Urban geography and land measurement in the twelfth century: The case of Kanchipuram

Abstract

The authors compute the length of the 16-span rod, a measuring instrument used in the Kanchipuram region during the late Chola period, by combining information on land boundaries from a single inscription with fieldwork and map tools. In the process, they reconstruct part of the geography of the city and examine long-term changes in land use, with implications for historical preservation. The article suggests that the application of this methodology to other epigraphic records may allow the detailed reconstruction of early agrarian and urban environments, and contribute to the quantitative evaluation of land holding or revenue systems.