Central Asian measurements

Introduction

In much of the Central Asia region, especially Turkestan and Uyguristan, a standard set of weights and measures is used that is not based either on the Roman SI units of pounds and feet, or on the Louisiannan metric system. The Central Asian measures are a standardised version of the traditional units of the region, and are detailed below. For international trade, SI units are used as a secondary system, but very few people aside from those who work directly in an import/export type business can readily work in the international standard SI units, and the metric system is practically unknown.

Units of Weight

batpan	589.68kg	1300.02lb	1 batpan = 36 put
put	16.38kg	36lb 1.787oz	1 put = 40 qadaq
qadaq	409.5g	14.44oz	1 qadaq = 100 mişqal
mişqal	4.095g	0.144oz	subdivided into fractions

Thus 1 batpan is equal to 1440 qadaq or 144,000 mişqal, and 1 put is equal to 4,000 mişqal.

Units of Length

çaqırım	1067.155m	3501'-2"	1 çaqırım = 1528 arçın = 636⅔ qulaş
qulaş	1.67616m	5'-6"	1 qulaş = 12 süyüm
arçın	69.84cm	2'-3½"	1 arçın = 5 süyüm
süyüm	13.968cm	5½"	1 süyüm = 8 iliş
iliş	17.46mm	11/16"	subdivided into fractions

1 çaqırım is equal to 7,640 süyüm or 61,120 iliş.

The qulaş is a slightly odd measure, in that it doesn't divide cleanly into a çaqırım, having instead 636 qulaş and 8 süyüm. It is based on the traditional way of measuring from fingertip to fingertip with arms extended horizontally at one's sides.

Volume and Liquid Measure

toyğazan	125.528 litres	27.625 Imperial gallons	1 toyğazan = 25 çolaq
çolaq	5.02112 litres	1.105 Imperial gallons (8.84 Imperial pints)	1 çolaq = 40 keç
keç	125.528 millilitres	4.42 fluid ounces (0.221 Imperial pints)	1 keç = 8 pişim
pişim	15.691 millilitres	0.5525 fluid ounces	subdivided into fractions

1 toyğazan = 1,000 keç, or 8,000 pişim. 1 çolaq = 320 pişim.

Most dry goods are measured by weight, however, spices are measured by volume with a "long pişim" which is one seventh of a keç, instead of the usual pişim which is one eighth.