planting rice) = 8 cents
12.5 Marakkal vaedaipadu = 100 cents (one acre)

Area calculation and Measurement Chart

1 hectare = 2 acre 47 cent
1 hectare = 10,000 sq.m.
1 acre = 0.405 hectare
1 acre = 4046.82 sq.m.
1 acre = 43,560 sq.ft.
1 acre = 100 cent = 4840 sq.gejam
1 cent = 435.6 sq.ft.
1 cent = 40.5 sq.m
1 ground = 222.96 sq.m. = 5.5 cent
1 ground = 2400 sq.ft.

1 kuzhi = 10x10 ft. (although some say that 1 kuzhi is approximately equal to 12x12 ft. i.e., 144 sq.ft.)
1 Mā = 100 kuzhi = 10000 sq.ft.
1 Kāni = 4 Mā = 40000 sq.ft.
1 kāni = 92 cents = 0.92 acre
1 kāni = 400 kuzhi = 40000 sq.ft.
1 acre = 436 kuzhi
1 Veļi = 7 kāni = 6.43 acres = 2.6 hectares
1 dismil =2.5 cent

1 furlong = 660 feet = 220 kejam
1 kilometre = 5 furlong
1 link / chain = 0.66 foot = 7.92 inch
1 kejam = 9.075 sq.ft.
1 mile = 8 furlong
1 ares = 1076 sq.ft. = 2.47 cent
1 chain = 22 kejam
1 furlong = 10 chain
1 kejam = 0.9144 metre
1 township = 36 sq.mile
1 sq.mile = 640 acre
1 cent = 48 kejam

Units of ancient trade

Balance weights

Gold weights

4 nel edai= 1 kunRimaNi
2 kunRimaNi= 1 manjaadi
1 manjaadi= 1 paNavedai
5 paNavedai= 1 kazhanju
8 paNavedai= 1 varaaganedai
20 paNavedai= 4 kazhanju = 1 kaqhsu
80 paNavedai= 16 kazhanju= 4 kaqhsu= 1 palam.
1.5 Kazhanji = 8 gram or one pown

Goods weights

32 kunRimaNi= 1 varaaganedai
10 varaaganedai= 1 palam
40 palam= 1 veesai
1000 palam =1 kaa
6 veesai= 1 thulaam
8 veesai= 1 maNangu
20 maNangu= 1 paaram.

Grain volume

1 kuNam= smallest unit of volume
9 kuNam= 1 mummi
11 mummi= 1 aNu
7 aNu=1 immi
7 immi= 1 uminel
1 sittigai= 7 uminel
360 nel= 1 sevidu
5 sevidu= 1 aazhaakku
2 aazhaakku= 1 uzhakku
2 uzhakku= 1 uri
2 uri= 1 padi
8 padi= 1 marakkaal(kuRuNi)
2 marakkaal(kuRuNi)= 1 padhakku
2 padhakku= 1 thooNi
5 marakkaal= 1 paRai
80 paRai= 1 karisai
96 padi= 1 kalam
120 padi= 1 pothi(mootai)
21 marakkal = 1 Kottai
22 maakaani = 100 gms

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

Fluid volume

5 sevidu= 1 aazhaakku
2 mahani = 1 aazhakku (arai kal padi)
2 aazhaakku= 1 uzhakku (Kal padi)
2 uzhakku= 1 uri (Arai padi)
2 uri= 1 padi
8 padi= 1 marakkaal
2 marakkaal(kuRuNi)= 1 padhakku
2 padhakku= 1 thooNi
21 Marakkal = 1 Kottai

