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Persian units of measurement
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<h2 id="ancient-persian-units">Ancient Persian units</h2> <h3>Length</h3> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="1">Persian unit</th><th>Persian name</th><th>Relation to previous unit</th><th><a href="/facts/Metric_system/to24H0YK">Metric</a> Value</th><th>Imperial Value</th></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Digit_(unit)/0apX9Q8V">digit</a>finger</td><td>انگشت (angosht)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></td><td></td><td>≈ 20 mm</td><td>≈ 0.8 <a href="/facts/Inch/CocFfm8p">in</a></td></tr><tr><td>hand</td><td><i>dva</i></td><td>5 <i>aiwas</i></td><td>≈ 100 mm</td><td>≈ 4 in</td></tr><tr><td>foot</td><td><i>trayas</i></td><td>3 <i>dva</i></td><td>≈ 300 mm</td><td>≈ 1 <a href="/facts/Foot_(length)/XKamEGjV">foot</a></td></tr><tr><td>four-hands</td><td><i>remen</i></td><td>4 <i>dva</i></td><td>≈ 400 mm</td><td>≈ 16 in</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Cubit/NeJfS25E">cubit</a> (five-hands)</td><td><i>pank'a dva</i></td><td>5 <i>dva</i></td><td>≈ 500 mm</td><td>≈ 20 in</td></tr><tr><td>great cubit (six-hands)</td><td><i>(k)swacsh dva</i></td><td>6 <i>dva</i></td><td>≈ 600 mm</td><td>≈ 2 ft</td></tr><tr><td>pace</td><td><i>pank'a</i></td><td>5 <i>trayas</i></td><td>≈ 1.5 <a href="/facts/Meter/hPhzc1CV">m</a></td><td>≈ 5 ft</td></tr><tr><td>ten-foot</td><td><i>daca trayas</i></td><td>2 <i>pank'a</i></td><td>≈ 3 m</td><td>≈ 10 ft</td></tr><tr><td>hundred-foot</td><td><i>chebel</i></td><td>8 <i>daca trayas</i></td><td>≈ 24 m</td><td>≈ 80 ft</td></tr><tr><td>league, the distance a <a href="/facts/Horse/uQ3FA0Ak">horse</a> could walk in one hour.</td><td><i><a href="/facts/Parasang/9bFcg1rh">parasang</a></i></td><td>250 <i>chebel</i></td><td>≈ 6 <a href="/facts/Kilometer/hdQp79QE">km</a></td><td>≈ 3.75 <a href="/facts/Mile/e22bY569">miles</a></td></tr><tr><td>mansion, one day's march on the <a href="/facts/Royal_Road/laBsSHRu">Royal Road</a>.</td><td>(<a href="/facts/Ancient_Greece/PTVBrWXq">Greek</a> <i>stathmos</i>)</td><td>4 or 5 <i><a href="/facts/Parasang/9bFcg1rh">parasang</a></i></td><td>≈ 24–30 km</td><td>≈ 14–18 miles</td></tr><tr><td>Asparsa</td><td>Asparsa<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></td><td></td><td>≈ 187–195 m and = 360 <a href="/facts/Cubits/NeJfS25E">cubits</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Volume</h3> <p>The <i>shekel</i> and <i>mina</i> ("profane" or "sacred") were units of both weight and volume. A <i>shekel</i> or <i>mina</i> weight was equal to the weight of that volume of water. Note that the values given for the <i>mina</i> do not match the definitions. </p> 1 <i>shekel</i> = 8.3 ml (approximately 1 cubic <i>aiwas</i>). 1 profane <i>mina</i> = 50 <i>shekel</i> = 500 ml (approximately 27 cubic <i>aiwas</i>). 1 sacred <i>mina</i> = 60 <i>shekel</i> = 600 ml (approximately 1 cubic <i>dva</i>). 1 talent (volume) = 60 profane <i>mina</i> = 25 liters (approximately 1 cubic <i>trayas</i>). <h3>Weight</h3> <p>The talent was a measure of weight used for large amounts of coinage (bullion, bulk coin), rather than an individual coin. Seven <a href="/facts/Babylonia/J4jjdUua">Babylonian</a> talents equalled ten Attic talents, according to a list of the revenues of <a href="/facts/Cyrus_the_Great/0gB7KwSA">Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II of Persia)</a> recorded in <a href="/facts/Herodotus/hTgRSAnv">Herodotus</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>𐎣𐎼𐏁 (karša) or 𐎣𐎼𐏁𐎹𐎠 (karšayā) is a unit of weight equal to 10 Babylonian <i>shekels</i> or 1⁄6 Babylonian <i>mina</i> weighing approximately 83 g (2.9 oz).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="units-used-in-modern-persia-iran">Units used in modern Persia (Iran)</h2> <p>Some related units were used in Persia in the 19th century, and are still used in contemporary <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a>. </p> <h3>Length</h3> 1 <i>arsani</i> or <i>ulna</i> = 52-64 cm. 1 <i>arish</i> = 38.27 inches (97.21 cm)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> 1 <i>chebel</i> = 40 <i>arsani</i> = 21-25 meters or 23-30 yards. 1 <i>farsang</i> (parasang) = 6.23 km in 19th century Persia. 1 <i>farsang</i> = 10 kilometers in modern Iran and <a href="/facts/Turkey/KIYAWAs0">Turkey</a>. <h3>Volume</h3> 1 <i>chenica</i> = 1.32 liters. <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Efendi, C.; Crane, H. (1987). Risāle-i Miʻmāriyye. Muquarnas Supplements Studies in Islamic Architecture Series (in Latvian). E.J. Brill. p. 76. ISBN 978-90-04-07846-8. Retrieved 22 May 2024. <a href="978-90-04-07846-8" target="_blank">978-90-04-07846-8</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Ancient Measurements". smithlifescience.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131105075335/https://www.smithlifescience.com/AncientMeasurements.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20131105075335/https://www.smithlifescience.com/AncientMeasurements.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Abbreviations". loghatnaameh.org (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2012-08-15. Retrieved 2014-05-13. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120815123944/http://www.loghatnaameh.org/dehkhodaworddetail-08b73cdcf25247689c183b1eaeec389f-fa.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120815123944/http://www.loghatnaameh.org/dehkhodaworddetail-08b73cdcf25247689c183b1eaeec389f-fa.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Measures from Antiquity and the Bible". users.aol.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 1998. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/19981205012408/http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/antbible.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/19981205012408/http://users.aol.com/jackproot/met/antbible.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Herodotus, Book III, 90-96 <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Burn, Andrew R. (1984). Persia and the Greeks: the defence of the West, c. 546-478 BC. [London]: Duckworth. pp. 123–126. ISBN 0-7156-1765-6. <a href="0-7156-1765-6" target="_blank">0-7156-1765-6</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"British Museum No. 91117 Inscribed weight". britishmuseum.org. <a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1888-0512-Bu-257" target="_blank">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1888-0512-Bu-257</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Rose, Joshua (1900). Pattern Makers Assistant (9th ed.). New York: D. van Nostrand Co. p. 264. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>