History of Numbers and Fractions and Arithmetic Calculations in the Tamil Region:Some Observations

The Tamil inscriptions of the medieval period provide a very detailed account on the land measures in minute fractions. In the Medieval period, the villages were completely measured and documented, especially in the fertile Kāviri delta and other cultivable areas, for accurately assessing tax. The land measurements are discussed in terms of various units of measures, especially miniscule fractions, and the calculations of taxable and tax-free areas are also specified in some of the inscriptions. This paper presents a preliminary account of the fractions, numbers and arithmetic calculations found in the Medieval Tamil inscriptions.