History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c12.7.4

v1.c12.7.4

The 8000 measures of land of the village granted to 1000 Brahmins would probably constitute a large modern village of about 4000 acres and the measure would thus approximate to a Bigha or ½ acre of modern times. The word निवर्तन (Nivartana) is not found in grants given in this volume.* That word however appears to be a very old one. It occurs in the Kautilīya Arthaśāstra at page 107 where its meaning is given in the following table of space measures; 4 cubits = 1 Danda (stick) 10 Dandas = 1 Rajju (chain) and 3 Rajjus = 1 nivartana. This makes the nivartana equal to 120 cubits i.e. 180 feet or 60 yards length. The field or square nivartana would be a square area with nivartana as one side i.e. 3600 sq. yards. As acre consists of 4840 sq. yards which makes the acre equal to approximately 1 ⅓ nivartanas. The measure of the bigha of the Mahomedans was also based on the danda or stick, being taken to be 20 sticks long by 20 sticks broad and was nearly one half of the nivartana. Perhaps the Bhūmi mentioned in the above grant may be the nivartana which certainly was an old measure. In whatever manner realised, the उद्रंग or land tax was received in kind and probably the उपरिकर or minor taxes were also received in kind. The grain was stored by a special officer of the State called the कोष्ठागाराध्यक्ष, who was also in charge of the minor articles. These were either immediately sold or were stored for future use, according to their nature.