i 
 

 ON 
 
 THE COINS 
 
 PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 
 
 iJ -^ J -i.^ '«_o ^ 5 
 
 Sl^ j^^^ cJ^\? U>^^^ \j*J^\* iJ^^ ^*s^^ 
 
 KORA.v, Sm-ah iv., ver. 62. (Coin No. 101.) 
 
 EDWARD THOMAS, Esq., 
 
 BENGAL CIVIL SERVICE ; 
 MEM. HOVAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, AND MEM. NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, LONDON. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY J. AVERTIIEIMER AND CO., FINSBURT CIRCDS. 
 
 1847. 
 

 
PREFACE. 
 
 The history of Mohammedan nations is for many reasons 
 peculiarly suitable for numismatic illustration ; not so 
 much in reference to the artistic value of the coins them- 
 selves, as from the fact of their usually recording in full 
 the name of the king, the date, and the place of coinage 
 thus affording direct evidence to three distinct points, — the 
 existence of the sovereign as such, the time in which he 
 reigned, and the place of which he was king. 
 
 The value of this species of illustration, as applied to 
 Indian history, is much enhanced by the consideration of 
 the oriental feeling, that the power of coinage was held to be 
 a proof of the attainment of kingly dignity. In the West, we 
 require many forms to make a king, but the Eastern Mo- 
 hammedan races seem to have held the striking of the 
 currency, aided by an immediate recitation of public 
 prayers in the names of the princes they had elected, as 
 proof positive of sovereignty. Thus we find the first act 
 of an Eastern reign was invariably the production of a coin ; 
 without this, an all-powerful despot hardly felt himself a 
 king. 
 
 The medals of Eastern kings, unlike the money of Eu- 
 ropean nations, were really the coins of the sovereign 
 whose name they recorded ; they were less the money of 
 
 432J1G 
 
the country than a part of the wealth of the king hunself. 
 The despotism which enabled the ruler to alter at will the 
 circulating medium of his dominions, identifies the coinage 
 itself most intimately with the monarch who issued it; hence, 
 from these metallic records, we can often trace, not only 
 historical facts, but even the workings of men's minds ; at 
 least the results of their vices or virtues are frequently to 
 be detected in the silent testimonies they have left behind 
 them. As an instance, the history of few reigns offers such 
 varied numismatic illustrations as that of Mohammed bin 
 Tuglak. Amid the endless variety, and at times perfection 
 of execution, of his medals, we discover a register of all the 
 phases of his rule — his early wealth and profusion, his sub- 
 sequent poverty, and his despotic endeavour to meet it : 
 the one witnessed in the quantity and full weight of his 
 first coinage; succeeded, on the other hand, by the currency 
 of debased metal, ending in the issue of copper tokens 
 which he attempted to pass in lieu of silver. Next we note 
 his forced return to honesty and its consequent effect upon 
 his money; the religious scruples which overtook him in 
 743 A.H. are also evidenced in his coins, when, after having, 
 in imitation of his predecessors, barely recognised the exist- 
 ence of a Khalif, he is suddenly alarmed by doubts as to his 
 own right to the throne of Hindustan, unsupported as it 
 was by the sanction of a Commander of the faithful. Then, 
 not satisfied with acknowledging the spiritual supremacy of 
 a Khalif whose name was scarcely known, he at once (en- 
 tirely rejecting his own titles) stamps his currency with the 
 name of Al Mustakfi billah (the supposed Khalif of Egypt). 
 The medals of subsequent years indicate the recognition of 
 his title to the throne of Delhi by Al Abbas Ahmed the 
 successor of Al Mustakfi, 
 
 The period which our series of modal;? illustrates, extends 
 
from A.D. 1192 to 1554, three centuries and a half. During 
 tliis time, five dynasties, numbering in all forty kings, suc- 
 ceeded each other on the throne of Delhi. We are fortunate 
 in this period, following the exact point of Indian history 
 where Professor H. 11. Wilson closes his labors in his Ariana 
 Antiqua, he having, somewhat per saltum indeed, brought 
 down Indian numismatics from the time of Alexander the 
 Great to the commencement of the Patan rule in Hin- 
 dustan. 
 
 In the weight and device of the gold and silver coins of 
 the early Patau kings, but little variation is to be observed 
 from the commencement of the series until the reign of 
 Mohammed bin Tuglak the nineteenth sovereign on our list. 
 The gold coins up to this last date, judging from speci- 
 mens of the mintage of Balban and Mohammed Shah 
 were usually denominated ^^ Sicca, a die (a coin), 
 a word probably used only in the generic sense. The 
 greatest weight of the above pieces, is 172 grains; but 
 we have a Ghias ed din Tuglak as high as 173 grains. 
 The silver coins were termed l^\ Al-fazzat, the silver 
 (coin), and at times merely Sicca. The weight of these 
 ranges up to 173 grains. For both these classes of medals, 
 allowing for wear, we may fairly assume a mint issue of 174 
 grains. A curious description of coin now brings itself to 
 our notice, being a sort of medium currency between copper 
 and silver, composed, indeed, of a mixture of these two 
 metals. However objectionable this intermediate coinage 
 may appear in theory, there are many advantages to be con- 
 ceded to it in practice. In a poor country where great sub- 
 division of the currency was found necessary, it was a 
 manifest convenience to convert so small a mite of silver, 
 as ^j of a Dirhem (10-8 grains) into something tangible, 
 at the same time a pure copper representative of this sum 
 
would have been bulky and unmanageable. Under any 
 circumstances some proof of the advantage of this admixture 
 of metals, is to be found in the fact of its having continued 
 in use upwards of four centuries and a half, dating from 
 Anungpiil of Lahore, a.d. 1000, with whom this species of 
 coin seems to have originated, through the early Delhi 
 imitators of the Kabul coinage to the time of Behlol 
 Lodi, A.D. 1450. 
 
 These coins, like those of gold and silver of the same 
 kings, underwent but little change from the accession of 
 Mohammed bin Sam, to the time of Mohammed bin 
 Tuglak. They average, as will be seen from the weights 
 afhxed to each engraved specimen, from 52 to 56 grains : 
 of this, the native refiners calculate from 10 to 11 grains 
 to be silver. 
 
 The simple copper coins usually weigh 55 grains up to 
 the reign of Balban, whose copper pieces, and those of his 
 successors, rise as high as 66 and 67 grains. 
 
 Mubarik Shah adopted the square form for many of 
 his coins, without, however, varying the weights or values. 
 
 Mohammed bin Tuglak, in addition to debasing the 
 coinage in every possible way, and attempting to pass 
 copper tokens in lieu of silver money, seems from the 
 first to have altered the whole system of the currency in 
 a most unaccountable manner. On the one hand, we find 
 his early gold coins of the year 7'26, a.h. (denominated 
 Dinars), brought up to the weight of "200 grains, whereas his 
 silver coins of the same type, are let down from the old 
 standard of 174 grains, to 140 odd. His debased thick silver 
 Dirhems of the years 727, 28, 29, and 30, average, even in 
 nearly perfect specimens, only 139 grains. His small silver 
 Quarter-Dirhems, again, appear to have remained unaltered, 
 at least in point of weight ; while his brass and copper money, 
 
on the other hand, displays an endless variety of shape, 
 weight and device. Firuz III. reverted to the old standard 
 for his gold coinage, though the types and inscriptions vary 
 considerably. His debased silver, or silver and copper coins, 
 whichever we may take them to be, seem to have been imi- 
 tated from the thick silver money of Mohammed bin Tuglak, 
 and to have been continued by Firuz and his successors, but 
 little changed, either in weight or purity of metal, down to 
 Behlol Lodi, the thirty-third sultan on our list. We have 
 specimens of the silver coinage of Mohammed bin Firiiz 
 and Mahmud bin Mohammed, evincing, in their worn state, 
 a probable original mint-weight of the old 174 grains. It 
 is remarkable, considering the manifold coins of other metal, 
 of the fifteen kings who followed Mohammed bin Tuglak, that 
 are now extant, how very few silver medals of these princes 
 have as yet come to light. The copper coinage of the period 
 intervening between the reigns of Mohammed bin Tuglak 
 and Shir Shah, does not offer any change worthy of remark. 
 This last sovereign entirely remodelled the coinage of his 
 dominions: his silver money, now for the first time denomi- 
 nated rupee, is stated by James Prinsep to have weighed 
 11-1 mashas of 15*5 grains, i.e. 174'4 grains. This weight is, 
 however, easily proved to be too little, as Marsden has 
 already published rupees of this king rising from 177 to 178 
 grains. The coins also of Shir's immediate successors, Islam 
 and Adil, frequently vveigh as much as 176 and 177 grains. 
 Under these circumstances, and allowing for wear and loss 
 from other causes, we shall be justified in rating the weight 
 of these rupees, at the time of issue, at 178, if not at the full 
 tolah of 180 grains. Shir Shah's larger copper coinage runs 
 as high as 316 grains; and the smaller pieces average 150 
 and 40 grains respectively. 
 
 The present series, it will be seen, is very complete, being 
 
wanting in the coins of four kings only out of the forty. 
 The absence or non-existence of the money of these 
 monarchs is perhaps easily accounted for, and will be 
 noticed at large in its proper place. 
 
 By far the major part of this collection is as yet un- 
 published, and, with a view to avoid the imperfection which 
 omissions would cause, some few coins which have already 
 appeared have been re-produced : but in nearly every case 
 the engravings have been taken from originals other than 
 those hitherto made public. Closing this brief introductory 
 notice, it is proposed at once to proceed to describe the 
 medals themselves, prefixing to the whole a full list of the 
 Sultans and their dates of accession ; introducing subse- 
 quently in detail a transcript and translation of the Persian 
 inscription to be found on the coins of each succeeding 
 monarch, preceded by a short note of the most prominent 
 occurrences of the reign. 
 
LIST OF THE PATAN, AFGHAN OR GHORI SULTANS 
 OF HINDUSTAN (DELHI). 
 
 Date of Accession. No. of 
 King. ; 
 
 589 
 
 1193 
 
 602 
 
 1203 
 
 607 
 
 1210 
 
 — 
 
 1211 
 
 633 
 
 1236 
 
 634 
 
 , 
 
 637 
 
 1239 
 
 639 
 
 1241 
 
 644 
 
 1246 
 
 664 
 
 1266 
 
 685 
 
 1286 
 
 687 
 
 1288 
 
 695 
 
 1295 
 
 716 
 
 1316 
 
 717 
 
 1317 
 
 721 
 
 1321 
 
 725 
 
 1325 
 
 752 
 
 1351 
 
 790 
 
 1388 
 
 791 
 
 1389 
 
 793 
 
 1390 
 
 796 
 
 1394 
 
 797 
 
 1395 
 
 2 
 3 
 4 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 10 
 11 
 12 
 
 13 
 14 
 15 
 16 
 
 17 I 
 
 18 , 
 19 
 20 i 
 21 
 22 
 23 
 24 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 Muaz ud din, or Sbahab ud din Mohammed 
 
 bin Sam (1st Dynasty). 
 Kutb ud din Ibek. 
 Aram Shah bin Ibek. 
 Shums ud din Altumsh. 
 Rucku ud din Fiiu'iz Shah (Fin'iz L). 
 Sultan Reziah. 
 Muaz ud din Behram Sliah. 
 Ala ud din Masaud Shiih. 
 Nasir ud din Mahmud. 
 Ghias ud din Balban. 
 Muaz ud din Kaikobad. 
 Jellal ud din Firuz Shah (Firuz II.). (2nd 
 
 Dynasty, Khilji). 
 Rukn ud din Ibrahim. 
 Ala ud din Mohammed Shah. 
 Shahab ud din Umur. 
 Kutb ud din Mubarik Shah 1. 
 Nasir ud din Khusru. 
 
 (ihias ud din Tuirlak Shah (3rd Dy"; Tuglak). 
 Mohammed bin Tuglak. 
 Firuz Shah bin Salar Rajab (Fiiuz HI.). 
 Ghias ud din Tuglak Shah II. 
 Abubekir Shah. 
 
 Nasir ud din Mohammed Shah bin Firuz Shah. 
 Ala ud din Sekunder Shah (named Humayun). 
 Nasir ud din Mahmud Shah bin Mohammed 
 
 Shah (Timur, 800). 
 Nuserut Shah (Interregnum). Mahmud re- 
 stored 802. 
 
COINS OF THli 
 
 Dale of Accession 
 
 No. of 
 
 A.,.. 
 
 A.... 
 
 King 
 
 814 
 
 1412 
 
 27 
 
 817 
 
 1414 
 
 28 
 
 824 
 
 1421 
 
 29 
 
 839 
 
 1435 
 
 30 
 
 849 
 
 1444 
 
 31 
 
 854 
 
 1450 
 
 32 
 
 894 
 
 1488 
 
 33 
 
 923 
 
 1517 
 
 34 ! 
 
 937 
 
 1530 
 
 35 1 
 
 947 
 
 1540 
 
 36 ; 
 
 9o2 
 
 1545 
 
 37 j 
 
 960 
 
 1553 
 
 38 1 
 
 961 
 962 
 
 
 39 
 40 
 
 1554 
 
 Dauhit Khan Lodi. 
 
 Kliizr Khdn (4th Dvnastv, Svuds). 
 
 Miiaz ud din Miik'irik ShVih (11.). 
 
 Mohamniod Shah bui Ferid Slulh. 
 
 Alci ud din bin Mohammed. 
 
 Bfh'.ol Lodi (oth Dynasty, Lodi). 
 
 S^kimder bin Behlol. 
 
 Ii)rahini bin Sekunder (Baber, 930 ii.). 
 
 .Mohammed Humayun f Moghul). 
 
 Ferid ud din Shir Shah. 
 
 Islam Shah. 
 
 Mohammed Adil Shall. 
 
 Ibrahim Sur. 
 
 Sekunder Shah (lluniayiui, 962, then Akber). 
 
 Preliminary Note. 
 The sliorlit historical notices at the head of the medals 
 
 Ferishtah, have been inserted in the desire ol" avoiding con- 
 tinual references to histories of the time. In acknowledging 
 the use made of the works of Briggs and Elphinstone, we 
 cannot do better than refer to them for fuller details than 
 our space admits of. The list of kings, somewhat modified, 
 has been taken from the tables published by the Asiatic 
 Society of Bengal. The Ilijra dates have been retained 
 as being in themselves more appropriate to the subject, 
 and as affording a more direct correspondence with the 
 dates to be found on tlie coins. 
 
 It is to be noticed, in referring to the plates, that in the 
 present series of medals, in which the legends read from 
 right to left, the obverse face has been made to take the 
 place usually assigned to the reverse in engravings of 
 European coins. 
 
 The verv limited number of collections of the class of 
 
PATAN SLTLTANS OF IIIN DUSTA N. 
 
 coins here described does not admit of any attoinpt at 
 refinement in expressing the rarity of tlie ditrcrtMit spe- 
 cimens. The most common marks of C, R., V. R., 
 and Unique, have alone therefore been made use of, and 
 these only in reference to the more important medals. 
 
 Where an inscription has been restored in full, as in the 
 case of the legend on the outer circle of the obverse of 
 No. 1, the lines above serve to show the words which are to 
 be -found in the specimen engraved. 
 
 As an English translation of the titles of the kings woidd 
 interfere with the facility of identification of the individual, 
 who is often better known by his titular designation than by 
 his specific name, and as the strict English rendering of 
 these epithets themselves usually sounds inflated, and, in 
 many instances, absurd, it has been thought desirable to 
 avoid doing more than anglicising the original denomina- 
 tions. It may be sufficient to indicate generally that the 
 titles usually have reference to the religious and temporal 
 celebrity each king at the time of his accession hoped to 
 attain. 
 
 First King (a.h. 589— 602 ; a.d. 1193 — liOB). 
 
 Shahab ud din, or Muaz ud din Mohammed bin Sam, 
 known also by the title of Mohammed Ghori, the founder 
 of the Patau dynasty of Delhi, is first noticed in history on 
 the occasion of his appointment, in conjunction with his 
 brother, Ghias ud din, to the government of a province of 
 Ghor, by his uncle, the notorious Ala ud din, the destroyer 
 of Guzni. After the accession of Ghias ud din to the throne 
 of Ghor in 554 ii., Muaz ud din, acting as his general, 
 subdued Khorassan ; and, on the conquest of Guzni from 
 Khusru Malik, in 567, he was nominated to the govern- 
 ment of that country. From tliis time his incursions into 
 
4 COINS or THE 
 
 India comuicnced : in bl'l, he conquers Multan ; in 574, he 
 meets with a sanguinary defeat in an expedition against the 
 prince of Guzrat ; in 575, and in 580, Khusru, the last of 
 the Guznivedes, now king of Lahore, is assailed; and, at 
 length, in 58"2, subdued by stratagem. In 587, in a more 
 extended expedition into Hindustiin, Mohammed Ghori is 
 totally routed on the memorable field of Thanesur, by the 
 Chohan hero, Prithvi, rajah of Ajmir and Delhi. After two 
 years' repose, the disgrace of his defeat still burning within 
 him, he, on the self-satne battle ground, again encounters his 
 former conqueror, who is now supported by the whole force 
 of the country, the confederated armies of 150 princes. This 
 time victory favours the Ghoiians, and a hard-fought field 
 ends in the total discomfiture of the Indian host. By this 
 single victory the Mohammedans may be said to have be- 
 come the virtual masters of Hindustan. The ulterior 
 measures for the subjugation of the rest of the country 
 were of speedy accomplishment, and most of the later ad- 
 ditions to the Indian empire of INIohammed Ghori were 
 perfected by his quondam slave, subsequent representative 
 in Hindustan, and eventual successor on the throne of 
 Delhi, Kutb ud din Ibek. Ghias ud din, who had long 
 retained little beyond the title of a king, died in 600, h. ; 
 and, shortly afterwards, Muaz ud din was crowned in 
 form. An unsuccessful attempt at conquest in the north, 
 in itself attended by most disastrous consequences, was 
 succeeded by the revolt of the governors of Guzni and 
 Multan : this outbreak, however, was soon suppressed. In 
 602, Mohammed Ghori was slain in his tent, in the 
 centre of his own camp, by a band of his Indian subjects, 
 who thus avenged the loss they had sustained in the wars 
 he had inflicted upon their country. At the death of 
 Mohammed Ghori, the Mohammedan empire in India 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HIXDUSTAN. 5 
 
 extended generally over nearly the whole of Hindustan 
 Proper, Sindh, and Bengal. The sovereignty was, how- 
 ever, held by various tenures, and was most uncertain in 
 its internal geographical limits. 
 
