The language of Amins (land surveyors) - thread
अमीन amīn were government officers concerned with investigation of land or revenue claims, surveying land, collecting revenues etc. Amīn in Arabic means a trustworthy or reliable person. 1/n

How many of us know the multiplication tables of fractions? In colonial India, these Amins (land surveyors) had knowledge of multiplication tables of fractions. They had specific words for fractional tables of 1½, 2½,3 ½ & so on. See below 2/n

Here is an example of the multiplication table for 1½(डेवढ़ा ḍēvṛhā) used by Amins. 3/n

Ever wondered how your humble vegetable seller could calculate the amount payable on his fingertips. This one is the multiplication table named सवैया used by Amins. 4/n

An important document for Amins was ख़सरा ḵẖasrā which was their field-book where they noted all their recordings.
Still used in almost all of northern India. 5/end