In 1925, Rs 220 was a LOT of money. Just to give you a comparison - a Harrington & Richardson 12 gauge single barrel shotgun cost about Rs25 at that time. A Webley single barrel cost about Rs35 & a Webley double cost cost about Rs 100.

In 1925 Rs 220 was about GBP 175 (if my calculation is correct at an exchange rate of 1 shilling 4 pence.)

"In 1899, the parity of the Indian rupee was set at 1 shilling 4 pence. This new parity was kept until 1927, if one excludes an attempt in 1919 to once again lift the rupee to 2 shillings. The real value of the rupee was therefore tied to the Pound Sterling. ........In April 1925, the Pound was redefined on the basis of the gold parity of 1816, 7.32 grams of fine gold. On September 20, 1931 Great Britain abandoned the gold standard and the Pound lost 30% of its worth in 1931 and almost 40% in 1934! ......In international currency of the Indian Ocean, the Indian rupee was still used from Burma to Balouchistan, from Nepal to Ceylon, from Iraq to Zanzibar and from the Maldives to Mauritius. Its instability, because of its ties to silver and the Pound Sterling, was compensated by the stability of a certain weight of silver. The rupee was quite valued by the populations of these regions. Confronted with the currency problems already described, the silver rupee was not produced from 1923 and 1939. In 1940, there was a desire to recommence the production of the rupee. The rupees were produced in 1938 and 1939 in the former manner, but at the end of 1940, if the weights are the same, the rupees stands at 500/1000 of silver. The production in 1947 was in nickel! The production from half rupees and quarter rupees was not interrupted. In 1940 their title of silver stayed at 500/1000 and in 1946 these coins were in nickel. Mauritius did not have silver rupees from 1934 to 1938. These rupees weighed 11.66 but with the title of 916/1000 instead of 917/1000. The Seychelles transfered to producing a silver rupee in 1938 with a weight of 11.66 grams but a title of 500/1000. In India one rupee notes were circulated. ......If the parity of the Indian rupee was set at 1 shilling six pence, we should mention that the Pound Sterling was set at 3.58 grams of fine gold in 1946 to fall to 2.49 grams of fine gold in 1949. "

Read the full article for fascinating background info http://www.collectornetwork.com/articles/article_rupee.php.