 1. -Silver. 74 grs. V.R. a.ii. 596. {Prinsep Collection.) 
 Olv.— 
 
 ^I^ ^r^_s\\ Js. ij^\ J^W ^,,0^ ^--V^b c^y^j ^^J\ ci^^^ y» 
 
 R.~ 
 
 Translation. 
 
 Ohv. — It is he that sendeth his messenger, with guidance 
 and true faith, that he might exalt the (true) religion above 
 all, though the infidels be averse thereto. — There is no god 
 but God. Mohammed is the prophet of God ! The most 
 mighty sovereign, — Ghias ud dunia wa ud din, Abiilfateh. 
 — Mohammed bin Sam. 
 
 R.— This Dirhem (was) struck in the city of Ghazneh, in the 
 year Five hundred and ninety-six. — Al Nasir ledin illah.i 
 The mighty sovereign, Muaz — ud dunia wa ud din Abi'il 
 Muzafar. — Mohammed bin Sam. 
 
 2.— Silver. 68 grs. R. 
 Ohv.— 
 
 y\ ^.^^^\j IjjJljx^ ^^Jix^\ ^lUJl c^\ ^y^j .\^-c .d!l 
 
 The name of the khalif. 
 
6 coix.s OF Tirn 
 
 Margin. — 
 
 Margin. — .,4^ ^^1^11 i^ J * &c., same as No. 1, ohv. margin. 
 
 Translation. 
 
 Oir. — God. Mohammed is the prophet, of God. The mig-hly 
 Sultan, Muaz ud dmiia wa ud din, the victorious xMoham- 
 med bin Sam. 
 
 Margin. — This Dirhera (was) struck .... year . . and four 
 
 R. — God. There is no g-od but God. Al nasir billah. The most 
 mighty Sultan, Ghias ud dunia wa ud din, the victorious 
 Mohammed bin Sam. 
 
 Margin. — Same as No. I . 
 
 N.B. There is a gold coin in the Masson collection, weighing 
 99 grs., similar in size and shape to this silver Dirhem. It is in 
 bad preservation, and the inscriptions are scarcely legible. 
 
 The above coins in the joint names of Ghias and Muaz ud 
 din, bear testimony to the associated regal powers of the two 
 brothers. It is to be noticed, however, that the superlative 
 Jix 1] " The greatest," is applied to the one king, while 
 ^,Ux-< " Great," is all that is extended to the conqueror of 
 India. It will be observed from the coins which follow, that, 
 on the death of his brother, Muaz ud din took to himself 
 the superlative ^lii 1'^ 
 
 A more intricate question is, however, suggested by the 
 legends on these coins, in regard to the identity of Moham- 
 med bin Sam himself. It will be seen from the transcript 
 above given, that in one place is to be found the tifK> of 
 
I'ATAN SUI.TANS OF HINDUSTAN. / 
 
 Ghii'is u(l din, and in another the epithet of Muaz ud din, 
 each in conjunction with the name of Mohammed bin 
 Sam. 
 
 Up to the present time, Muaz ud din, otherwise in all 
 written history styled Shahab ud din, has invariably been 
 identified as Mohammed bin Sam, or Mohammed Ghori ; 
 but the inscriptions on our coins would indicate that if 
 Muaz ud din is Mohammed bin Sdin, so also is Ghius ud din. 
 
 The coins of Mahmud, the son of Ghias ud din, the 
 nephew and Afghan successor of Muaz ud din, distinctly 
 proclaim the king who issued them the son of Mohammed 
 bin Sam (vide foot of page 99). 
 
 The necessary inference from this evidence is that Ghias 
 ud din owned the name of Mohammed ; and as all are 
 prepared to admit Muaz ud din's claim to that designation, 
 there is nothing left but to conclude that both brothers 
 bore or assumed the generally favourite appellation of 
 Mohammed. 
 
 Should the legends of the medals themselves be con- 
 sidered as insufficient proof of the strength of the position 
 now assumed, it may be as well to advert to any readily 
 accessible u-ritten evidence which may serve to throw a light 
 on the question. 
 
 Price, in his Mohammedan History,^ on the authority of 
 the " Khalasut ul Akhbar," calls Ghias ud din, Mohammed 
 Lin Sam; leaving Shahab ud din undesignated beyond this 
 title, and an allusion to his parentage as derived from 
 Sam. 
 
 The accuracy of the translation of the passage referred to 
 is fully confirmed by a reference to an original MS. of the 
 Khalasut ul Akhbar in the Library of the Royal Asiatic 
 
 - \'ol. ii. p 405. 
 
8 COINS OF THE 
 
 Society;'' and llie correctness of the purport, of the text of 
 the work in question is directly ui)held and more fully 
 explained by the following passage from the llozsut us 
 Safa.-' 
 
 " And with the approbation of the nobles of that country 
 (he) placed Sultan Ghias ud din on the throne, l^rior to 
 his accession, Mohammed bin Sam was called Shunis 
 ud din, and his brother was designated Shahab ud din ; 
 (but) when he became king, he became eniiiled Ghias ud 
 din, and his brother was surnamed Aluaz ud d'lu.^' 
 
 The conclusion above suggested, if not entirely borne out, 
 is very strongly supported by the application of the designa- 
 tions of Mohammed to both brothers, in an earlier part of 
 the last mentioned work, on the first introductory notice 
 of their names on the occasion of their imprisonment by 
 Ala ud din. 
 
 3. — Silver. 71 grs. Ji. 
 Ob v.— 
 
 Margin. — ,»^ ^,_v!^ Ijjb <— ^^-i 
 
 ••* No. 101, MS. Catalogue. See also, Min'it al Alem, No. 55, 
 idem. 
 
 ** Mil- Kluiwand, known as Mirkhond. MS. Catalogue, No. 4S, 
 Library of the Asiatic Society. 
 

 
 PA TAN 
 
 SILT. 
 
 VNS or ] 
 
 II i: 
 
 R.- 
 
 _ 
 
 
 
 
 
 CT* 
 
 -r!'. 
 
 ,^^^ c^\ 
 
 ^,_s^^\.\\.^\ 
 
 J. 
 
 Marr/in. — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 .:^^o 
 
 k4^ 
 
 .-'.. 
 
 .' J 
 
 j.^c <dj^ :i^ All "i 
 
 Translation. 
 
 Obv. — The most mighty sovereign, Muaz ud dunia wa ud din, 
 
 The victorious Mohammed bin Siim. 
 M'xrcjin. — This Dirhem was struck . . . months . . 
 R. — There is no god but (iod. Al nasir le din illah, The 
 commander of the faithful. 
 Margin. — Imperfect, same as No. 1 ohv. margin. 
 
 A similar medal, in the possession of Dr. Swiney, has 
 the date 598. 
 
 The Guzni coins of the above class, in the sole name of 
 Muaz ud din Mohammed bin Sam, were most probably 
 issued after the death of Ghias ud din ; they are remarkable 
 in having apparently served as models, in point of form, for 
 the silver money of the succeeding kings of Delhi. 
 
 4. — Mixed copper and silver. 49 grs. R. 
 Ohv. — *L ijj jL^csr^ ^ ^^ ^'^U-J^ 
 
 The most mighty Sultan, Mohammed bin Sam. 
 R. — Horseman in outline, and ^ft ^i-{ | <^: SriHamirah 
 
 (Amirj.-^ 
 
 5. — Mixed Copper and Silver. 49 grs. 
 Obv. — Same as No. 4. 
 
 R. — Rude figure of a cavalier. 
 6. — Silver (impure). 4G grs. 
 
 The most mighty Sultan, The victorious Mohammed bin 
 Sam. 
 R. — The same as No. 5. 
 
 ^ A Devanagri abbreviation of the full Arabic title of Amir Al 
 
 Mominhi, The commander of the faithful. 
 
10 COINS OF THE 
 
 7. — Silver and Copper. 11. 
 
 8 — Silver and Copper. 46 grs. 
 
 9. — Silver and Copper. 49 grs. C. 
 
 Obv.—^J '^^^^ TIW Sa (Shah) Mahamad Same. 
 R._5f|- ^3:1^13: Sii Haniirah. 
 10. — Silver and Copper. 46 grs. C. 
 
 Obv.—'^'K'S{^ ^]f^ Mahamad Sami. 
 R. — Horseman. 
 Though not strictly to be classed among the coins of the 
 Mohammedan kings of India, it may not be inappropriate 
 to notice in this place, with reference to the title of Mo- 
 hummed bin Stim, the following unique unpublished medal 
 of Taj ud din ilduz, the governor of Guzni, who attempted 
 to throw off his allegiance on his master's defeat in 
 Kliwarizm. 
 
 This coin, in weight 96 grs., has on its obverse, i^'LL^H 
 jx^W The Sultan Al Muaz, in a small square area; and on 
 its broad nuirgin, the legend^. Lj.j.^ ^Ij \}^^ , s^ J,^U\ 
 ;jij Mt^^^^ 1 he royal servant and slave, Taj ud dunia wa 
 ud din Ihhiz. The reverse has the same inscription as 
 No. 3, but the date on tiie margin is unfortunately wanting. 
 The copper coins of this governor (who subsequently be- 
 came king of Guzni) are common, and a sjiecimen, struck 
 in the time of Mohammed bin Sam, may be referred to in 
 No. 18, pi. XX., Ariana Antiqua. 
 
 Before dismissing the subject of the coins of Mohammed 
 Ghori, a reference should be made to certain specimens of 
 what is known as the later Kaiiouj coinage bearing the 
 
I'ATAN :?ULT.\NS OF HINDUSTAN. 11 
 
 name of Mohammed bin Sam and Mir Mohammed Sam, 
 in Hindi. These medals are given in detail in Professor 
 Wilson's Ariana Antiqua (pi. xx., figs. 25, 26, 27, and 27 
 SLippl. pi.) It has not been thought necessary to rei)roduce 
 these coins in the present notice of the money of the PaUin 
 sidtans, as, from the absence of the names of any other 
 kings in our list, it is evident the medals in question were 
 merely a temporary continuation of the local mintage on 
 the first conquest of the country by the Mohammedans. 
 
 Second King (a.h. 602— 607 ; a.d. 1206— 1210). 
 From the actual accession of Kutb ud din Ibek, in 
 602 A.H., till his death in 607, with the exception of his 
 conquest of Guzni from Ilduz, and its subsequent loss, but 
 little worthy of note occurred; and the empire remained 
 much in the state to which he himself may be said to have 
 brought it prior to his investiture with the emblems of kingly 
 dignity by Mahmiid, the nephew and Afghdn successor*^ 
 of Mohammed Ghori. 
 
 Kutb ud din, while acting as viceroy for Mohammed bin 
 Slim, may be supposed to have issued the money of his 
 government in the name of his master. Nos. 8 and 9 bear 
 signs of being the produce of the Dellii mint, and are pro- 
 bably some of the coins produced under Kutb ud din's 
 auspices. The oriental reverence attaching to the right to 
 coin militates against an inference that Ibek struck no 
 •money in his own name ; at the same time, it is possible 
 that his experience in the realities of kingly power, before 
 
 ^ The copper money of this prince, in form and weight and 
 device, similar to the coin No. 4, bears the following legend : — 
 ^L ^J wVK^« ^,' uy^^ ^ 'i\ J'i^L^\ The most mighty 
 Sultan, Mahmud bin ivlohammcd bin Sam. 
 
12 COINS OF Tllli 
 
 he arrived at the nominal rank of an independent sovereign, 
 may have rendered him careless of the mere forms of 
 royalty ; among which last is most certainly to be classed 
 an issue of coin, for the sole purpose of proving the existence 
 of the power of coining. 
 
 The coin attributed by Marsden to this king is from the 
 mint of Kutb ud din Muhiirik. 
 
 TniuD King (a.ii. GOT; a.d. 1210— 1211). 
 Aram succeeded his father, Ibek ; but after a reign of 
 barely one year, during which he lost many of the provinces 
 of his kingdom, he was defeated and deposed by Altuuish, 
 at that tiine governor of Budaon. 
 
 11. — Copper. 54 grs. V.R. 
 
 Obv. — ^liaLult ili) *\y\ ,Ali*^^ "-'^ The victorious Aram 
 Shah, the Sultan. 
 R. — Rude figure of a cavalier. 
 
 12, — Copper. 
 Oir.— Idem. 
 
 Owing to the paucity of specimens (two only being 
 known), their bad preservation, and wretched execution, it 
 is difficult to feel assured of the correct attribution of the 
 above coins : suffice it to say, the identification is sanctioned 
 by all orientalists who have been consulted on the subject. 
 
 Fourth King (a.m. G07— 633 ; a.d. 121 1— 12.')6). 
 
 Shums ud din Altumsh, like Ibek, had originally been a 
 slave ; rising, however, to be general and son-in-law to his 
 master, he finally displaced that master's son. From his 
 accession, in 607, with the exception of his victory over 
 llduz, who was in possession of Guzni and other provinces, 
 
PAI'AN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 16 
 
 and an attempt to subdue his brother-in-law, Kubd Chah,7 
 king of Sindh, his reign was, for the time, comparatively 
 tranquil, and remained undisturbed even by the threat- 
 ened advance of the Moguls under Zengiz Khun. In 6-22 
 he finally overcame Kuba Chah, and re- attached Sindh 
 to the empire. During this year, the governor of Bengal 
 and Behar was brought to acknowledge the supremacy 
 of the monarch of Delhi, which had been disclaimed 
 by Baktiar Khilji since the death of Ibek. The sultan 
 was employed for the next six years in the subjection of 
 those portions of the country which had remained inde- 
 pendent, or, having been conquered, had revolted ; and, 
 before his death, Altumsh ruled over all Hindustan, with 
 the exception of some few insulated portions. The powers 
 of Mohammedan sultans, as rulers, as indeed those of all 
 lordships of Hindustan, from its earliest history, seem to 
 have been most indeterminate : at times, and in certain 
 districts, extending to absolute possession of soil and people 
 on the part of the king, and full and perfect subjection on 
 the part of the local governors and those they ruled over ; 
 liable however at any time to endless fluctuations, as the 
 strength of the sovereign, the turbulence of the governor, 
 or the spirit of independence of the people, rose or fell. In 
 other cases, allegiance reached only so far as a nominal 
 recognition of supremacy, or even a tacit abstinence from 
 denial of such ; suffice it to say, that among the multifarious 
 
 7 For coins of this prince, vide Ariana Antiqiia, fig. 19, pi. xx.; 
 Journal of the Asiatic Society, Bengal, vol. iv. figs. 47, 28, 29, 
 pi. xxxvii. The inscriptions on these pieces may be read as follows : 
 Nos. 19 and 47— Obv. ^^\AJi\ ^^^J ^j^W ^ \^^^\ ^\j 
 Nasir ud dunia wa ud din Kuba Cbah, a Sultan. R. — Horseman 
 and 5f(" ^5fpj^. And Nos. 28 and 29— Obv. The bull Nandi 
 and ^ chMN^T MHrll (Sri Kupacbaha Sultan). R.— 
 Same as Nos. 19 and 47. 
 
14 COINS or TIIK 
 
 tenures, and the many changes it was constantly liable to, 
 one general rule of absolute monarchy prevailed — that the 
 length of the sword was the limit of the sway. During the 
 course of Altumsh's reign, he received investiture from the 
 Khalif of Baghdad — a most important recognition to a 
 Mohammedan government, and one that is remarkable as 
 being the earliest notice taken by the court of Baghdad of 
 this new Indo-Mohammedan kingdom. Mohammed bin 
 Sam, though he adopted the titles of the khalifs on his coins, 
 did so probably not so much with reference to his Indian 
 kingdom as on the strength of being the successor to the 
 throne of Guzni; the monarchs of which dynasty had for 
 centuries been acknowledged as faith fid Mussulmans, and 
 their subjects considered as part of the flock of The Com- 
 mander of the Faithful. The Indian conquests constituted, 
 during the lifetime of Mohammed bin Sam, only a portion 
 of the whole Guzni empire. Shortly after his death, however, 
 when the Indian provinces were erected into a separate 
 kingdom, they ceased to have any dependence on the 
 rulers of the countries whence the race of their new kings 
 had come. Altumsh died in 634, and was succeeded by his 
 son. 
 
 13 — Silver. 164 grs. R. (Prhi.'iep Collection.)^ 
 
 ^'LLJl The most mighty Sultan, Shums iid dunia \va 
 ud din abi'il Muzuffir Altumsh, the Saltan. 
 
 ^ Neither Oriental authors nor Indian moncycrs scorn to have 
 had any very definite idea of the correct orthography of tlie name 
 of this king. Kasliid ud din, Mirkhond, and the aullior of the 
 Khalasut ul Akhbar, all differ slightly in their mode of spelling 
 this word ; and the masters of the Delhi mint will be seen to have 
 been as little particular. The indecision of these last is somewhat 
 to be excused, seeing the Turki origin of the title in question, 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF lUNDUSTAN. 15 
 
 .,^u,-c There is no god but God, Mohammed is the prophet 
 of (iod. Al Mustansir billah, the Commander of the 
 Faithful. 
 Murff. — jJU - - - jjJlUvJS h->/-^ 
 
 A second specimen (Lord Auckland's) has the same ob- 
 verse, but a different reverse, and the inscriptions on both 
 sides are in squares within circles. 
 
