"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد I. ١٩١٨" [‎٢‎٣‎٧] (٥٦٨/٢٤٦)

CUERENCY, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
237
silver : value before the war about Ad. or (see below, under
Exchange).
The du hazar, silver, = 2 qrdns.
The following gold coins were rarely seen: the gold hazar
(passed at 3^-4 gram) ; the panj ha (nominally 5 passed at
10|-11 grans) ; the ashra/i (nominally 10 qrans, passed at 20^-22
grans).
There are two units of calculation (not coins) in common use : the
dinar,^ of which 1,000 go to the qrun ; and the = 10
Fractions of qrans are generally expressed in or huM-qamaris.
Indian and Turkish coins, as well as Mai'ia Theresa dollars, were
also current. Recently the quantity of rupees in the country has
greatly increased.
Exchange. —The qran exchange has given serious trouble in the
past few years. Before the war the exchange with the rupee was
at the rate of 365—385 qrdns to Rs. 100, Soon after the beginning of
the war the qran depreciated, and the rate was 425 and more. Early
in 1916 the qran began to appreciate, and the process continued
rapidly throughout that year. In November 1916 the rate was 250
in Arabistan; early in January 1917 it was less than 200. Then
began a reaction, and in April 1917 the rate was about 260.
The causes of the appreciation of the are obscure. Among
them may be, first, the rise in the price of the silver ; secondly, the
flooding of northern Persia with Russian paper money ; and thirdly,
the curtailed coinage of new Persian currency due to the difficulty of
importing silver.
The appreciation was against the British interests, as mules and
supplies were being purchased in south-western Persia for the Expe
ditionary Force in Mesopotamia, and were being paid for in
which were being bought for the purpose in large quantities. In the
course of 1916 the purchase of qrans was suspended, and orders were
issued that supplies were to be paid for, so far as possible, in rupees.
The result has been a large increase in the number of rupees circu
lating in southern Persia.
Weights
Baghdad. —The standards of weights vary from place to place.
Even at Baghdad, the commercial capital, there is much unnecessary
complication. Two systems prevail: based on the Baghdad
oke {huqqeh) of 8 lb. 12 oz. 8 dr. (&) based on the Con
stantinople oke of 2 lb. 12 oz. 12 dr.
[a) The scale of local weights is as follows: