Page "Tola (unit)" Paragraph 3

The tola is a Vedic measure, with the name derived from the Sanskrit tol ( त ो ल ः root त ु ल ्) meaning " weighing " or " weight ".

One tola was traditionally the weight of 100 ratti ( ruttee ) seeds, and its exact weight varied according to locality.

However, it is also a convenient mass for a coin: several pre-colonial coins, including the currency of Akbar the Great ( 1556 – 1605 ), had a mass of " one tola " within slight variation.

The very first rupee (; rupayā ), minted by Sher Shah Suri ( 1540 – 45 ), had a mass of 178 troy grains, or about 1 % less than the British tola.

The British East India Company issued a silver rupee coin of 180 troy grains, and this became the practical standard mass for the tola well into the 20th century.