[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.)](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935) › c8.34 # Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c8.34 Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c8.34 - **Language:** English ### [c8.34](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8.34) The Muslims maintained the older system of division of silver coins into copper coins. The Hindus used a quarternary scale of enumeration. Fives and Tens were unknown quantities and decimals were of no account for them.³ The Sultans, therefore, divided the contents of a silver \*Tanka\* into 64 \*Jitals\* or \*Kanis\* of copper or 8 \*Hashtkanis\* (a coin equal to 8 \*Jitals\*).⁴ Bahlul Lodi instituted his \*Bahloli\* which like the \*Dam\* of Sher Shah and Akbar was reckoned at 1/40th of a \*Tanka\*. Sultan Sikandar Lodi instituted his ‘copper \*Tanka\*’, 20 of which constituted the change for a silver coin, which remained identical.⁵ This ‘\*Sikandari Tanka\*’ or double-\*dam\* was the predecessor of the Dam of Akbar.¹ Taking the value of the Tanka as fixed, the ‘Sikandari Tanka’ would come to 3 1/5 or 3.2 Jitals and the ‘Dam’ of Sher Shah and Akbar or the Bahloli to 1 3/5 or 1.6 Jitals. - [Previous: c8.33](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8.33) - [Next: c8.35](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8.35) - [Up: c8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8.34](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.ashraf-1935.c8.34) · Pramāṇa