______ was known as a unit of measurement of land before the British rule, the size of the land varied, in Bengal the British standardized it to about one-third of an acre.

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Understanding Land Measurement Units Before British Rule

Before the British colonial era, various regions in India used their own local units for measuring land area. These units were often not standardized and their size could vary significantly from one district or even one village to another. This made land administration, revenue collection, and property transactions complex.

Identifying the Traditional Land Unit: Bigha

The question describes a unit of land measurement used before British rule whose size varied and was later standardized by the British in Bengal. Let's look at the options provided:

Pace: A unit of distance, typically the length of one step or two steps. Not a unit of area.
Fathom: A unit of depth, primarily used in nautical contexts, equivalent to six feet. Not a unit of area.
Lick: Not a recognized standard unit of measurement.
Bigha: A traditional unit of land measurement widely used in various parts of South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Historically, the size of a Bigha varied significantly depending on the region.

Based on this analysis, the term that fits the description of a pre-British land measurement unit with varying size is Bigha.

British Standardization of Bigha in Bengal

During their rule, the British sought to standardize various aspects of administration, including land measurement, to facilitate revenue collection and management. In Bengal, the British standardized the size of the Bigha to a fixed value. This standardized Bigha was approximately equal to one-third of an acre.

This standardization helped create uniformity in land records and assessments within the region, despite the historical variations in the size of a Bigha elsewhere.

Comparison of Options

Unit	Type of Measurement	Relevance to Question
Pace	Distance	Incorrect (not area)
Fathom	Depth	Incorrect (not area)
Lick	Not a standard unit	Incorrect
Bigha	Land Area	Correct (traditional unit, varied size, standardized by British in Bengal)

Therefore, the unit of measurement known before the British rule, whose size varied and was standardized in Bengal to about one-third of an acre, is the Bigha.

Revision Table: Key Facts on Bigha Land Measurement

Term	Description	Historical Context	British Standardization (Bengal)
Bigha	Traditional unit of land area measurement in South Asia.	Used widely in India, Bangladesh, Nepal before British rule. Size varied significantly by region.	Standardized to approximately 1/3 acre (∼ 0.33 acre) in Bengal Presidency.

Additional Information on Land Units

Understanding traditional land measurement units like the Bigha provides insight into historical land systems and administrative practices. While modern standard units like square meters or acres are now common, many local units are still used informally in various regions.

An acre is a unit of land area commonly used in the imperial and US customary systems. One acre is equal to 43,560 square feet or about 4,047 square meters.
The exact size of a Bigha varied not only by region but sometimes also based on the quality of the land or the crop grown.
British land reforms aimed at creating a more uniform and systematic approach to land revenue collection, which necessitated standardizing existing units or introducing new ones.

The standardization of the Bigha in Bengal is an example of how colonial powers adapted or modified existing local systems for their administrative convenience.