 R. — Area - - ^^j^<:y^\ ,-Lcl ^^.^aL^u^H aU 1] J*^ tJ 
 In the time of Al Mustansir, the Commander of the 
 Faithful. 
 Marff. — tt'UJL; ~ - - 'Ld>\\ ij)^ ^-^-^ 
 
 14._Silver. 53 grs. V.R. 
 
 06..-^ ^[?^f f^frffHi^f^ ^ l^tB Sri 
 Sultan Lititimisi sun, 1283 (Sumvut, 1283; A.ii. 623). 
 R — In circle, ^^^O.ji ^'kLull Sultan Aeltumsh. 
 15. — Silver and Copper. 48 grs. C. 
 
 06..-3T^nTrt Ti" ^wK^^ttrf^ ^^''^ ^"^ ^''^- 
 
 wuri sri SSmasoruldivi. 
 R-— ^ "Ml^iR^ Sri Chahar div. Horseman. 
 
 The clear cutting of the die of the above coin, and the 
 number of specimens of a similar character it is possible to 
 refer to,9 leave no doubt as to the correct reading of the 
 inscription on the obverse, Asawuri sri Srunasoraldivi. The 
 legend on the reverse however presents a slight difficulty, 
 incident to the transition state of the Devantigri alphabet, 
 in the initial letter of the name. It has been proposed to 
 read this as R or V; but the occurrence of both these con- 
 
 which, Col. Briggs has shown, was derived from the Tiirki word 
 i,l^\\ Sixty, at which number of Tomans our slave king was 
 heretofore purchased. 
 
 '•^ Ariana Antiqua, pi. xix., figs. 16, 31, 34,37. 
 
16 COINS OF THE 
 
 sonants in the latter part of the name itself, where they are 
 found differing in shape from the letter in question, makes 
 this rendering inadmissible. 
 
 In regard to the coin itself, there is reason to suppose 
 that it derives its origin from the mint of some Hindu 
 prince, as a reference to the Hindu creed seems to be 
 signified in the use of the word Asiiwuri, as well as by the 
 fact that coins having the same reverse are extant, bearing 
 the old Brahmanical name of Sri Samanta dev, in the place 
 here taken possession of by the title of Sri Shums ud din. 
 
 It may therefore be taken to be the sample of the money 
 of some Hindu ruler, who, ofice independent, became sub- 
 sequently subject to the arms or policy of Altumsh; the 
 emperor, in upholding the local sovereignty of his new 
 vassal, probably obliged him to acknowledge the supremacy 
 of his lord paramount, by inscribing the imperial titles on 
 the currency he was still allowed to issue. 
 
 The name of Chdhur dev is a known one in the family 
 of the last Hindu king of Delhi, and was borne by a brother 
 of Prithvi Rajah himself, as well as (if Abul Fazl is to be 
 trusted) by an immediate predecessor of this prince on the 
 throne of the Chohans at Ajniir. 
 16. — Silver and Copper. 48 grs. C. 
 
 Oii,._^HrlU| tfr ^^H<Cf Sultan sa srimasa Jin. Bull. 
 R. — 5^ 'S"A^ j i Sri Ilamlrah. Horseman. 
 17. — Silver and Copper. 46 grs. C. 
 
 Ohv.—jLA34\ ^^^s\\ J \^^s\\ (^M-^^f^ Shums ud dunia \va ud 
 din Aletumsh. 
 R. — Horseman and Sri Hamirah. 
 
 18.— Silver and Copper. 53 grs. C. 
 
 Obv.-JJ^\ J:^ ^o]l . Uj.!^ ^^ Shums ud 
 dunia \va ud din Aletumsh, the Sultan. 
 R. — Horseman and Sri Ilrunirah. 
 
rAl'AN' Sl'i.'IANS 1)1' IIINDr.M \N. 
 
 19.— Coppor. 26 grs. R. 
 Obv.—J[^\\ Tho Sultan. 
 
 R,_ tj^ Just. 
 
 20.— Copper. 24 grs. C. 
 
 OiiJ.— 'd=L: Jjcz Thejii>t Sultan. 
 
 R,, — ,lv^N ^^^> ^^^ (Stnck) at. the c.ipita!, Del 
 
 21.— Copper. '28 grs. R. 
 Oho. — ^u^.^J:^ Shunis. 
 
 17 
 
 22. — Copper. 2.5 1 grs. R. 
 The Just, 
 i Shums. 
 
 Ohv. — , \,xz The Just. 
 
 23. — Copper. 25i grs. 
 Obv.—J^jL^ Sultan. 
 1^.— ^'uJO^ Altumsh. 
 
 There is a silver coin in the Prinsep Cabinet, weighing 
 163 grs., inscribed: Ohv.— ^\ J^^, „w^., ^^]\ ^\ .•]] 'i 
 Rev.—^,^.,y.]\ ^^J ^^-x.^^ .1.1^, S^ d ^vhich will 
 ]n-obably be found to be a medal of Altumsh, struck on the 
 arrival of the diploma of the khalif, recognising the inde- 
 pendent Mohammedan empire of Delhi. In the absence 
 of aiiy name except that of the khalif, and in the total loss 
 of the marginal legends, it is of course impossible to decide 
 with certainty to whom this coin belongs. However, the 
 style, the shape of the letters, the khalif's title, and par- 
 ticidariy those titles standing alone, all justify the sup[)osition 
 regarding its origin which is now advanced. 
 I) 
 
18 ( »;1NS OF IHE 
 
 Fifth King (a.m. 0:53—0.34; a.d. 1237— 123s). 
 
 lluckn U(l din Firuz's iiniinpoitaiit rei^Mi ofsevcMi nioiiflis' 
 duration was tenninatod by the elevation of his sister, the 
 celebrated Re/iah. 
 
 24, 25, 26.— Copper. 55 and 42 yrs. V.It. 
 
 Obv.~J]^\ ^^ ^,l.^\ Jj ^ J'^J^ T1h> s;n-a! King, 
 Rukn ud din, son of tlic Sultan. 
 R. — Horseman. 
 
 For some time after their first discovery these coins were 
 attributed to Rezi'aii, and even now, assitrned as they are to 
 lluckn ud din, there is much doubt as to their due appro- 
 priation : the best specimens, however, favor the reading 
 now adopted, and show tiie ^j of Rukn pretty distinctly. 
 There is a difficulty in the shape of the ^^. (bin), which 
 looks more like c^^j (binut); but the form of the coins and 
 the tenor of the inscription dilTer so much from those of 
 i Reziah, the only woman of our series, that these reasons 
 alone would lead to a rejection of her claim to the money 
 i:i dispute. 
 
 Sixth Reign (a.ii. 034— 037; a.d. 1236— 1-239). 
 
 Sultan Reziah. This princess presents the remarkable 
 incident in Mohanmiedan history of a reigning queen ! 
 Ferishtah, speaking of her, says, "there was no fault to be 
 found with her but that she was a woman!" a most 
 orthodox Mohammedan sneer, and one unfortunately too 
 well justified in the present instance. Her capacity for 
 business, and her sufficiency to fill and adorn a throne, had 
 already been shown during the reign of her father, who, 
 when absent from Delhi, had left her in charge of his 
 
PATAN SULTAXS Ol' IIINDfST A N. 19 
 
 govcriiniont in preference to his sons. Nor did her early 
 conduct after her elevation disappoint the fair expectations 
 raised in her favor. The ability with which she dissolved the 
 army of an opposing faction, even after its victory over her 
 own forces, evinced aptitude in diplomacy of no mean order : 
 her civil and judicial administration was equally admirably 
 conducted : and, in short, she displayed all the qualities of 
 an able and just sovereign. All her high endowments, all 
 her achieved successes, were however destined to be sacri- 
 ficed to a woman's weakness, which seems to have been 
 reprobated more from the fact of the object of her attach- 
 ment being of low degree (an Abyssinian slave) than from 
 any supposed iiiq)ropriety in the mere act of an empress 
 loving. The objections taken by the nobles to her manifest 
 partiality to this person were brought to a crisis by her 
 elevating him to the dignity of Amir ul Amrah (chief of 
 the nobles). Open revolt ensued, which resulted in the 
 dethronement of the queen, who was made over for safe 
 custody to Altunia, one of the leaders of the insurrection, 
 and her brother, Behram, raised to the musnud in her 
 stead. Here again Reziah displayed her subtilty in per- 
 suading Altunia to marry her, and then readily induced 
 him to support her claims against his former confederates ; 
 which was so effectually done that it was not until after two 
 severe battles that she was finally made prisoner and put to 
 death. 
 
 '. — Silver. 165 grs. Unique. {Pr/nsep Collection.) 
 
 ,^.c ^W ^.cl i",-.c ,.,'kLuS^ The most mighty Sultan, 
 JelUilatud dunia wa ud din (the glory of the world and the 
 faith), the Quet-n, the daughter of the Sultan Altumsh, the 
 beloved of the connnander of the faithful. 
 
20 CUINfe (-F i illi 
 
 R. — Area - - ^-^^ y^W ^.<\ ^,:£u:,j^a\\ a\,<1\ ^.v^^ u> 
 In the time of the Imam Al Mustunsir, the commander of 
 the faithful. 
 
 Marg.— aJUJLj - - "Li^l^ 
 
 28 and 29.— Copper. 47 and 49 gis. V.R. 
 
 Obv.—^^\^ U All d.J, ^V\ J'^^\ The most mighty 
 Sultan, Reziah ud dunia wa ud din. 
 R. — Horseman and Sri Ilrimirali. 
 
 Up to the present time the term Reziuli has been looked 
 upon as implying a name and not a title ; the coins above 
 appear to demonstrate the contrary to be the fact: the silver 
 medal negatively, inasmuch as it does not give Reziah as a 
 name ; and the copper coins positively, in displaying the 
 Reziah joined to the ud dunia, &c. In a Persian MS. in the 
 Library of the Royal Asiatic Society, denominated "Tarikhi 
 Hind" (No. 123 of MS. Catalogue), she is also adverted to 
 under the title of ^^t.^^S^\ ^^j llezi ud din, without any 
 further attempt at designation. The meaning assigned to 
 ^^j is, satisfying. Her name may, therefore, be rendered, 
 The approved. 
 
 It will be remarked that the coins retain the Sultan in 
 the masculine gender, whereas all the rest of the Persian 
 inscription is duly preserved in the feminine: this curious 
 affectation of the superior sex in regard to her regal position, 
 strongly supports the account of Ferishtah, that " changing 
 her apparel" she "assumed the imperial robes." 
 
 Seventh King (a.h. 637—639 ; a.d. 1239 -1241). 
 
 The reign of Muaz ud din Behram Shaii, in duration 
 little more than two years, was marked during its con- 
 tinuance by the usual amount of intrigues, assassinaiions, 
 and mutinies common to an Eastern court under a weak 
 
PATAN SlTLTAiNS OF HINDUSTAN. 21 
 
 monarchy, and was finally brought to a close by the siege 
 of the capital by the vizir, and the subsequent imprison- 
 ment and murder of the sovereign. 
 
 A partial invasion of the north of India, by the Moghuls 
 of Zengiz Khan, took place during 639 ; they, however, 
 penetrated no further than Lahore. 
 
 30 and 31. — Silver and Copper mixed. 54 and 56 grs. V.R. 
 Ohv.—^^^_j,\\^ l\j]\^<,.^ .li^^^ J^iJi\ The most mighty 
 Sultan, Muaz ud dunia vva ud din. 
 R. — Horseman, and .Uri^Jl the Sultan. 
 32. — Silver and Copper mixed. Unique. 
 
 Oil'.— ^FT^JUT ^J JRT^fZ^* Bull and Sultan Sa( Shah) 
 Muvazadi'n. 
 R.— 5ft ^^X: Horseman and Sri Hamirah. 
 
 Eighth King (a. h. 639— 644; a.d. 1241— 1246). 
 
 The uncertainty of succession to Eastern thrones is pro- 
 minently displayed in the present instance, in the accession 
 of two kings in one day. Eiz ud din Ralbuni, a son-in-law 
 of Altumsh, supported by a faction, assumed the sovereignty 
 immediately on the decease of Behram; but, before night, 
 he was supplanted by Ala ud din Masaud, a son of Ilukn 
 ud din Firuz, upon whom the choice of the more influential 
 nobles had fallen. 
 
 The reign of this prince was marked by the occurrence 
 of two invasions of India by the Moghuls: in the one case, 
 they penetrated through Thibet into Bengal, where they 
 were met and defeated by the troops on the spot; in the 
 other instance, their approach from the West was checked 
 by the advance of the sidtan in person. A two years' rule, 
 otherwise remarkable only for the evil conduct of the 
 sovereign, closed with his imprisonment and death. 
 
Z'l C<;li\S OF TIM:: 
 
 A coin similar to No. 33, with the exception of the name 
 of the khalif, which indicates an earlier date. 
 
 ". — Co])per. 169 grs. V.R. 
 
 1^.— .^j.c ^\ ^<\ ^■:^\\ *U1 S^ si I" the time of 
 the Iniarn Al Mustansir, the coinmandi'r of the faithful. 
 N.B. Al .Mustansir died in 640 A.ii. 
 33.— Silver. 1G8 grs. V.R. 
 
 j^tlD-uJ^ .^' The mighty King, AUi ud dunia vva ud din. 
 
 The victorious Masaud Shall, the son of the King. 
 
 Manj. — - _ _ iAs>-Uu-<j - - ( ''-.i 
 
 R._Area - - ^.■^, ^\ ^,\ ^,^.,.^.^1 .U^l j^ J 
 
 In the time of the Imam Al Mustassem, the commander of 
 the faithful. 
 
 Marff. — .uUx^ J iJ^-Vj^ J -^^^ '^^ • • • Year 041. 
 34. — Silver and Copper. 50 grs. 
 
 Obv.—^sW J LisW Iz ^ 'i] ^lU'jl The mighty King, 
 Ala ud dunia wa ud din. 
 K. — i'Jlj Jbjiuw* Masiiud Shah. 
 
 35. — Copper. 49^ grs, 
 
 3(5. — Silver and Copper. 52 grs. 
 
 K. — Rude tigure of a horseman. 
 37. — Copper. 56 grs, 
 
 R. — Rude figure of a horseman. 
 
 38. — Copper and Silver. 4i gr.s. 
 
 0/;i,._3;|-^jf^(jy IJuU and Aladin, 
 
paian sl'ltaxs of hindistan. 'j.) 
 
 Ninth King (a.ii. 644— G6;3; a.d. 1-24 0—1-200). 
 
 The early part of the reign of Niisir ud din Maiiniud 
 has been I'endered celebrated by the acts of his vizir, 
 Balban; whose succesi^ful arraiigeii.cr;ts for the defence of 
 the frontier from the attacks of tlie Moghuls (the crying 
 evil of the day) were followed by measures equally efficient 
 for the internal security and consolidation of the empire, by 
 bringing under more perfect subjection many of the local 
 Hindu rajahs, who had been enabled to disclaim their alle- 
 giance during the preceding reign. The jealousy of the 
 sultan, consequent upon the great energy and influence of 
 his vizir, led to the dismissal of the latter; but the some- 
 what authoritative demand of many of the provincial go- 
 vernors necessitated his speedy restoration. The exemplary 
 private life of this monarch offers a strong contrast to the 
 results usually attendant upon the power of unlimited in- 
 dulgence incident to the occupation of an Asiatic throne. 
 
 39.— Silver. 170 grs. C. 
 
 Obv.-Avea ^y^.^^^],\y\ ^,^s\\j l:.s]\ ^^\j ^]^^\ ^,IULJ1 
 (^ly^J^ .^\ Date G8S h. The most mighty Sovereign 
 ^asir ud dunia wa ud din. The victorious Mahmud, the 
 son of the Sultan. 
 
 Both Obv. and Eev. margin. — ljI>J i^'^^^ ^^\ iS^ ^-rv-*^ 
 
 Aj\a-:^ » i^-^-^^^ c;^-* '^•^ li '^ '-'^ ^''^■"" (^""^"^ ^''^^) 
 struck at the capital, Delhi, in the year 658. 
 
 R. — Area - - ^,^yt]\ ^^\ **^jJ.„J.^ *Ul'l s^ J, 
 
 In the time of the Imam Al Mostassem, the commander of 
 the faithful. 
 
 40. — Silver and Copper. 61 grs. 
 
 Obv.—^^^sWj L:S\\ ^\^ ^\ J^l^\ The most mighty 
 Sovereign Nasir ud dunia wa ud din. 
 R. 5r|" ■^SfjT": J«^.^.>; Mahmud. Sri Hamirah. 
 
04 COINS OF TFIR 
 
 41. — Copper. ;'>4 grs. 
 
 0/.r.-^^.jJ^ ^ \^S\\ ^l- fi:^'i\ Jl^^\ The most mighty 
 Sovereign Nasir ud dunia wa ud din. 
 
 Tenth King (a.h. 664— 685; a.d. 12G6— 1>!8o). 
 
