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Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
While it is true that the word "cacah" is the one most frequently encountered in the gifting of land, the word "karya" could have been used; my notes tell me that a "karya" as a unit of measurement equals 4 bau, and a bau equals 7000 square meters, so if "karya" was the word used, it means that the gift of land to Pangeran Sendang was something like 560 hectares, or nearly 1400 acres. Not a bad slab of land.
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Dear Alan,
Actually, the word "cacah" is still used in Java until now. The literal translation of it, is "counts". We still use it, as "cacah jiwo" for instance, that means "sensus". Jiwo means soul or spirit. One person regarded he has only one soul or spirit. So, the habitude of Javanese in counting the number of person is not "body", but "soul". Three persons, we call it in Javanese "three souls" or "three spirit'. So "cacah jiwo" literaly means "counting the souls"...
Cacah is not the word of unity of width or length. This is often mistakenly understood-- even by the Dutch in the past. I think it is good to if I quote another source of "counting". This is from the late Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo (KPH) Mandoyokusumo from Karaton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, under title of "Cacahing Siti Satanah Jawi" (The counting of lands all over Java Island).
The biggest unity of width -- according to this note (which based the source on "Serat Babad Sangkala Hageng" or Letters of Babad Great Times) -- is "garumbul". It is difficult to explain this. But, you may take it lightly as you regard from afar, groups of bushes or trees that is "garumbul".
And than, the lesser unity is a "bahu" or "bau" (yes, around 700m square). Every "two bahus" that is "one kikil". And every "two kikils" then you may counts as "cacah sajung" or "it counts one jung".
This counts then changed in the different era. But, according to this Yogyakarta notes, in the year of Javanese year 1030 (1108 CE) King of Purwacarita Kingdom, named as King Widdayaka, gave the responsibility to his people on the kingdom's lands. Every "cacah sabahu" (every one bahu) was the responsibility of one villager. "One kikil" of lands or the same amount of "two bahus" for the responsibility of 2 villagers. One jung, for 4 villagers.. and so on.
On the year of Javanese 1064 (1142 CE), according to this Yogyakarta's note, another king of Purwacarita, during the reign of Prabu Sri Maha Punggung change a bit this measurements of lands. Or modified a bit. One jung (two kikils, or four bahus) called as 4 karywa or karya. One kikil, then changed as two karya, and one bahu changed as one karya... and so on. This new measurements came from the "king of tani" (peasants king) Prabu Sri Manuhun from Bagelen....
Prabu Sri Maha Punggung then made more change in measurements, such unity as: "sabelah", "sagedeng", "sahamet", and "sawuwa". But too long to explain them here...
Ganjawulung