Length

10 koaN= 1 nuNNaNu
10 nuNNaNU= 1 aNu(atom)
8 aNu= 1 kathirtthugaL
8 kathirtthugaL= 1 thusumbu
8 thusumbu= 1 mayirnuni
8 mayirnuni= 1 nuNmaNal
8 nuNmaNal= 1 siRu-kadugu
8 siRu-kadugu= 1 eL
8 eL= 1 nel
8 nel= 1 viral= 8^8 aNu(atom)= 1.9444 centimetre
12 viral= 1 saaN= 100 immi= 23.3333 centimetre
2 saaN= 1 muzham= 46.6666 centimetre
2 muzham= 1 kajam
4 muzham= 1 paagam
625 paagam= 1 kaadham= 5000 saaN= 1166.66 metres= 1.167 kilometre

Likeness (Saartthal)

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

Whole numbers

1= onRu
10= patthu
100= nooRu
1000= aayiram
10,000= pathaayiram
100,000= nooRaayiram
1000,000= meiyiram
10^9= thoLLunn
10^12= eegiyam
10^15= neLai
10^18= iLanji
10^20= veLLam
10^21= aambal

Tamil texts elaborate the following version:

1 = ONDRU -one
10 = PATHU -ten
100 = NOORU-hundred
1,000 = AAYIRAM-thousand
10,000 = PATHAAYIRAM -ten thousand
100,000 = LATCHAM-hundred thousand
1,000,000 = PATHU LATCHAM - one million
10,000,000 = KODI-ten million
100,000,000 = ARPUTHAM-hundred million
1,000,000,000 = NIGARPUTHAM- one billion
10,000,000,000 = KUMBAM-ten billion
100,000,000,000 = KANAM-hundred billion
1,000,000,000,000 = KARPAM-one trillion
10,000,000,000,000 = NIKARPAM -ten trillion
100,000,000,000,000 = PATHUMAM -hundred trillion
1,000,000,000,000,000 = SANGGAM -quadrillion
10,000,000,000,000,000 = VELLAM -ten quadrillion
100,000,000,000,000,000 = ANNIYAM -
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 = ARTTAM -
10,000,000,000,000,000,000 = PARARTTAM -
100,000,000,000,000,000,000 = POORIYAM -
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = MUKKODI -
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = MAHAYUGAM -

Fractions

1= onRu
3/4= mukkaal
1/2= arai
1/4= kaal
1/5= naalumaa
3/16= moonRu veesam
3/20= moonRumaa
1/8= araikkaal
1/10= irumaa
1/16= maakaaNi (veesam)
1/20= orumaa
3/64= mukkaal veesam
3/80= mukkaaN
1/32= araiveesam
1/40 araimaa
1/64= kaal veesam
1/80= kaaNi
3/320= araikkaaNi munthiri
1/160= araikkaaNi
1/320= munthiri
1/102,400= keezh munthiri
1/2,150,400= immi
1/23,654,400= mummi
1/165,580,800= aNu
1/1,490,227,200= kuNam
1/7,451,136,000= pantham
1/44,706,816,000= paagam
1/312,947,712,000= vintham
1/5,320,111,104,000= naagavintham
1/74,481,555,456,000= sinthai
1/1,489,631,109,120,000= kathirmunai
1/59,585,244,364,800,000= kuralvaLaippidi
1/3,575,114,661,888,000,000= veLLam
1/357,511,466,188,800,000,000= nuNNmaNl
1/2,323,824,530,227,200,000,000= thaertthugaL

Currency

1 pal (wooden discs/sea shellots)= (approximately) 0.9 grain
8 (or 10 base 8) paRkaL =1 senkaaNi (copper/bronze) = 7.2 grains(misinterpretted by Roman accounts as 10 base 10 paRkal =9 grains)
1/4 senkaaNi =1 kaalkaaNi (copper) =1.8 grains(misinterpretted by Roman accounts as 2.25 grains)
64 (or 100 base 8) paRkaL = 1 KaaNap-pon a.k.a. Kaasu panam(gold) = 57.6 grains
1 Roman dinarium was traded on par with 2 KaaNappon plus 1 SenkaaNi(=124 grains).
18 Ana = 2.5 Rupee, 16 Ana = 1 Rupee, 1 Ana = 3 Thuttu, 1/4 Ana = 3/4 (mukkal) thuttu