The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v1.c19.s6.12

v1.c19.s6.12

Besides the above, a few other technical names of land-measure are available from later land records such as bhū-khāḍī, khāḍikā.³ hala, droṇa,¹ bhū-hala, kedāra or bhū-kedāra.² Neither the equation between bhū-khāḍī and khāḍikā, nor that between hala and droṇa is, however, known. But in some districts of Eastern Bengal (e.g. Sylhet) hala and kedāra are still used as units of land-measure, and the relation between the two is 12 kedāras=1 hala. In all probability a hala originally meant the extent of land that could be turned with a plough. According to Buchanan, “the usual extent which can be cultivated by one plough is 10 large bighās, or 15 Calcutta bighās, or 5 acres.”³ In the district of Sylhet, however, a hala or hāla corresponds to about 10½ bighās, or about 3½ acres.⁴