 Mahmud, leaving no male issue, the facile succession of 
 liis powerful vizir followed almost of necessity. Balban's 
 conduct after his elevation was not altogether in accordai:ce 
 with the promise of his behaviour while a minister. Once 
 a slave, now a king, the first endeavou) of his reign was to 
 destroy the very race of Turki bondmen among whom he 
 himself had lately been numbered. In his own altered 
 position, legitimacy was to become paramount. The in- 
 p.lienable succession of his own heirs was now to be secured. 
 The contingency under which he had risen was, for the 
 future, to be rendered impossible. To this end blood was 
 not spared ; and in this spirit the lives of his own near 
 relations were sacrificed with but little compunction. 'Ilie 
 severity also which led to the wholesale depopulation of a 
 province, albeit of bandits, attended by the slaughter of 
 100,000 human beings, was scarcely to be justified by a 
 plea of far more urgent expediency than can be advanced 
 in the instance in question. About this period, the disorder 
 of the neighbouring kingdoms consequent upon the invasion 
 of the Moghuls, drove the most illustrious n>en from all 
 quarters to seek refuge in India. There, were assembled 
 all the brightest ornaments of the Asiatic world ; and, at 
 their head, no less than fifteen sovereign princes. For a 
 time, the old Hindu capital became, as it were, the centre 
 of Mohammedanism ; and Delhi shone with a splendour 
 but little anticipated for it by its Muslim occupiers of a few 
 short years before. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 25 
 
 The unsparing rigour of the emperor secured his su- 
 premacy almost unquestioned throughout his long reign, 
 with the exception of the one serious revolt of Tugrul, the 
 governor of Bengal, who assumed the style and titles of 
 an independent king, and was successful in defeating two 
 several armies sent to subdue him. At length, the sultan 
 proceeded against him in person, and coming upon the 
 whole force of the rebels somewhat unexpectedly, he in a 
 dashing spirit of chivalry, though at the head of only forty 
 troopers, entered their camp at headlong speed, and struck 
 panic into his adversaries by his very rashness. In the pre- 
 cipitate flight which ensued, Tugrul was captured and slain. 
 Balban's loss of his eldest son, who fell in the hour of 
 victory, fighting against the enemies of his race, the 
 Moghuls, hastened the end for which, at the age of eighty, 
 nature must already have prepared the way ; and the em- 
 peror, in the language of his people, took the road to another 
 world. 
 
 b,_Gold. R. 169 grs. Date 678 h. (Marsden.) 
 
 Same type and legends as No. 42, with the exception of the 
 word ^1 in place of ii^W 
 42.— Silver. 168 grs. R. 
 
 ^^kUl The most mighty Sovereign, Gliias ud dunia wa 
 ud din. The victorious Balban, the SuUan. 
 ^.-~^,^..j^\^^\ ^,^<:,^\ ^U:il The Imam Al Mustasscm, 
 commander of the faithful. 
 Margin. — ^_^«---i ^ ^Ul' A;.^ d J-^^^ '^y'^=^- ^^^'^ -''-^■* ^y^ 
 d.'Ux<: . This silver (coin was) struck at the capital, Delhi, 
 in the year 678 H. 
 
 A change is to be noticed in the coins of Balban, in the 
 rejection of the words //' 2ihud, " in the time of," " under 
 
 E 
 
26 COINS OF THE 
 
 the auspices of," usually prefixed to the name of the khalif 
 on the medals of his predecessors. The last Abbasside 
 khalif, Mustassem, was put to death in 656 a.h., by the 
 Moghul conqueror of Baghdad, Hulaku Khan. It has been 
 the subject of remark, as an apparent inconsistency, that 
 Balban and other monarchs should have continued to em- 
 ploy the name of this martyr of their faith long subsequent 
 to his decease; its retention, however, may be considered 
 as appropriate, as it was clearly intentional ; pending the 
 appearance of an acknowledged successor to the throne of 
 I\Iohammed, no course could have been less open to 
 objection than a continuation of this simple record of the 
 last who had borne the mantle of the Prophet. 
 
 43. — Copper. 47^ grs. C. 
 
 ^^^'•— tJ:!^^J W'^' ^\^^ (^'^^ ^MJI The most mighty 
 Sovereign, Ghias ud dunia wa ud din. 
 
 R.—CeH/re^, Balban. Manj.-^l W^ '^^U^ ^ 
 Sri Sultan Ghius ud din. 
 44. — Copper. 67 grs. C. 
 
 Obv. — Jic "i] ,.^[]A*Ji\ The most mighty Sovereign. 
 R. — ^.t;;J^l^ « LjjJl ci_jLi Ghias ud dunia wa ud din. 
 45. — Copper. 26 grs. V.R. 
 
 Obv. — ^Li J J^ (The) just (coin of) Ghi;is. 
 II.— Jjij i-i .^'^ At the capital, Delhi. 
 
 Elevknth King (a.h. 685—687; a.d. 1286—1288). 
 
 Prior to the decease of his father, Bakarra Khan, then 
 governor of Bengal, had been disinherited from the suc- 
 cession to the throne of Delhi, and Kaikhusru, the sou of 
 his elder brother, Mohammed, had been nomiuatod in his- 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 27 
 
 Stead ; but the nobles present in the capital at the time of 
 the death of Balban superseded this last arrangenaent by 
 elevating Kaikobad, another grandson of the emperor, and 
 the son of Bakarra Khan himself. The governor of Bengal, 
 on receiving information of the state of matters at Delhi, 
 marched towards that metropolis for the purpose of asserting 
 his own right to the crown ; but being met on the way by the 
 army of his son, be returned to Bengal without any further 
 effort, leaving Kaikobad the now undisputed monarch of 
 Hindustan. The early part of this reign, conspicuous for 
 the dissipation of the king, and the influence and oppressive 
 conduct of the vizir, was marked by the foul and needless 
 massacre of the Moghul mercenaries in the service of the 
 state. The emperor's father, who had retained the king- 
 dom of Bengal, hearing of the position of thraldom to 
 which his son was reduced, by the domination of his vizir, 
 endeavoured to remedy the evil by warnings. Seeing tUese 
 of no effect, he moved an army towards the capital. The 
 son was not slow to meet him, and the two forces encamped 
 nearly in sight of each other. But Bakarra Khan, or, as 
 he had been called since the death of Balban, Nasir ud 
 din, finding himself inferior to the troops opposed to him, 
 and being unwilling to leave his son, as of old, in the power 
 of his minister, desired an interview, with the object of 
 endeavouring, by personal persuasion, to effect what written 
 remonstrances had failed to accomplish. 
 
 Under the advice of the vizir an audience was conceded, 
 but only on terms of the most abject humiliation possible 
 for the father. When, however, these came to be carried 
 out, and the meeting between father and son actually took 
 place, in the presence of the whole court, the supremacy of 
 nature had its way, and the son would now have humbled 
 himself even as he had been taught to humiliate his sire. 
 
28 COIN'S OF THE 
 
 The meeting ended in a recognition of the independence 
 of the kingdom of Bengal, but was useless for the purpose 
 for which it had been sought. The murder of the minister, 
 in 688, but little improved the now paralytic king's position; 
 he was only surrounded by new intriguers for power, the 
 competition for which ended in favour of Firiiz Khilji, 
 whose last step to the foot of the throne was over the corpse 
 of his predecessor; the small remains of whose life left little 
 to be done by his assassins. 
 
 46. — Silver. 168 grs. R. 
 
 ^lU-Jl Date, 687. The most mighty Sovereign, Muaz 
 ud dunia wa ud din. The victorious Kaikobad, the Sultan. 
 
 R. — .^;^ca^!^ ^,<:\ j,.,jzx-:,jj^\\ iol<'l\ The Im;im AlMustassem, 
 
 commander of the faithful. 
 
 ^l/«Cwj . This silver (coin was) struck at the capital, Delhi, 
 in the year 687. 
 
 47. — Silver and Copper. 54 grs. 
 
 Obv.—^,:_^y]\ ^ W'^^J-^ (^^^ ^IkU^ The most mighty 
 Sovereign, Muaz ud dunia wa ud din. 
 
 ^^■— jU.^ Kaikobad. 5ft ^F{?rt 3T:i3T^* Sri 
 
 Sultiin Mu-ujudin. 
 
 This word presents a curious instance of the difficulty of 
 expressing the sounds of certain letters of the Arabic alpha- 
 bet in the written Hindi language. There being no con- 
 sonant corresponding with the Arabic .-^ as used in J^c 
 the die-cutter, not satisfied with the J{"Z|~3T^5~t °^ ^^^^ P'"*^" 
 
 decessors, has apparently invented a letter for the occasioi), 
 composed of the final visarga (j) placed horizontally ; to 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 29 
 
 which has been attached the vowel o u; making the whole 
 something like Mu-o/aijudin. 
 
 48. — Copper. 51 grs. 
 
 Ohv.—^'i\ ^^}AJi\ The most mighty Sovereign, 
 1^' — iVJ>^^ J W*-^^ 7*-*= Mu'iz; ud diinia wa ud din. 
 49. — Copper. 39 grs. 
 
 ^^^^'^^y^^ J^^^ The just (coin of) Mnaz. 
 R.— ^Uj Cl^,.cd^. The capital, Delhi. 
 
 Twelfth King (a.h. 687—695; a.d. 1288—1295). 
 
 Firuz's accession does not appear to have been immediate 
 on the death of the late king, as native historians mention 
 the succession of Shums ud din Kai Kaus, a son of Kaikc- 
 bdd,s who is said to have reigned for three months and 
 some days, Ferishtah also, though he does not allow him 
 a separate reign, indirectly countenances the fact, in his 
 notice of the murder of this prince by Firuz, as an early act 
 towards the consolidation of his own power. 
 
 The seven years' domination over the destinies of Hin- 
 dustan of this, the first of the race of Khilji, notable, in 
 as far as the sovereign was concerned, only for his unwise 
 clemency, has been rendered remarkable by the extensive 
 campaigns of his nephew, Ala ud din; whose expedition 
 into the Dekhin — as successful as it was daring — was the 
 means of securing for this leader the enormous wealth which 
 enabled him first to rebel, and eventually to possess him- 
 self of the crown of Delhi. Intrigue, however, was found 
 more suitable than overt insuiTcction ; and, in a moment 
 of unwise confidence, Firuz ventured with but a slight 
 
 ^ See Aieu i Akhbcri and Miriil al Alem, &c. 
 
30 COINS OF THE 
 
 escort into the camp of liis deceiver, where he was assas- 
 sinated u'.der circumstances of more than usual atrocity. 
 
 50._Silver. 168grs. R. 
 
 Obv.-,\j,j,^'y^\y\ ^,^\j Uo^^ JV ^ J^^^ 
 . IkJl The most mighty Sovereign, Jclal url dunia wa ud 
 din. The victorious Firiiz Shah, the Sultan. 
 
 R. — Area ^^.^ y^\ ^^^.^ j^3C.^\ j*U^J^ 
 
 The Imim Al Mustassem, commander of the faithful. 
 
 ^^l*•x^ . This silver (coin was) struck at the capital, Delhi, 
 in the year 695. 
 
 51.— Silver. 52 grs. 
 
 Obv.—^,^\j LijJl ^l^ ^"i] ^lOJ^ The most mighty 
 Sovereign, Jelal ud dunia wa ud din. 
 R. — Centre ili j.^j Firi'iz Shuh, 
 Marg.-^: W^i -SlH |H(0* Sri Sullan J.ilaludin. 
 
 52. — Copper. 67 grs. 
 
 Oh,,.— V.r)]\ ^ILLJ\ The most mighty Sovereign, 
 
 R._ .ji^ J ^^^ iS^pr "^^^^^ "^ ^""'^ ^''^ "*^ ^'"• 
 
 53. — Copper. 29 grs. 
 
 Oiz;.— ili j.^'s Jj^ Just (coin of) Fin'iz Shrdi. 
 R. — \jsj ci^^iacr At the capital, Delhi. 
 
 There are certain coins similar in character to Nos. 16, 
 
 32, and 41, bearing the legend ^ ^M M (^ which pro- 
 bably should be attributed to this sultan ; but in the absence 
 of any means of identification beyond the mere title, and 
 adverting to the apparent discontinuance of the use of this 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 31 
 
 species of coin at tliis period, there may be some doubt as 
 to the possibility of the specimens in question belonging 
 either to Reziah or Jeliil ud din Khdrizm Shiih ; who, it is 
 to be remarked, held sovereignty in the Punjab, for a short 
 time, during the reign of Altumsh. 
 
 Thirteenth King (a.h. 695; a.d. 1295). 
 
 On the murder of his father, in the camp of Ala ud din, 
 Rukn ud din Ibrahim was elevated to the throne of Hin- 
 dustan. His party being in possession of the capital, gave 
 him a temporary existence as a king — a dignity which other- 
 wise, as a younger son and a minor, he was neither entitled 
 nor fitted to hold. Ala ud din, having already at his com- 
 mand a powerful army, and the booty of the Duckhun 
 supplying him with means of increasing his force to an 
 almost unlimited extent, had merely to advance to Delhi 
 to put an end to the rule of the boy king, whose safety was 
 for a time secured by a precipitate flight to Multiin. 
 
 54. — Silver. 167 grs. Unique. {Lord AucUand's Cabinet.) 
 
 . .' ^iy,^l\ The most mighty Sovereign, Rukn ud dunia 
 wa ud din. The victorious Ibrahim Shah, the SuUan, 
 son of — 
 
 R.-^J^^l ^j^^ ^,^vl^J y^sW Ji^ ^'^1\ JAJ^\ 
 
 ,,*u^y%^\ The most mighty Sultan, Jelal fud dunia wa ud 
 din, Firuz Shah, supporter of the commander of the 
 faithful. 
 
 Marc/. — ^_'f^' J ij^*'*^ ^^-^ 15^"^ '•"V*"^^^ ^i-^' ^AJb S-"*^ 
 c'oUu-; * This silver (coin was) -struck in the capital, 
 Delhi, in the year 695. 
 
32 COINS OF THE 
 
 55. — Copper. 52 grs. R. 
 
 Obv.- 
 
 -^,.j3^ . UJl Jj ^1'^ ^IkJi The most mighty 
 
 Sovereign, Rukn ud dunia wa ud din. 
 R. — ^{j;^ ; ; , ^\j^ i, j\ Ibrahim Shah, son of Firuz 
 Shah. ' 
 
 56. — Copper. 38 grs. R. 
 
 Oif.— ili ^i,y\ Jj^ Just (coin of) Ibrahim Shah, 
 R. — ili ;. -.i ^) son of Firiiz Shah. 
 
 Fourteenth King (a.h. 695 — 716; a. d. 1295 — 1316). 
 
 Ala ud din Mohammed Shah, the most energetic and 
 powerful of the Moslim monarchs who had yet swayed the 
 destinies of Hindustan, consolidated his authority after his 
 accession by means as little scrupulous as those which he 
 had used in its attainment. His own individual efforts to 
 this end were aided by the successes of his generals against 
 the last remaining stronghold of the family of Firuz in 
 Multdn, the repulse of a Moghul invasion in the Punjab, 
 and the reduction of the kingdom of Guzrat. In 698 a.h., 
 Northern India was desolated by another invasion of the 
 Moghuls : this time, the expedition being conducted with 
 skill, and supported by an overwhelming force, the assailants 
 met with but little effectual opposition till they reached the 
 gates of Delhi. Here, under the walls of his capital, the 
 sultan was forced to give them battle: "two such mighty 
 hosts had not before been arrayed against each other 
 since the day when the spears of Islam were first exalted 
 in Hindustan.' The conflict was not of long duration, 
 and victory declared itself in favor of the arms of Ala ud 
 din. The activity of the pursuit gave a lesson to the 
 invaders which sufliced for the time to carry them well out 
 of the country they had looked upon a? already concjuered. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. .'J3 
 
 " In the third year of Ala ud din, when prosperity shone 
 upon his arms, he began to form some extraordinary pro- 
 jects. One of these was the formation of a new system of 
 rehgion, that, like Mohammed, he might be held in venera- 
 tion by posterity. His other design was equally romantic. 
 He proposed to leave a viceroy in India, and, like the great ^ 
 Alexander, to undertake the conquest of the world. In 
 consequence of this project, he assumed the title of j^-.C; 
 ij\^\ Sekundcr al Scini, Alexander the Second, which was 
 struck upon the currency of the empire." ^ Fortunately for 
 the sultan, these crude schemes were submitted for approval 
 to one of his subjects, who was bold enough to point out 
 their absurdity even in the presence of the despot who had 
 originated them. Thus the monarch's eccentricities resulted 
 in no worse consequences than the assumption of certain 
 ridiculous titles still to be seen on his coinage ;'o indeed, the 
 opportune truths told on this occasion, as to what he had 
 yet to accomplish in the immediate circle of his own do- 
 minions, led to the confirmation and extension of his 
 already immense power. 
 
 A conspiracy, attended by an attempt at assassination, 
 from which the sultan escaped almost by a miracle, was 
 followed by an insurrection as singular in many of its cir- 
 cumstances. During his absence from his capital, a revo- 
 lution was accomplished, which actually placed a new 
 sovereign on the throne. A seven days' reign was, however, 
 all that was accorded to the new monarch, and his life and 
 the lives of not a few who had aided his temporary eleva- 
 tion, paid the penalty of their rashness. 
 
 Again, a third time, an inroad of the Moghuls threatened 
 the most serious results. The sultan, unable to meet his 
 
 ^ r3ow's Ferishtah, vol. i., page 234. 
 >o Vide Nos. 57 and 58. 
 
34 COINS OF THE 
 
 adversaries in the open field, allowed himself to be besieged 
 in his own capital ; once more, however, fortune favoured 
 him, and the Moghuls returned as they came. 
 
 Towards the latter part of this reign, the conquests of 
 the eunuch Kdfur, who commanded the army of the Du- 
 khun, enabled him to bring to Delhi the plunder acquired 
 during his various expeditions, to the almost unheard-of 
 extent of 96,000 maunds of gold alone, independent of 
 spoil of other descriptions to a proportionate amount. 
 
 Of Ala ud din's riches, generally, it is related that his 
 wealth surpassed the accumulations of the ten campaigns 
 of Mahniud of Ghazni. The closing scene of this monarch's 
 life was now approaching, and his last moments of pain 
 and debasement were rendered utterly unendurable to his 
 proud spirit by the repeated reports of insurrections which 
 began to rise up on all sides. The 16th of Shaval, 716 
 A.H., witnessed the last moments of this mighty king. 
 
