A History of the Mahrattas v1.c10.40

v1.c10.40

² *Fasl* (Fusslee) is an Arabic and Persian word, meaning ‘relating to the fasl, “season” or “crop,”’ and was applied to certain solar eras established for use in revenue and other civil transactions under Muhammadan rule, in order to obviate the difficulties of the lunar calendar of the Hijra, which did not correspond with the natural seasons. Akbar established at least three of these eras, for application to different parts of his dominions, each of them commencing with the Hijra year of his accession (963 A.H. = A.D. 1556), though the month of commencement varies. (Yule’s *Hobson-Jobson*, ed. Crooke, 1903, p. 359.) The Muhammadan year consists of twelve lunar months of 30 and 29 days alternately. The common year, therefore, consists of only 354 days. But, when intercalary days in certain years are allowed for, the mean year consists of 354 11/30 days. Inasmuch as a solar year consists of about 365 1/4 days, the difference amounts to nearly 11 days, and any given month in the Muhammadan year consequently goes the round of the seasons in course of time. (Sleeman’s *Rambles*, &c., ed. V. A. Smith, 1915, p. 482 n.) See Cunningham, *Book of Indian Eras*, No. xxiii, p. 82 (Calcutta, 1883), and Prinsep’s *Tables in Essays*, ed. Thomas, 1858, vol. ii.]