faraçola [Portuguese]

In cities in India where Portugal was active, 16ᵗʰ – 17ᵗʰ centuries, a unit of mass, 20 faraçolas = 1 bhar. From the Arabic farsala.

In Cochin (present-day Kochi) and Quilon (present-day Kollam) about 8.31 kilograms¹.

1. K[uzhippalli] S[karia] Mathew.
Portuguese Trade with India in the sixteenth century.
New Delhi: Manohar, 1983.

Page 236, citing

Antonio Nunez.
Lyvro dos pesos da Ymdia, e assy medidas e mohedas.
1554.
page 47.

which is published in
Rodrigo José de Lima Felner.
Subsídios para a história da India Portugueza...
Lisbon: Academia Real das Sciencias, 1868.

 

In Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) and Chale (Koyilandy??), about 10.37 kilograms².

2. Nunez, page 46.

 

In Cannacore (present-day Kannur), about 10.28 kilograms.³

3. Nunez, page 46.

examples

...ha faraçola d urmuz he em peso faraçola e meia de Cochim, pouco mais ou menos.

The faraçola of Hormuz weighs as much as a faraçola and a half of Cochin, a bit more or less.

Letter from A. Albuquerque to D. Manuel, written in Cochin, 20 August 1512. In
Afonso de Albuquerque.
Series: Colecção de monumentos ineditos para a historia das conquistas dos Portuguezes, em Africa, Asia e America, t. 10, 12- 1. ser. Historia da Asia
Cartas de Affonso de Albuquerque, seguidas de documentos que as elucidam, publicadas de ordem da Classe de sciencias moraes, politicas e bellas-lettras da Academia real das sciencias de Lisboa e sob a diresção de Raymundo Antonia de Bulhão Pato ...
Lisbon: Typ. da Academia real das sciencias de Lisboa, 1884- .
Volume 1, page 75.

A baar weighs about 20 faracolas, and a faracola twenty-four and three-fourths aratole of Portugal, which aratole are of from thirty-two to thirty-three libre in Venice, according to custom.

William Brooks Greenlee, translator and editor.
The voyage of Pedro Alvares Cabral to Brazil and India, from contemporary documents and narratives.
London : Printed for the Hakluyt Society, 1938.
Page 92.

Sorry. No information on contributors is available for this page.

home | units index | search | contact drawing of envelope |  contributors | 
help | privacy | terms of use