 It is remarkable, that the existing money of this prince 
 should so directly bear out the relation of historians as to 
 his enormous wealth. Both his silver and gold coins are 
 found to this day in the greatest abundance; but the amount 
 of his gold coinage which is extant, is peculiarly noticeable 
 as regarding its relative proportion to the same species of 
 money of his predecessors, whose gold coins are so rare as 
 to be, with one exception, almost unknown. 
 
 «.— Gold. 170 grs. C. 
 
 Type and legend identical with No. 57 silver coin, with the 
 exception of the word t'wCu!' taking- the place of <,uii]\ 
 57.— Silver. 170 grs. C. 
 
 ^\1:LkA\ The most mighty sovereign, Ala ud dunia wa ud 
 din, Abiil Muzafar, Mohammed Shdh, the Sultan. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 35 
 
 R. — Area ^,<^^\ ^^\ ^\] 'i^\^\ ^j-^j ^jUll jJ^A^^j 
 Sekunder the second, right hand of the khalifat, supporter 
 of the commander of the faithful. 
 
 (OUjOwj • This silver (was) struck at the capital, Delhi, 
 in the year 712. 
 
 58, — Copper and Silver. 
 
 R. — Horseman, similar to No. 32. 
 59. — Silver and Copper. 55 grs. Date 702. 
 
 R- — v»r i^lLLJ^ i\ji j.^^«^i:lii4]l y_\ 
 60. — Copper. 55 grs. Date 710. 
 
 R. — Area iU j^^^ 
 
 The coins, Nos. 59 and 60, are remarkable as offering 
 the first instance in the present series of the general use of 
 numerals in recording dates ; it having been hitherto the 
 custom to vi'rite the numbers in the full length of their 
 respective Arabic denominations. 
 
 61. — Copper. 67 grs. 
 
 62.— Copper. 23 grs. 
 Obv. — iUj Jk^.^-« Jj^ 
 
 R- Jjfej ^^^. 
 
 In concluding this reference to the coins of Aid ud din, 
 
36 COINS OF THE 
 
 it may not be inappropriate to append the following note 
 from Ferishtah, on the currency of this particular period. 
 
 " In order to comprehend the true value of the money of that 
 day, it is proper to state that a tunka was equal to a tola in weight 
 (180 grs.), whether of gold or silver ; and a tunka of silver was 
 tiqual to 50 jetuls. The jetul was a small copper coin, the weight 
 of which is not now known : some conceive it was a tola, while 
 others are of opinion that the jetul, like the pice of the present 
 day, weighed | tola. The maund of the time of Jellal ud din 
 (Firuz) weighed 40 seers, and each seer weighed 24 tolas." — 
 Ferishtah. See Briggs, vol. i., page 361. 
 
 The following coin, in its date and near approximation 
 in type to those of the Delhi series, claims notice in this 
 place. Owing, however, to the absence of distinct his- 
 torical information regarding any individual, who, about 
 this period, obtained the title of Shums ud din Firuz, as 
 well as from the erasure of the place of mintage of the coin 
 itself, no satisfactory attribution can well be attempted; at 
 the same time, it may be suggested as possibly the pro- 
 duction of the temporary king of the city of Delhi, who for 
 seven days occupied the throne of his master, whose name 
 was Alawi, or Shah Nunni, but whose regal titles are un- 
 known ; or, it may belong to a Bengal mint, as the tenor 
 of the inscription on the reverse is unlike that employed 
 by Ala ud din himself, and assimilates closely to the form 
 found in use, immediately subsequent to this epoch, on the 
 coins of Ghicis ud din Bahadur Shah, of Bengal." 
 
 11 The subjoined extract from the " Travels of Ibn Batuta," 
 though in itself insufficient to justify a final conclusion on the 
 subject, gives weight to the sescond conjecture now advanced, in 
 affording in part a name similar to that recorded on the unattri- 
 buted piece, in immediate connexion with the country to which the 
 coin itself seems referable. This is not the place to attempt to 
 reconcile the conflicting statements of the various authors whoso 
 evidence is available, nor is the subject matter of the enquiry 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 37 
 
 Silver. 165 grs. 
 
 .jlLLJ^ il-i The most mighty sovereign, Shums ud 
 duuia wa ud din.Abul Muzafar Firuz Shtih, the Sultan. 
 lk.-^u,<yi\\ ^^\ ^^^x3^\ (*U 'i\ The Imam Al Mos- 
 
 tassem, commander of the faithful. 
 Man/.— J Jo^ tU-«j ^ - ~ <^L}y,d:^- d^^ i^i^ <-r^*i 
 tUU;0.*j This silver (was) struck at the capital, (?) in 
 the year 702. 
 
 Fifteenth King (a.h. 616—617; a.d. 1316—1317). 
 
 On the demise of Ala ud din, Kafur, who had long 
 possessed all real power in the state, set aside the more 
 
 sufficiently important in its relation to the numismatic history of 
 the kings of Delhi to justify a lengthened examination of the 
 whole question ; it is however to be noticed, that Ibn Batuta's 
 statement, in spite of its being that of a contemporary, is open to 
 considerable doubt, as the detail is somewhat inexplicable in itself. 
 It is affirmed by this author (page 116), that Nasir ud din, the 
 known governor of Bengal and son of Balban, died in 689 ; in the 
 following quotation it will be seen that this same governor of 
 Bengal and son of Balban is apparently represented as still living, 
 but is now entitled Shums ud din. One of two inferences is here 
 inevitable : either that Ferishtah and others, who extend the life 
 of Nasir ud din to the reign of Tuglak, have made two per- 
 sons into one, or that Ibn Batuta has made one into tvvo ; at the 
 same time, it is by no means improbable that one individual may 
 have been known by two different titles. 
 
 " The father himself (Ghias ud din Tuglak) then undertook an 
 expedition against the province of Luknouti, in which resided at 
 that time the sultan, Shams od din, son of Ghiath od din Ba- 
 laban : to whom had fled the Emirs of Toglik, as just mentioned. 
 About this time, however, Shams od din died, having first 
 bound his son, Shahab od din (by contract), who accordingly took 
 possession of the throne ; his younger brother, however, Ghiiith 
 od din Bahadur Biirah, overcame him, and seized upon the king- 
 dom." — Dr. Lees " Ibn Butata," page 128. 
 
38 COINS OF THE 
 
 mature sons of the late monarch to make way for Umur 
 Khan, a boy of seven years of age, Kafur himself assuming 
 the office of regent. But little time was allowed to elapse 
 before two of the brothers of the nominal sovereign were 
 deprived of sight, and the life of the third, Mubarik, at- 
 tempted by the agents of the regent. This prince, how- 
 ever, having found means to buy off his executioners, was 
 in his turn raised to supremacy by the death of Kafur, who 
 was killed by the officers of the foot guard, within thirty- 
 five days of his attainment of the office he so little deserved. 
 Mubarik, it is said, did not assume the title of king until 
 two months subsequent to this event, when his younger 
 brother, in the loss of his eyes, met the fate usually accorded 
 to those scions of the royal blood whom it was desirable to 
 incapacitate from reigning, but whose bare life it was thought 
 advisable to spare. 
 
 63._Silver and Copper. 54| grs. Unique. 
 
 Obv.—^^Si\ ^ \^^\ c-^l^i. ^ 'i\ J^lAJi] The most mighty 
 sovereign, Shahab ud dmiia wa ud din. 
 R.— vn ^-ILLJl il-i vKc -ili^^ j-'l Abul Muzafar Umur 
 Shah, the Sultan. 716. 
 
 Marsden adverts to three or four specimens of a silver 
 coin in the museum of the East India Company, bearing 
 the title of ^,^^ '-r'W-' which he considers as possibly be- 
 longing to Shahab ud din Umur: these coins are not at 
 present to be found. This, however, is the less a matter 
 of regret, as far as the present series is concerned ; as, from 
 the tenor of what Marsden has been able to decipher, 
 there is great reason to doubt the accuracy of the attribu- 
 tion suggested, and to suppose that the coins in question 
 must have been the produce of some Bengal mint of a 
 somewhat later period. 
 
patan sultans of hindustan. 39 
 
 Sixteenth King (a.h. 717—721 ; a.d. 1317—1321). 
 
 Mubarik, on proclaiming himself king, seemed deter- 
 mined that the means by which he had been elevated 
 should no longer exist to be used against himself; with 
 this intent, the officers who had assisted in the assassination 
 of Kafur were put to death ; and, at the same time, the 
 guard, hitherto under their command, was broken up. 
 Among many other slaves raised to offices of high rank by 
 the new monarch, one Khusru Khan, a converted Hindu, 
 who was invested with the office of vizir, is noticeable, as 
 having subsequently played a prominent part in the history 
 of the day. 
 
 Some of the early actions of Mubarik are mentioned 
 with commendation; but after little more than a twelve 
 months' reign, his real disposition began to display itself 
 in acts of the most unbridled licentiousness. 
 
 The favourite Khusru being appointed to the command 
 of the army in the Dukhun, and being successful in the 
 conquest of Malabar, returned to the capital loaded with 
 plunder ; and, at this time, the sultan's habits having well 
 prepared him to receive a master, Khusru made ready use 
 of the position in which he found himself, and on the 25th 
 of Rubbi ul Awul (third month), of 721 h., succeeded in 
 accomplishing the destruction of his sovereign. 
 
 <i_ — Gold. 165 grs. Similar to No. 65. Date wanting. {Prinsep 
 Cabinet. y^ 
 
 64.— Silver. 170 grs. V.R. 
 
 ^UaLJ^ ^' i^lkLJ^ ^Li The most mighty sovereign, 
 
 11 See also Fraehn, Num. Kufi. ex var. Museis selecti, Petropoli, 
 A.D. 1823, page 80. 
 
40 COINS OF THE 
 
 Kutb ud dunia wa ud din Abul Muzafar Muharik Sliah, 
 the Sultan, son of the Sultan. 
 
 Alexander of the age, right hand of the khalifat, supporter 
 of the commander of the faithful. 
 
 tuUjt-w: This silver (was) struck at the capital, Delhi, in 
 the year 717. 
 
 G5.— Silver. 169 grs. V.R. Square. 
 
 i\jiJj[^ ^^JilhytW y\ j^J.!! The most mighty Imam, 
 
 Khalif lord of the universe, Kutb ud dunia wa ud din, 
 Abul Muzafar Mubarik Shah — 
 
 R.—Area ^. ^^' ^ ^\ J^\j\\ ^IkLJl ^A J^\ 
 the Sultan, son of the Sultan, Al Wasik Billah, commander 
 of the faithful. 
 
 <uU*-^. This coin (was) struck at the capital, the seat of 
 the khalifat, in the year 718. 
 
 Whatever Ala ud din's designs in regard to new systems 
 of religion may have amounted to, it remained to his son to 
 disavow entirely the spiritual supremacy of all other klialifs 
 and successors of khaliis, and to appropriate that title to 
 himself. This is evidenced in coin No. 65, which displays 
 a simultaneous change from the comparatively humble 
 epithet of " Right hand of the khalifat," t*tc., in conjunc- 
 tion with the marginal record of " struck at the capital, 
 Delhi," to be found on the early coinage of the reign, to 
 the style and title of "The most mighty Imam," as a prefix 
 to Mubarik's self-a.ssumed sacerdotal designation of Al Wiisik 
 Billah, acconijianied by a marginal legend, showing that 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 
 
 41 
 
 Delhi in this change had arrived at the honors of a second 
 
 Bagdhad.>2 
 
 66. — Copper and Silver. 55 grs. Date 716. 
 
 R.— vM ^IkU^ ^ ^IkU^ iliijL* 
 The date on this coin of 716 a.h., would seem to show 
 that the time fixed by Ferishtah for Mubarik's accession, 
 viz. the 7th Miihurum, or the first Arabic month of 717, is 
 incorrect.i3 It is probable, however, that the author in 
 question may have adopted the day of the incarceration 
 of Umur, and the public avowal of his supercession by the 
 new sovereign, as the proper date of the commencement 
 of the reign, in preference to, or in ignorance of, the exact 
 period when supreme power was first assumed by Mubarik. 
 
 67. — Copper and Silver. 55 grs. Date 717. 
 
 R.— ^lUJ^ ^ ^UJl ^^j\^<^i^\\ ^\ 
 
 68. — Copper and Silver. 55 grs. 
 
 ^:J1^^^ 
 
 12 The following inscription, taken from a leaden cast of a 
 coin in the Prinsep collection, shows that this mutation took place 
 in the year 717. 
 Silver. Round. 717 h. 
 
 Obv.—^\]\ di-U^li^l y\ ^^^^\^\,:^\ *-J^ (Jic^J^ (♦U^l 
 
 '3 Dow's Ferishtah, vol. i., page 265. 
 G 
 
42 COINS OF THE 
 
 69. — Silver. 55 grs. Square. Date 718. 
 Obv.'— Margin J]h.4!i\ y\ tdlUi,A>- 
 
 Square area ^.^\ • LjjJ^ ^^^-^kii 
 
 70. — Copper and Silver. 56 grs. Square. Date 7'20. 
 Ohv. — Same legend as No. 67. 
 
 71. — Copper. Square. 66 grs. 
 
 R— ^.jJ\j L3jJ^ ^^• 
 
 72. — Copper. Square. 33 grs. 
 
 In terminating this notice of the money of Mubarik, it is 
 requisite to make a passing allusion to certain coins of 
 Behadur Shah, both in reference to the temporary sever- 
 ance of the eastern portion of the kingdom of Bengal from 
 the empire of Hindustan, as well as in the hope of elucidat- 
 ing the enquiry into the due identification of a piece but 
 little dissimilar in its general style and reverse legend, a 
 description of which is given in the note appended to the 
 detail of the coins of Ala ud din. The following extract 
 from Stewart's History of Bengal sufficiently explains the 
 circumstances under which this governor first began to coin 
 money : — 
 
 " The emperor (Ala ud din) at the same time appointed a chief, 
 named Behadur Khan, to the government of the eastern districts 
 of Bengal ; hoping, by thus dividing that province into two govern- 
 ments, to render it more subservient to the court of Delhi than it 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 43 
 
 had hitherto proved. The capital of the new government was fixed 
 at Sunergong,^^ 
 
 " But, in the year 717 h., when the dissolute prince, Mubarik 
 Shc4h, succeeded to the throne of Delhi, Behadur, despising the 
 weakness of the imperial councils, arrogated to himself inde- 
 pendence ; assuming the white umbrella, and ordering the coin 
 to be stamped with his own name, changing the title of Behadur 
 Khan to Behadur Shah." — Stewart's Bengal, page 79. 
 
 The newly erected kingdom thus created did not exist 
 for any considerable period, but was re-attached to Delhi 
 in the reign of Ghias ud din Tuglak. 
 
 These coins are by no means uncommon, but are of inferior 
 workmanship, and generally in imperfect preservation ; so 
 much so, that of the five or six specimens at present avail- 
 able for reference, the following legend is the most com- 
 plete attainable. 
 
 Silver. 169 grs. 
 
 - - ^ ^ ^IkUl ili 
 
 R. — Area ^:^y^\ ^.<\ A-<2*:i*u/»j' aU^i 
 
 Marg, ^^^J^ 4^^^^ ^-j 4 " '-"■^"'^^ ^^^ ^'^ ^^ 
 
 Seventeenth King (a.h. 721, IIubbi ul Awul ; 
 A.D. 1321). 
 
 Having succeeded in ridding himself of the single obstacle 
 to his own advance to supremacy, Khusru proclaimed him- 
 self sultan under the title of Nasir ud din, and endeavoured 
 to strengthen his hold on the rank he had assumed by the 
 massacre of all the survivors of the family of Ala ud din. 
 
 ^''^ Thirteen miles south-east from Dacca. 
 
44 COINS OF THE 
 
 He, at the same time, attempted to attach the nobles of 
 the court to his person by loading them with the titles 
 and dignities at his command. This system availed only 
 for a time; and the governor of the Punjab, advancing with 
 the forces of that province, put an end to the usurpation 
 which had endured somewhat less than five months. 
 
 73. — Silver. Unique. {Original in possession of Col. Stacy.) 
 
 The most mighty Sultan, Nasir ud dunia wa ud din Abul 
 Muzafar. 
 
 ^-.x^ yt.\\ Khusru Shah, the Sultan Al Wasik Khair al 
 
 Rehman (relying upon the goodness of the All-merciful), 
 successor to the commander of the faithful. 
 
 Marc/. — ^oUjc»~j J (ji.y'^ - - - s^\ ij^ '-r^^ 
 
 74. — Copper. {Lord Auckland.) 
 
 R. — Centre iLi . ^u^d- 
 
 Marff.^^^j^^_y^\ ^ J J J]=LJ\ 
 
 The only numeral visible on this coin is that which must 
 of necessity be taken to be the final figure of the annual 
 date.; This particular figure, looking to the then uncertain 
 method of formation, as noticeable on the coins of the 
 Patau kings immediately antecedent to the reign to which 
 this piece refers, may either be taken to represent a naught 
 or a five.'-* Accepting then the nearest proximate date, 
 concluding with either one or the other of these numerals, 
 it will be necessary to refer the issue of this coin to either 
 the year 720 or 725: as the sultan whose name it bears 
 is stated by historians to have attained power on the 25th 
 
 '•* Ex. gr. see coins 59 and 79. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 
 
 45 
 
 of the third month of 721 h. The former is naturally the 
 preferable date: in adopting it, but slight violence is done 
 to the probably accumulated errors of successive MS. 
 copyists, who have each in their day transcribed the history 
 of Hindustan from the 14th to the 19th century. 
 
 Eighteenth King (a.h. 721—725; a.d. 1321—1325). 
 
