The Rashtrakutas and their Times c22.165

c22.165

CAMPHOR. This article was in our period very much costlier than it is today. From one record (109) we learn that one golden Kāsu i. e., about Re. 1 and 10 as. were required to purchase 2 1/2 Kalanjus i. e., 5/8 tola of camphor. In another record (110) the price is stated to be 3 Kalanjus i. e., 3/4 tola Kāsu. A tola of camphor was thus costing in our period about 2 1/4 rupees. Līlāvatī vv. 76,100 gives 1 1/2 and 2 Nishkas as the price of one Pala of camphor. A Nishka of Bhāskara weighed about 1/8 tola, and Pala 3 tolas. A tola of camphor thus required 1/2 tola of gold i. e., roughly Re. 1-12 as. At present the same quantity of that commodity costs about 1 anna, so the price is about 36 times cheaper. Camphor had to be imported from abroad, and its price shows that the danger and cost of the sea transport were very great. There was the danger of piracy, and the import merchants had to borrow money for their trade at 120% per annum. (111)