 On the 1st of Shaban, 721, Ghc4zi Beg Tuglak, the 
 governor of Lahore, who had relieved Delhi from the rule 
 of Khusru, entered the capital in triumph, and, appealing 
 to the people to choose their own sovereign, he was himself 
 elected by acclamation, receiving from the populace the 
 title of Shah Jehun (king of the world); which epithet, 
 however, he replaced by the more modest denomination of 
 Ghids uddin (defender of the faith). The early arrange- 
 ments for the peace and security of his dominions adopted 
 by the monarch thus elevated, fully justified the selection 
 of the citizens of the metropolis. 
 
 The second year of this reign was marked by the failure 
 of the army under Fukur ud din Junah, the heir apparent, 
 in an attempt to take Wurangol: to this succeeded a 
 somewhat calamitous retreat, which ended in the prince's 
 reaching Delhi with but a small remnant of the host by 
 whom he had once been supported. Little time, however, 
 was allowed to elapse before a more determined and better 
 organised effort against this place met with full success. 
 
 In 724, the emperor proceeded in person into Bengal: 
 here he received the allegiance of Nasir ud din, the son of 
 the sultan Balban ; who, from the date of his first appoint- 
 ment in 630 H., had, under various terms and with varied 
 boundaries, held the dependencies of this government, and 
 who had already outlived no less than eight of the sultans 
 
46 COINS OF THE 
 
 who had in turn attained the throne of Delhi. He was 
 now again confirmed in the charge of Western Bengal, 
 Tatar Khan, the sultan's adopted son, being entrusted 
 with the direction of die eastern portion of that king- 
 dom, where he succeeded in defeating and capturing the 
 rebel governor, Buhadur Shah. Ghias ud din, on his 
 return to Hindustan, was met by his son Junah, who had 
 been left as his representative in Delhi. During the course 
 of an entertainment, given in honor of the occasion, the 
 emperor was killed by the fall of a portion of a temporary 
 building, which had been hastily erected to receive him. 
 
 75.— Gold. 171 grs. V.R. 
 
 Obv.—^sW J UaII L^Ui cijUi^ ^i^\ ^^^ ^ILLJl 
 
 The sultan, the fortunate, the testifier, the Ghiizi, Ghias 
 ud dunia wa ud din. 
 
 R.—Area vrt .OliyJ AW j\j\ i\jlAk'J y-^W y} Abul Mu- 
 zafarTughlak Shah. May God illumine his testimony. 721. 
 
 Marg. — Jsj_U*-w«j _j ^.,A^ ~ ~ ^^^\ ^'-^^ '^y'^ 
 
 This coin was struck - - (in) seven hundred and 
 twenty- . 
 
 76,_Gold. 173 grs. R. 
 
 Obv.— }^\ jj\ ^_jJljLjjJ\ Ci;Ui i_fj\^\ ^lkJ\ The 
 sultan, the Ghazi, Ghias ud dunia wa ud din Abiil Mu- 
 zafar. 
 R. — Area ^:^^yt}i\ ^^\ ^Jj ^h^W ^r^, ^'\t]\ ^,xS^ 
 Alexander the Second, right hand of the khalifat, sup- 
 porter of the commander of the faithful. 
 
 Marg. — - - W iA> '-r^j^ 
 
 77.— Silver. 170 grs. R. 
 
 Obv.-y]h^\\ y\ ^isW J lJSi\ ^U ojUll JiALw 
 
 \k. — Area ^^.^y^W ^•c\ y^\^' ^^^lAJJ^\ iLi jd*l' 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 47 
 
 Marg. — ^vi^ ^^^■^^ ''^^ ^ y^^."^ '^^^- ^'^^'^ ^'^ ^y^ 
 <wUjt-wj * This coin (was) struck at the fortress of Deogir, 
 in the year 721. 
 
 78. — Silver. 170 gvs. R. A similar coin struck at Delhi in 724, 
 
 R. — Marg. ^ ^j\ di--j ^ ij^'-^ ^y^^' ^^^^ "^'^■^ '^y^ 
 
 79. — Silver and copper. 54 grs. 
 
 Obv. — vre ^^^jJl ^ LjjJ^ ^^^ ^J^^ J^^\ 
 R. — Area sl^ jdjt3 
 
 80. — Silver and copper. 55 grs. C. 
 
 Ohv.—^_^\^ l:,^\ cjU ^jUll ^ILLJl 
 
 R.— vri ^ly^^ ili, J^J^^\ ^\ 
 81.— Copper. 53 grs. R. 
 
 R.— i'Ub 
 Nineteenth King (a.h. 725 — 752; a.d. 1325 — 1351). 
 
 On the death of his father, Fukur ud din Jiinah, other- 
 wise called Aluf Khan, ascended the throne of Delhi under 
 the title of Mohammed bin Tuglak. The epoch of this 
 accession has been rendered notable by the immense sums 
 which were lavished by the new monarch with almost 
 unexampled profusion. Mohammed Tuglak's personal 
 acquirements are described by the writers of the day in the 
 most laudatory terms: he was, at the same time, the most 
 eloquent and accomplished prince of his time ; his letters, 
 both in Persian and Ai'abic, have been since regarded as 
 models of such compositions: in brief, he was "one of the 
 wonders of the age in which he lived." The only failing 
 
48 COINS OF THE 
 
 he was as yet discovered to possess, was " a want of mercy." 
 In 7-27, Hindustdn was invaded by the Moghul Turmush- 
 rin Khtin : the emperor, unable to oppose him, was forced 
 to buy off the Gaul with almost the price of the kingdom 
 he wished to save. About this time, Mohanmied Tuglak 
 turned his attention to the reduction of the countries to 
 the southward of his own dominions, and succeeded so 
 eflfectually, that many valuable provinces were as fully "in- 
 corporated with the empire as the villages in the vicinity of 
 Delhi :" he also subdued the whole Carnatic to the ex- 
 tremities of the Dukhun, from sea to sea; but, in the con- 
 vulsions which shortly afterwards shook the kingdom, all 
 these new acquisitions, with the single exception of Guznit, 
 were again lost. The principal causes of the disturbances 
 here alluded to, were, the heavy taxes, the issue of copper 
 money as the representative of silver, and the enrolment of 
 the enormous armies which the emperor's schemes of con- 
 quest rendered necessary. The year 738 witnessed the 
 first preparatory expedition towards the visionary project 
 of his conquest of China: in the history of the same 
 year is to be recorded the fact, that of the 100,000 men 
 despatched upon this insensate attempt, scarcely a man 
 returned to Delhi. Shortly after this, his still more in- 
 fatuated design of removing the capital and its denizens 
 from Delhi to Deogir, took possession of the sultan's mind: 
 men, women and children, with all belonging to them, were 
 to be transported to the new metropolis; trees, even, were 
 to be made subject to the will of the despot, and, torn up 
 by their roots and replanted on the road to the new capital, 
 they were to furnish shade to the wayfarers who were 
 destined to compose the population of the king-created 
 city. Absolute force seems to have prevailed : its effects, 
 however, were but transitory; for, at the end of two years, 
 
PATAN SULTANS OP HINDUSTAN. 49 
 
 it was found necessary to renew this strange transporta- 
 tion; and Delhi, the much-loved home of many, was once 
 again left desolate.^* In fit keeping with these mad acts, 
 was the absolute hunting of human beings, recorded against 
 this monarch. 
 
 With the exception of the erection of an independent 
 Mohammedan state in the Dukhun under Hussun Gungo 
 (the foundation of the subsequently powerful dynasty of 
 the Bahmani kings of Kalbarga), the still varied tenor of 
 the remaining eleven years of Mohammed Tuglak's do- 
 mination does not offer any points of sufficient prominence 
 to claim record in these brief notes. 
 
 82.— Gold. 200 grs. R. 
 
 I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I testify 
 that Mohammed is his servant and apostle. 
 
 R. — Area ^[\A^\ ^l-i LX.i..5r« e;'*^^^ '-VW C^V^ 
 
 The confiding in the benignity of the Merciful, Mohammed 
 Shah, the sultan. 
 
 Marff. — ^j:\J^ * l::---^ 'U-j Jj&J i^<Jj^. jUj^jJI U\J& c_^ 
 tuU*— J This dinar was'struck at the capital, Delhi, (in 
 the) year 726. 
 
 ^* The following account of Ibn Batuta, who was in part an 
 eye-witness of the transactions referred to, will give some idea of 
 the horrors perpetrated in carrying out this edict : — 
 
 " Upon this they all went out ; but his servants finding a blind 
 man in one of the houses, and a bed-ridden one in another, the 
 emperor commanded the bed-ridden man to be projected from a 
 balista (j*:.^i^l\ S), and the blind one to be dragged by his 
 feet to Dawlatabadi which is at the distance of ten days, and 
 he was so dragged ; but his limbs dropping off by the way, only 
 one of his legs was brought to the place intended, and was then 
 thrown into it : for the order had been that they should go to 
 this place. When I entered Delhi it was almost a desert." 
 
 H 
 
50 COINS OF THE 
 
 8:3.— Gold. 137 grs. V.R. 
 
 Struck ill the time of the servant, trusting in the mercy 
 of God, Mohammed son of Tughlak. 
 
 K.— Centre AW J^^, J^^. ^^\ 'i\ <.^\ 'i There is no god 
 but God, Mohammed is the apostle of God. 
 
 Marg.—j e.</-^ -? '^^ '^^ 4 lS^"^ i^:^- J:js\\ \s> 
 djU-v-J This dinar, at the capital, Delhi, in the year 7'27. 
 
 84.— Gold. 171 grs. R. 
 
 Ohv.— \ ^\ ^U ^\ c'i^j God is the rich, and ye (are) 
 the poor. 
 R.— Centre jU3 ^j J.-*<sr< J^ J I" the reign of Mo- 
 hammed, son of Tughlak. 
 Manj.-^\.,j^ J ^'Jj ^ ^^^ ^c^ Jj,J -iyS^ At the 
 capital, Delhi, year 736 
 
 85.— Gold. 167 grs. R. 
 
 'SjSa^^j {^x:j\) ^j\ j This dinar of the Delhi kha- 
 lifat was struck in the months of the year 7412. 
 
 ^iL^ cOJ\ J.U- ^U-L= jr^^J^ In the time of the 
 ImAm, Al Mostakfi Billah, commander of the faithful, 
 Abul Rubi SulimJin, may God perpetuate his khalifat. 
 
 86.— Gold. 171 grs, R. 
 
 Ohv.—^\j A\^\ ^^^.^y^W ^<\ j»Ul ^Icj 4 In the 
 time of the Imdm, commander of the faithful, Al Hakim 
 Beamur. 
 
 R.— <\$Xc ji>- cV,4>r:-^ (j^V-^^ yi} '^\ Illal" A^"^ Abbas 
 Ahmud. may his reign endure. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 51 
 
 The subjoined extract gives the details of Mohammed 
 Tuglak's doubts and difficulties, arising out of the want of 
 due sacerdotal confinnation of the title by which he held 
 his throne. 
 
 A.H. 743. " The king, at this time, took it into his head that i 
 all the calamities of his reign proceeded from his not having been ', 
 confirmed on his throne by the Abassy Caliph. He, therefore, ', 
 despatched presents and ambassadors to Arabia [Egypt, Afarsden], 
 and caused the caliph's name, in place of his own, to be struck on 
 all the current coin, and prohibited his own name from being in- 
 cluded at public worship in the mosques till the caUph's confirma- 
 tion arrived. In the year 744, a holy person, of the race of the 
 prophet, named Hajy Sayeed Hoormozy [Sirsirri, Dow and Mars- 
 deii], returned with the ambassador, and brought a letter from 
 the caliph and a royal dress. The caliph's envoy was met twelve 
 miles outside the city by the king in person, who advanced to 
 receive him on foot, put the letter of the caliph upon his head, and 
 opened it with great solemnity and respect. When he returned 
 into the city, he ordered a grand festival to be made, and caused 
 the public prayers to be said in all the mosques, striking out every 
 king's name from the Khootba who had not been confirmed. 
 Among the number of those degraded monarchs was the king's own 
 fatheft He even carried his fancy so far as to cause the caliph's j 
 name to appear on all his robes and furniture." '•* 
 
 The accuracy of the general tenor of this episode in the 
 annals of the reign of Mohammed Tuglak, is sufficiently 
 
 ^•1 This quotation is taken from Brigg's Translation of Ferishtah. 
 It is here adopted in preference to the version given by Marsden, 
 which is undoubtedly more satisfactory, as it appears in its English 
 form, in respect to its explanations of the geographical part of the 
 subject to which it refers, than either the rejected interpretation 
 of Dow or the more trustworthy version of Briggs ; but as the 
 object, in these cases, is to reproduce accurately the literal ex- 
 pressions of any author quoted, and not in any vvay to accept an 
 amended MS., or to bend the original text to suit present know- 
 ledge, the appended passage is quoted as offering the most exact 
 counterpart of the Persian original now available ; the simple point 
 at issue being to select the translator to whose MS. text the 
 greatest confidence is due. 
 
52 COINS OF THE 
 
 attested by coins Nos. 85, 95, 100, and Nos 86, 110, 111 ; 
 the former of which bear the simple record of the name of 
 the supposed Egyptian khalif, Al Mostakfi Billah, and the 
 dates, 742, 743, accompanied, in one instance, by a notifi- 
 cation of issue from the Delhi mini. The remaining three 
 coins are in like manner superscribed by the sole denomina- 
 tion of AI Abbds Ahmed, the actual recognised khalif of 
 Egypt, and (in two out of the three specimens) are dated 748. 
 The following is a list of the Egyptian khalifs : — 
 
 ^aii.,^y^^>dUb^.^;-;..^n i 
 
 nauguratcd 
 
 1 639 
 
 j.^\^\^\y\ diii^b jiiLt 
 
 „ 
 
 660 
 
 ^uu ^;\ .A dUb j^z^\ 
 
 „ 
 
 701 
 
 " ^\^\ .djG J^J>\ 
 
 ,j 
 
 740 
 
 ,c(-.,nO ^ X*^\ u-Ul y\ ^l^b j^lLl 1 
 
 proclaimed 
 
 741 
 
 Jjy\ cdJb ,v.-;^\ 
 
 „ 
 
 753 
 
 J.<K^ c^\j^^\ <^\J^ J^^\ i 
 
 naugurated 
 
 1 763 
 
 ^ ^^\ J:\^\ 
 
 " 
 
 785 
 
 kjj ^Ij^ ^\, ^.^^^\ 
 
 " 
 
 788 
 
 (restored) J^y^W 
 
 „ 
 
 791 
 
 (^^L^l J^\ y\ ^JJb ^^^.oo^n 
 
 „ 
 
 808 
 
 J^J^iil y\ AjJb a.^.'tV^ 
 
 M 
 
 816 
 
 ^UL: ^^J\ y\ ^b ^;S:^.^\ 
 
 M 
 
 845 
 
 ij^^ \^\^\ ddi^b j^^Ull 
 
 » 
 
 855 
 
 ^L.y ^,A^^\\ y\ All .\^v: ^W 
 
 M 
 
 859 
 
 jij^^S^ ^^\J^ jr^n 
 
 M 
 
 884 
 
 ^y^^\y\ A]jb ;i,c«.«j^\ 
 
 .» 
 
 893 
 
 c-^yL*.; ^' 0-*^ dU^^U J^yX^ 
 
 doubtful. 
 
 The date on coin No. 85, viz. 742, together with that of 
 741, discovered on a similar coin by Professor Fraeiin, 
 indicate that the period fixed by Eerishlah for the de- 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDirSTAN. 53 
 
 velopment of Mohammed Tuglak's religious doubts should 
 be antedated by two years. 
 
 87. — Silver. 141 grs. V.R. Obverse and reverse areas bear 
 the same legends as the gold coin No. 82. 
 
 R. — Mar<j. ^ fj^^-^S- <!c^ ^Jsb^ V""^^^^ J"^*'^ ^"^ '^"^ 
 tbUcs-^- . ^'^- This" t/i/i (was) struck at the capital, 
 Delhi, in the year 725, 
 88. — Silver (much alloyed). 140 grs. C. 
 
 Obv. — ^ j^^Ksr^ '^^ 'i^^j ^.5^!/^ ^■^^ ^V "^ ^'"^ 
 
 Struck in the time of the" servant, trusting in the mercy of 
 God, Mohammed, son of — 
 
 R. . ^jJiS- » i.i^'t'J ^~J ^^-i ij^ "^ij*^^' u^X^Jl j^lL^J) 
 
 djUx-«^ The sultan, the fortunate, the testifier, Tughlak 
 Shah. Year 728. 
 
 89 — A somewhat similar coin. 136 grs." Dated 730. V.R. The 
 workmanship, however, is much inferior to that of No. 88. 
 
 In referring to the early profusion of Mohammed Tuglak, 
 and the enormous sums he is reported to have squandered 
 in gifts and pensions, Ferishtah incidentally alludes to the 
 intrinsic value of the money of this monarch, affirming that 
 — " Nizam ud din Ahmed Bukshy, surprised at the vast sums 
 stated by historians to have been lavished by this prince, 
 ! took the trouble to ascertain, from authentic records, that 
 these tunkas were of the silver currency of the day, in which 
 was amalgamated a great deal of alloy, so that each tunka 
 only exchanged for sixteen copper pice" (making a tunka 
 worth only about 4(1 instead of '2s.). — Briggs. 
 
 The main facts of this statement are readily seen to be 
 correct, in the very composition of sundry specimens of the 
 money of Mohammed Tuglak (sec coins 88, 89). Though 
 
54 COINS OF THE 
 
 Ferishtah luis been unfortunate in accusing this sultan ot 
 making use of debased coin in almost the first transaction 
 of his reign, for even supposing the subsequently adopted 
 system of adulteration to have commenced thus early (which 
 there are stringent reasons for doubting), it could have sup- 
 plied but a small quota of the enormous amount reported to 
 have been bestowed on this occasion, viz. £2,133,324. 
 Mohammed Tuglak's predecessors too, judging from the 
 invariably pure specimens of their mintages which have 
 survived to contribute their testimony to the point, must be 
 fully exonerated from any charge of debasing the coinage; 
 so that, although Mohammed Tuglak is accused, and justly 
 so, of various frauds u{)on the circulating medium of his 
 dominions, the reduction of the value of his early largesses 
 by one-fourth is not authorised by the medallic evidence 
 now cited. 
 
 90.— Silver. 169 grs. V.R. 
 
 Obv. — Sides Lc , ,'.flc ^,ix ,L>^\ Abubckr Umur, Usnuiii. 
 
 UH. "^ ' ^ 
 
 Area—i".!:, jU3 ^.' J^^,c di!^ ^.^ J -''■^U'<>J^ The la- 
 bourer in the road of God, Mohammed bin Tughlak Slu'ih. 
 
 91. — Silver, small coin. 56 grs. C. 
 
 92. — Silver, small coin. 52 grs. 
 H. — vr il^lJiLt." ,." »\^.5;.« 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 55 
 
 93. — Silver, small coin. 55 grs. C. 
 
 Obv. — <dJ Julaxll . t^SX*!^ Dominion and greatness are of 
 God. 
 R. — vrr j^kj Sa-:^^ LJ^l^^ "^"^ (T^^^^) servant, the trust- 
 ing, Mohammed Tughlak. 732. 
 94._Silver, small coin. C. 733. 
 
 95.— Silver. 55 grs. V.R. 
 
 Obv.— - - 4 ^JJ^diJ^ Vicegerent of God in . . . 
 R._vir ^\j a<r:;,,,^n Al Mustakfi BiUah. 743. 
 96. — Brass. 136 grs. R. Doulutabad. 730 a.h. 
 
 Obv. — j]jc d>yt^-< j\»S^r-c\ ^^^i J^j}j j'^ '^'^\ '^ ^-^yi^ 
 (This piece) was struck (as) a current coin, in the time of 
 the servant, hopeful (of divine mercy), Mohammed Tuglak. 
 
 He who obeys the king, truly he obeys the Merciful (God). 
 
 Marg. — ^ x.:::isJb - ? - JLj jIj1l::--1jl> il/L::--:sr jJ 
 At the "royal residence (capital), Doulutabad, year . . . 
 Seven hundred (and) thirty. 
 
 Had Mohammed Tuglak been at all conversant with the 
 modern history of his day, he would probably have hesitated 
 in attempting so radical a change as the introduction of a 
 representative currency, when a similar experiment had 
 but a short time previously (693, h.) been the subject of 
 signal failure in a kingdom not far removed from his own 
 boundaries. Kai Khatou Khan, the Moghul emperor of 
 Persia, had in like manner adopted ideas on the subject 
 from the Chinese, and endeavoured, by the aid of a 
 carefully organised system, and a simultaneous issue of the 
 
56 COINS OF THE 
 
 new notes in the various provinces of his dominions, to 
 enforce the circulation of paper money- The dissatisfac- 
 tion arising from the measure soon became general, and 
 the inhabitants of the capital (Tabriz) rising as one man, 
 somewhat summarily secured the abrogation of the "Tchao" 
 edict : moreover, the ill-feeling engendered by its temporary 
 experience went far towards the subsequent overthrow of 
 the monarch himself. The following translation of the 
 account of the transaction, which forms the immediate 
 subject of reference, given from the Tubkat Akhberi, is 
 adopted as entering into a more comprehensive detail of 
 the circumstances attendant on this singular episode in the 
 history of Indian finance, than the relation to be found in 
 Ferishtah, which is somewhat unconnected in itself, and 
 appears to confound into one act the separate features of 
 debasing the coinage on the one hand, and the issue of an 
 avowed copper representative of the more precious metals 
 on the other. Ferishtah's narration may be consulted in 
 the translations of Dow and Briggs, vol.i , pp. 282 and 414 
 respectively. 
 
 " The sultan's means did not suffice to satisfy his desires : to 
 gain his ends, therefore, he created a copper currency, ordering 
 coins of that metal to be struck in his mint, after the manner of 
 gold and silver ; he then ordained that this copper money should 
 pass current as gold and silver, and so should be used in all com- 
 mercial transactions. The Hindus brought large quantities of 
 copper to the mint and had it coined, and so made for themselves 
 enormous profits ; and purchasing goods, and exporting them to 
 other countries, received in exchange gold and silver money. 
 Goldsmiths also manufactured coins in their own houses, and 
 passed them in the bazaars. After some time, things came to 
 such a pass, that, at distant places, the sultan's edict was not ob- 
 served, and the people took the king's coins only at their intrinsic 
 value in copper, and speculators brought them thence to those 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 57 
 
 parts of the country wlicre the order remained in force, and there 
 exchanged them for gold and silver. In this way the copper 
 currency became by degrees so redundant, that, all at once, it 
 utterly lost credit and was regarded as mere rubbish, while gold 
 and silver became even more precious than before, and commerce 
 was entirely deranged. When the sultan saw that his measure 
 had failed, and that he could not, even by punishment, bring the 
 whole population to obedience, he issued a decree, ordaining that 
 every one who had a royal coin might bring it to the treasury and 
 receive in exchange a gold or silver coin of the old stamp. ^■'' He 
 thought by this means to restore his copper currency to credit, so 
 that it might be again accepted in exchanges; but the copper 
 money which had been accumulated in people's houses and thrown 
 on one side as worthless, was immediately collected and brought 
 to the treasury to be exchanged for gold and silver coin ; and the 
 copper tokens still remained as little current as before, while all 
 the royal treasuries were emptied, and general financial ruin fell 
 upon the whole kingdom." — Fide Persian 318., TubMf, Akhheri, 
 East India House. 
 
 Many circumstances concur, in demonstrating that the 
 class of coins of which Nos. 96, 97, 98 and 99, are speci- 
 mens, formed part of the money issued on this peculiar 
 occasion. The causes which lead to this conclusion may 
 be briefly enumerated as follows : — 1st. The similarity in 
 weight observable between these coins and the impure 
 silver pieces (Nos. 88, 89) whose place they were seemingly 
 intended to supply : an approximation, it is to be remarked, 
 which does not occur in the previous examples of the silver 
 and copper coinage of this series. 2nd. The shape, which 
 is in a degree assimilated to the assumed prototype ; and — 
 3rd. The intrinsic novelty, likewise now for the first time 
 noticeable in the use of brass as a material for coinage. 
 But beyond these minor reasons, there remains the con- 
 chisive one of the internal evidence borne by the legends 
 
 IS Mirat al Alem has ,; ^Cj 
 
 I 
 
id COINS OF THE 
 
 Oil the coins themselves, as seen in tlie use, in the one case, 
 of the term, " struck as current money," and, in the other, 
 of an inscription fixing the relative value of the piece im- 
 pressed : intimations unsanctioned by custom, and, which 
 it is needless to say, a full intrinsic metallic value would 
 have rendered superfluous. 
 
 It is probable that many other coins, composed of a 
 j similar admixture of metals, and bearing legends in a 
 i measure appropriate to the occasion, constituted a portion 
 lof the forced currency of Mohammed Tuglak ; it may be 
 advisable to advert concisely to each in detail. As regards 
 No. 100, the identity of date and metal, accompanied by 
 the retention of a portion of the same legend as No. 96, 
 sufficiently indicates that a similar object attended the 
 mintage of both. In the case of No. 101, the two first of 
 these points of similarity equally exist, and the inscriptions 
 in themselves counsel due obedience to the sovereign, who, 
 in the issue of the money, thus heavily tried the sub-- 
 servience of his subjects. The signs of agreement with 
 the adopted sample of this representative coinage, to be 
 detected in Nos. 102 and 103 are less prominent, and are 
 confined to a coincidence in date and metal : however, on 
 the supposition that in a comprehensive scheme, such as 
 the present is shown to have been, it would have been 
 necessary to provide proportionate substitutes for the 
 smaller silver pieces ; the specimens now cited, may fairly 
 claim admittance into the series under review. Nos. 104 
 and 105, under different forms of inscription to those em- 
 ployed on other coins of the class, bear full signs of their 
 definite purpose, and in their respective record of J-'^- 
 " current," " lawful," and ^y^ " legal," amply manifest 
 the design with which they were produced. 
 
 The dates on these coins arc sufTioientlv in unison with 
 
PATAN SULTANS Ol' HINDUSTAN. 59 
 
 the information to be gathered from written history, not to 
 militate in any way against the validity of the opinion now 
 advanced, as to the occasion to which the money in question 
 owes its origin. The evidence of Indian authors, however, 
 as to the exact time at which the first issue of brass tokens 
 took place, or as to the period during which this Substitute 
 system remained in force, is greatly deficient ; and the 
 several narratives of the Tubkat Akhberi, the Mirat al 
 Alem, and the chronicles of Ferishtah, all fail in this 
 respect: from the coins themselves, therefore, must be 
 sought an elucidation of these doubtful points. 
 
 It will be seen that the brass coins already classed under 
 the head of Mohammed Tuglak's forced currency, uniformly 
 bear one of three dates, either 730, 731, or 732: the first 
 of these is to be found on full six-tenths of the whole of the 
 very numerous specimens available for reference; next in 
 order of abundance is to be seen the annual date of 731; 
 and, lastly, the number 732 is but rarely met with: imply- 
 ing, if such testimony is trustworthy, a very extensive 
 fabrication during the first, and, apparently commencing 
 year, sufficiently supported during the second, and followed 
 by a remarkable diminution in the issue of the third year. 
 It may be assumed, therefore, that 730 a.m., witnessed the 
 first vigorous effort at the introduction of the new currency, 
 well sustained during 731, and failing entirely in 732. The 
 limitation here assigned to the survival of this Indian 
 adaptation of the Chinese Tchao system, is curiously sup- 
 ported both in the negative as well as direct evidence, 
 deducible from the real money of Mohammed Tuglak. The 
 ample materials at command, admit of the abundant and 
 unbroken numismatic illustration of each of the first thirteen 
 years of the reign of this prince, of the dated coins thus 
 capable of being cited, scarcely a solitary instance of either 
 
00 COINS OF THE 
 
 gold or silver money occurs bearing the dates 730 or 731.'^ 
 It has been already shown that the brass money was manu- 
 factured only during 730, 731, and part of 732 ; and, to com- 
 plete the chain and fill up the years both initiative and con- 
 clusive of this financial change, the silver coins, Nos. 89 and 
 93, may be quoted as bearing respectively the annual dates of 
 730 and 732. Hence, as far as may be judged from pre- 
 sent proofs, it would appear that, during the continuance 
 of the decree giving effect to the forced currency, but 
 few, if any, gold or silver coins were fabricated at either the 
 Delhi or Doulattibad mints ; and that as its introduction 
 had been attended by a discontinuance of the use of precious 
 metals, so the withdrawal of the ordinance is simultaneously 
 marked, by a reappearance of a due proportionate amount 
 the usual circulating medium. 
 
 97.— Brass. 139 grs. V.C. Delhi, 731 a.h, 
 Obv. — Similar legend to No. 96. 
 
 R. — Area, legend as above, No. 90. 
 Marff. — (JjC> ^ w\.».2:xij^ - - JU ^b>J .^1/l:^.>^jJ 
 
 98.— Brass. K. Delhi, 732 a.h.'" 
 Similar to No. 97, with ^j .^- Ju3:iii> 
 
 ^^ There is one silver coin, and one only, in the present collec- 
 tion, similar in type to No. 94, but of very debased metal ; the 
 date on which may possibly be read 731. The inscription is im- 
 perfectly executed, and the word j^-^1 if such it be, is so peculiarly 
 formed that it can scarcely be relied on as representing that 
 number. 
 
 '^ Many specimens of the coins described under Nos. 90, 97, 98, 
 bear very distinct signs of being the ))roduction of dies other than 
 those in use at the royal mints, and are probably some of the for- 
 geries alluded to in llie extract from the Tubkiit Akhberl. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 61 
 
 99.— Brass. 138 grs. V.Ii. Doulutabad, 732 a.h. B.M.'^ 
 
 iLti Struck as a piece of fifty kanis,'^ in the time of the 
 servant, hopeful fof divine mercy), Mohammed Tughlak. 
 R. — Area, as No. 96. 
 Marg.—j - - JL jU Cul^J il/ CI-^^J 
 
 100.— Brass. 112 grs. V.C. 
 
 Obv.—.r. j^^^^ J\^U\ ^\^, 
 
 He who obeys the king, Mohammed, 730 — 
 
 Truly he obeys the Merciful, Tughlak. 
 101. — Brass. 112 grs. C. Date 730. 
 
 Obey God, and obey the Prophet, and those (who are) in 
 authority among you (4th chap. Koran), Mohammed, 730. 
 
 R— jl^ U^ ^ ^wUl J^ J]^\ ^^ 
 
 Sovereignty is not conferred upon every man, (but) some 
 (are placed over) others, Tughlak. 
 
 102. — Brass, 66 grs. C. 
 
 103. — Brass. 55 srrs. 
 
 1^ The value of the pretended exactitude of Ferishtah's dates is 
 somewhat shaken by the coins Nos. 96 and 99. The former of 
 which proves most obviously that Dcogir had become the roi/cil 
 city of DonliUabad in the year 730, whereas Ferishtah expressly 
 assigns this intitulation to the year 739. See Briggs and Dow, 
 A. 11. 739. 
 
 '" Kani, probably the "jetul" of Ferishtah, see ante, page 36, 
 
62 COINS OF TFIF. 
 
 104.— Brass. 74 grs. U. 
 R. — Centre jjjtj J^^^c 
 
 105.— Brass. 84 grs. V.R. 
 
 Struck (as) a legal dirhem, in the time of the servant Mo- 
 hammed bin Tughlak. 
 
 At the seat of Islamism, in the year 730. 
 
 106.— Brass. 82 grs. R. 
 Obv. as No. 106. 
 
 R.— AjU-v-' » ^^'j^ cU>-; 4 J^"^ l'"^^ ^* *^^ capital, 
 Delhi, in the year 730. 
 
 107.— Copper. 33 grs. V.K. 
 
 Obv. — dU 'i\x{\ . ujXiJl Dominion and glory are of God. 
 
 R. — Centre ^^Uj Sa^^ 
 
 Marg.—^Jt ^ X^i^si^ - - JL 
 
 ?32. 
 
 -0 The second letter of ,; has been restored. The word • 
 
 assuming it to be such, seems to have been used in this instance 
 in its generic sense of money, rather than in its distinguishing 
 meaning of gold : the brass representatives of the gold dinars have 
 vet to be brought to light. 
 
 ^' The in Mohamad is expressed in what is now known as 
 the Bengali form of that vowel. 
 
 ^=^ The i. in ^J:l\ is assumed from other and clearer spe- 
 cimens of the coin than that which appears in the plate, which has 
 been selected for the engraver, from its aifording a more general 
 outline of the whole legend than other pieces of the same class. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OT HINDUSTAN. 63 
 
 108.— Copper. 68 gn. 
 
 Ol,v.—.^\ J]if ^y^C2\ The sultan, shadow of God. 
 R.— ii.liU; ^' A^s^c Mohammed bin Tuglak Shah. 
 109. — Silver and copper mixed. 132 grs. U. 
 
 obv.-^ii\ ^u A:z^'i\ ^v<:i\ 
 
 R. — Centre ^..:.,c^i^^^ ailb ^^yi^jw.^]^ 
 Mar(j. illegible. 
 
 110.— Copper. 1-28 grs. R. 748 A. h. 
 
 R. — ■ x*^s>-\ ^'^^■^\ y} 
 
 111.— Brass. 55 grs. V.R. 
 
 Legend and date similar to No. 109. 
 
 TwKNTiETH King (a. h. 752— 790; a.d. 1351—1388). 
 
 On the 27ih of Muhuiruin, 752, Hindustan was relieved 
 from the capricious rule of Mohammed bin Tuglak, and the 
 vacant throne was filled by his cousin, Firuz. In 754, the 
 new monarch attempted to i-educe Haji Ilias, who had 
 thrown off his allegiance to the house of Delhi, and assumed 
 regal honors as sovereign of Bengal and Behar : the em- 
 peror was, however, able to accon)plish little or nothing 
 towai'ds the subjection of his revolted subject; and, not 
 long afterwards, the kingdom of Bengal became effectively 
 independent, in 755, Firuz commenced the first of those 
 magnificent public works which have perpetuated his name, 
 while those of far mightier kings have been forgotten: the 
 remains of many of these undertakings are still to be seen. 
 
64 COINS OF THi: 
 
 scattered, in no scant proportion, over the face of northern 
 Hindustan : indeed, in the original bed of a canal, first ex- 
 cavated by this monarch, at this day flow the waters of the 
 Jumna, which irrigate the surrounding country, from the 
 foot of the Sewalik, to Hissar; and a more modern branch 
 from which supplies the present denizens of the once 
 imperial city of Delhi. 
 
 Fruitful in solid benefits to his subjects and succeeding 
 generations, the long and prosperous reign of Firuz has 
 afforded but slight materials for the historian : hence Fe- 
 rishtah's narrative of his rule is almost confined to the 
 enumeration of the roads, wells, canals, etc., which, to this 
 time, in bearing the name of Firuz, have, as yet, scarce 
 needed a chronicler. 
 
 In the year 789, the sultan, suffering from the increasing 
 infirmities incident to his advanced age, associated his son, 
 Nasir ud din, in the government of the empire ; and, from 
 this time, the public prayers were recited in the joint names 
 of father and son. The arrangement thus completed was 
 but of brief duration : a revolt in the capital resulted in the 
 flight of the prince and the reassumption of regal power by 
 the father; who, however, again as quickly resigned it to a 
 grandson, Ghiiis ud din, son of Futteh Khan, who finally 
 succeeded to the empire on the decease of Firuz, which 
 event took place in 790. 
 
 112.— Gold. lG7gTs. U. (B. M.) 
 Oil'.— ^.iy,^< i\J:,j»^^ ^^>^j, J^'^' j^\j 
 
 Confiding in the benignity of God, the royal Firuz Shah. 
 
 clCc Cl^jd^i. This coin was struck in the time of the 
 Imam .\l)i'il Abhas Almiod. May his sovereignty endure 
 
PATAN SULTANS OT HINDUSTAN. 65 
 
 113.— Gold. 170 gis. (B. M.) 
 
 d^c CLJJo.>- ..jLLJ^ The most mighty sultan, sword of 
 the commander of the faithful, Abul Muzafar Fin'iz Shah, 
 the sultan. May his reign be prolonged, 
 
 K. — cuilld- c:_;w\lrL ^■s.kW ^A ^^:..<yi}^\ ^^\ *l^'i\ ^Icj J, 
 
 In the time of the Imam, commander of the faithful, Abul 
 Fatch. May his khalifat endure. 
 
 Marg. — JoU.v**j » ^^ - - ^sT. dLJ\ i3>J^ '-^^y-»^ 
 
 The assumption by Firuz, at this particular juncture, of 
 the title of Seif Amir Al Mominin, as connected with the 
 simultaneous recognition of the new Egyptian khalif, Abul 
 Fateh Abubekir, who had only lately attained pontifical 
 honors, seems to indicate that the title in question was the 
 one conferred upon the former on the occasion of his in- 
 vestiture with the dress of honor, which was received at the 
 court of Delhi in 757. 
 
 114.— Gold. 167 grs. Small coin. Date 788. 
 Obv. — iLi j^^3 ^IkLj 
 
 R. — VAA .^:,^».4,)' ^,ol 1 ^y 
 
 115. — Silver and copper mixed. 141 grs. Date 77.'?. 
 
 R._vvr ^c^l^ jj^ ^rrH?'^^ ^^^^ ^^U^ 
 116. — Copper and silver. 136 grs. Date 791. 
 
 R.— vv cuiU- ci?j.i^ ^\ ^^^\ ^i.yi 
 117.— Silver and copper. 54 grs. 
 
 Obv.— ^\,^ jvL>- JILL il-ij^^i 
 
66 COINS OF THE 
 
 118. — Silver and copper. 140 grs. Date 784. 
 Obv. as No. 114. 
 
 119.— Copper. 68 grs. 
 Obv. AS No. 118. 
 
 120. — Copper. 36 grs. 
 
 121. — Copper. 55 grs. 
 
 Obv.—^\}Ai: ^^J:> jjj^: 
 
 122 and 123. — Coins similar in types and legends to No. 1 15, bear 
 respectively the dates aii 816, and aiv 817. 
 
 The appearance of two coins, dated severally twenty-six 
 and twenty-seven years subsequent to the decease of the mo- 
 narch whose name they bear, is not a little remarkable. 
 Adverting to the previous history of Moslem Asiatic nations, 
 the simple fact of the fabrication of money, displaying the 
 titles of any given sovereign, continuing for a brief period 
 immediately following his death, occasions no surprise : 
 hence No. 116 is readily accepted as a posthumous coin 
 of this class ; but the lapse of more than a quarter of a 
 century observable in the instances of Nos. 122 and 123, in 
 placing these pieces so nmch beyond the limit usually ad- 
 missible in parallel cases, leads to an enquiry whether 
 unusual causes may not have led to their production. It 
 is known that the issue of this species of coinage, though 
 probably not completely serial, was renewed at divers times 
 between the fixed periods of 790 and 816, as evidenced by 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTN. 67 
 
 specimens extant in the possession of Captain Cunningham, 
 bearing dates 801 and 804. 
 
 The facts available, together with the unassailable evi- 
 dence of the coins themselves, seem to necessitate a con- 
 clusion that, during the whole, or a portion of each of the 
 years 801, 804, 816, and 817, if not during many of the 
 intermediate ones, the dominant possessor of the city of 
 Delhi issued money in the name of a previous king; en- 
 suring, by this means, at the very least, a ready and un- 
 questioned circulation of the coinage thus put forth, the 
 counterpart of which must, at the time, have formed the 
 bulk of the circulating medium of the Delhi empire. As, 
 however, this inference involves the deduction that either 
 these parties coined no money in their own names, or, 
 striking money of their own, were careless of this usually 
 highly-prized right, it becomes necessary to examine whe- 
 ther it is possible that the individuals who, at each of these 
 several marked periods held sway in the metropolis of Hin- 
 dustan, should have submitted to the use of the titles of 
 other kings on money issuing from the mint over which 
 they maintained control. As regards the epochs of 801 and 
 804, it is to be remarked, that after the departure of Timur, 
 and the subsequent speedy expulsion of Nusserut Shah, the 
 city of Delhi passed into the hands of Mullu Yekbal Khan, 
 who I'etained possession of the town till his death, in 807. 
 Though this chief acted entirely on his own account, and, 
 as will be shown hereafter, considerably augmented his 
 territories, it is nowhere asserted that he either coined 
 money in his own name, or assumed any of the usual in- 
 signia of royalty. A difficulty might suggest itself in this 
 place, in the fact of the continued existence of Mahmud, a 
 monarch duly inaugurated on the throne of Hindustan, who 
 had fled to Guzrat on the capture of the metropolis by the 
 
68 COINS OF THE 
 
 Moghuls. Yekbal Khati does not, however, appear at any 
 period after the departure of the Moghul host, to have, either 
 directly or indirectly, acknowledged Mahmud as sultan; 
 indeed, it is by no means unlikely, that during the early part 
 of his own independent rule, he should actually have dis- 
 couraged any such recognition. It may, therefore, be 
 assumed as highly probable, that to supply the currency 
 requisite for the ordinary monetary transactions of his peo- 
 ple, Yekbal Khan, having no pretence to strike coin in his 
 own name, and no predilection to perpetuate the name of a 
 king he was in effect supplanting, may have adopted the 
 expedient of issuing pieces similar to those of Fi'ruz, and 
 still emblazoned with his titles; the like of which, to judge 
 by the present comparative abundance of the specimens 
 extant, must have formed a very considerable proportion of 
 the total currency of the day. Referring to the period 
 comprised in the two years 816 and 817, it is singular that 
 during the first fifteen months of this time, it is also, at the 
 least, doubtful whether any king reigned in Delhi. Mahmud 
 dying in 815, left no successor to the throne: the chief 
 power in the state shortly afterwards fell to the lot of Dau- 
 lat Khiin Lodi: his actual assumption of regal honors, how- 
 ever, despite the directly expressed assertion of Ferishtah 
 to that effect, is at the best highly problematical. This 
 point, also, will be more fully noticed in its proper place; 
 in the meantime, it may be adverted to as possibly bearing 
 directly upon the present enquiry, in respect to the hitherto 
 inexplicable non-discovery of any money displaying the 
 name of the ruler in question. Daulat Khan surrendered 
 to Khizr Khsln in the third month of 817 a.m. Here, 
 again, it is perhaps doing no violence to probabilities, re- 
 marking both the absence of any extant coin of Daulat 
 Khiin conjoined with the doubt of his kingship, and the 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 69 
 
 clear testimony of the dates on coins Nos. 122, 123, to sup- 
 pose that this chief, in imitation of the practice of a pre- 
 decessor, issued coin in the name of Firuz. 
 
 Coins bearing the joint names of Firuz and his 
 
 SON ZiFFER. 
 
 124. — Copper and silver. 78 grs. 
 
 125. — Silver and copper. 78 grs. Coin bearing similar legends 
 to the above, but the produce of different dies. 
 
 The above coins are, it will be seen, struck in the joint 
 names of Firiiz and his son Ziffer : as it is known that 
 Firuz, in 760 a.h., conferred "the ensigns of royalty on his 
 son, Futteh Khan," and that Mohammed, the second son, 
 was, in 789 a.h., raised to the throne during the life-time 
 of his father, it is by no means improbable that, in the like 
 spirit, the third son should have been allowed to adopt so 
 much of kingly rank as was implied in the exhibition of his 
 name on the coinage, in the government over which he pre- 
 sided. There is much obscurity prevailing in Ferishtah, 
 consequent upon an apparent confusion of two different 
 persons bearing the title of Ziffer Khan. It is not perhaps 
 requisite to enter into a detailed enquiry on the subject, 
 as, notwithstanding the uncertainty which of necessity re- 
 mains, there seems to be but little question, that the prince 
 now sought to be identified, was the Ziffer Khan, governor 
 of Mahobah (Bundelkund), who was so hastily despatched 
 by the vizir on the occasion of the attack upon the latter's 
 house by the Prince Mohammed, in 789 a.h. 
 
70 coins of the 
 
 Twenty-First King (a.h. 790—791; a.d. 1388—1389). 
 
 The rule of Ghitis iid din Tuglak II. demands but brief 
 notice, its events being told in the record, on the one hand, 
 of the lax indulgence of the monarch, and, on the other, 
 of his unavailing pursuit of the late joint-king Nasir ud din. 
 The sultan, having alarmed the nobles of his own court, a 
 conspiracy was formed which put a period to his life and 
 sway, little more than five months after his first attain- 
 ment of the latter. 
 
 126. — Silver and copper. 136 grs. a.h. 790. 
 Obv. — jjbw> lU^.,^^- <-^^y^ S^^^^ ^^ J^' 
 
 127. — Silver and copper. 80 grs. 
 128. — Copper. 68 gr.s. 
 
 R.— J^j u_<UiljL> 
 
 Twenty-Second King (a.h. 791— 793; a.d. 1389—1^90). 
 
 Abubekir, the son of Ziffer, and grandson of Firiiz, was 
 raised to the throne on the death of Tuglak II. The 
 history of this reign is also comprised in but few words, 
 being marked almost solely by the successful counteraction 
 by the king, of the treasonable designs of his vizir, followed 
 by the advance of Ntisir ud din; who, after various inter- 
 mediate turns of fortune, once again sat on the throne of 
 his father. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 71 
 
 129. — Silver and copper. 134 grs. A.n.79l. 
 
 R.— vv &::SL^ c:Ju\L>>. <dl\ s^^\ ^\^^ 
 
 Coins of this type are extant bearing the several dates of 
 791, as above, and 792, and 793, a.h. 
 
 130.— Copper. 114 grs. 
 
 Obv. — In a square area il^ Jo ^\ 
 
 Marg. — ^IkLj il-i Jj^J ^^ y'^ 
 
 R— v«r ^:^^1^^1 ^oU 
 
 131. — Copper. 155 grs. Imperfect 
 
 Ohv. — In a circular area iLi ij »j^ 
 
 Marg. — iLiJ_j^ _ _ _ 
 
 R. as No. 130. 
 
 132. — Silver and copper. 47 grs. Small coin, obverse and 
 reverse legends similar to No. 129, 
 
 133.— Copper. 58 grs. 
 
 Obv.— JILL ^ iU J^_ y_ \ 
 
 Twenty-third King (a.h. 793— 796; a.d. 1390—1394). 
 
 The supremacy of Nasir ud din Mohammed as sole mo- 
 narch of Hindustan, which dates properly from Ramzan, 
 793, to Rubbi us Sani, 796, does not offer much matter 
 for remark. 
 
 In the early part of the reign, the governor of Guzrat 
 rebelled, but was subdued by the sultan's generals ; as also 
 were the Rahtor Rajputs, who shortly afterwards attempted 
 to throw off their allegiance. Doubts having been sug- 
 gested as to the faith of his vizir, the emperor hastened to 
 
72 COINS OF THE 
 
 meet the difficulty, and, by prompt action, secured himself 
 against the possil)le consequences. A fever, aggravated by 
 the exertions it was necessary to make to suppress an in- 
 surrection in Mevviit, brought the career of this monarch 
 to a close. 
 
 134.— Silver. 173 grs. {Marsdcns Cabinet, B.M.) 
 
 The most mighty sovereign, Abul Muhtimed, Mohammed 
 Shah, (son of) the royal Firuz Shah. 
 
 In the time of the Imam, commander of the faithful. May 
 his khalifat endure. 
 
 135.— Impure silver. 167 grs. Date 795. 
 
 R. — Centre adJl J.-^ y_\ 
 
 Marg. — v = c ^^ <j::j^J:s^. l::^>^ 4'oJ^Jo^ c:i,'aL>- 
 
 136. — Silver and copper. 140 grs. Date 793. (Otliers are 
 dated 794 and 795.) 
 
 137.— Copper. 140 grs. Date 793 ii. 
 Ohv. — Centre jLi, A^^s-v 
 
 R.— v^r ,.,.J^^ ^.^\ i .,13 
 
 c;' 
 
 ■...y^\^^J ^.A 
 
 38. — Copper. G8 grs. Small coin. 793. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 73 
 
 139.— Copper. 52 grs. 
 
 R.— - din j^ ^\ i^\^\ 
 
 Twenty-fourth King (a.h. 796; a.d. 1394). 
 
 Humdyun, the son of Nasir ud din, assumed, on his 
 accession, the designation of Sek under Shah. The his- 
 torical record of the rule of this sovereign is confined to 
 the announcement, that he attained regal honors and en- 
 joyed them for the brief space of forty-five days. 
 
 140. — Silver and copper mixed. 142 grs. Date 795. '-^^ 
 
 R.— v=ic A:iiirU cijaI^ d^\ J^^l c^iJ.^^ 
 
 141.— Copper. 134 grs. Date 795. 
 Obv. — Centre iLi) jcJLj 
 
 Mai^g. - - cj ~i=£r: 
 
 R.— Vic ^-^.^y^W ^^<\ U^jU 
 
 2^ The unit numeral on coin No. 140, displays a singular form 
 of the figure i Jive : it is somewhat strange to find this novel style 
 of the figure in use almost simultaneously with the old five, to be 
 observed on coin No. 135, which has, up to this time, been in no 
 way distinguishable from a naught, as disclosed on No. 126. It is 
 certainly possible that, in this particular instance, the employment 
 of the unit numeral on the second coin may refer to the naught of 
 790, during part of which year Nasir ud din Mohammed was the 
 efi"ective sultan, in nominal conjunction with his father Firiiz ; 
 but there are many reasons for doubting the probability that the 
 coin in question should have been produced under the joint auspices 
 of Firtiz and Mohammed. Be this as it may, there can be no 
 difficulty in admitting the fact, that the figure more immediately 
 under notice represents a five, as both its present and its subse- 
 quent use clearly demonstrate that it can be no other numeral. 
 
 It is here necessary to rectify an error which has occurred in 
 the assignment of the value of a numeral similar to that now 
 
74 COINS OF THE 
 
 142. — Copper. 67 grs. 
 
 referred to, which is to be seen occupyinp- the place of the terminal 
 figure of the annual date on the coin of Umur, No. 63. On a 
 hasty examination, and adverting more particularly to the hitherto 
 unquestioned date of the accession of this prince (716 A.ii.), the 
 late period in the year at which this event was placed, as well as 
 to the brief duration of the reign itself, which barely extended into 
 a second year, the value of this strange figure was accepted with 
 little hesitation from the requirements of written history. Added 
 to this, the absence of any apparent similitude with any of the 
 other nine recognised numerals, and the facile transition from the 
 correctly formed Persian i to a character having a final flourish 
 instead of an accurately prolonged perpendicular termination, 
 seemed to explain the process whence the numeral derived its 
 origin. The present collation of a more extensive series of spe- 
 cimens, bearing this character in a but slightly altered form, led to 
 a doubt as to the due identification of its functions in the previous 
 instance ; and t!ie result of this investigation has proved most de- 
 cisively that whatever may have been the derivation, or the original 
 design which attended the use of the figure, its subsequent em- 
 ployment could only refer to the nnmher five. Marsden (p. 550) 
 had already shown that a somewhat similar symbol was used to 
 represent this number towards the close of the supremacy of the 
 Afghan dynasty in India; and now, tracing this numeral in its little 
 varied shape, upwards through the well-developed instances afforded 
 by the coins of Behlol, Sekunder, and others, there remains no 
 possible obstacle to the recognition of its use in a similar significa- 
 tion on the coin of Umur. On the other hand, in the progress of 
 the enquiry resulting from the attempt to verify the history of 
 the Patan domination in Hindustan, too much reason has been 
 found to distrust Ferishtah's accuracy, to make it necessary to 
 pause in discrediting his (jiven date in the present instance. In 
 conclusion, it may be appropriate to endeavour to trace the de- 
 rivation of this anomalous form of the Persian s. Admitting a 
 difficulty previously noticed, regarding the want of sufficient dis- 
 tinction between the Persian . navglit and the t five once in use 
 at Delhi, it is not improbable that the necessity of a more obvious 
 means of discriminating the expression of these two numbers may 
 have led to the adoption of the more purely local Devanagri Lj fice, 
 as a substitute for the Indo-1'eisian form of that figure. 'J'he 
 Ni'igrl /ffe a])proximates closely, especially in its cursive shape, to 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 
 
 75 
 
 Twenty-fifth King (a.u. 796— 815; a.d. 1394—1413). 
 
 On the death of Sekunder Shah, the nobles of the court 
 elevated to the musnud his brother, Mahmud. a minor. 
 The very commencement of this nominal supremacy was 
 marked by misfortunes; and the real weakness of the em- 
 pire was increased by insurrections which sprang up on all 
 sides : among the rest is to be noticed the important de- 
 fection of the vizir, Khwaja Jehan, who, in this act, founded 
 the temporarily powerful kingdom of Janpur. In 797 a.h., 
 a new claimant to the throne was advanced, in the person 
 of Nuserut Khan, a son of Futteh Khan, and grandson of 
 Firuz; and his supporters actually took and retained pos- 
 session of the new portion of the capital denominated 
 Firiizabad, while Mahmud and his followers held the old 
 town of Delhi. In this anomalous state matters continued 
 for the space of three years, each being in a measure king, 
 and each holding his own dependent provinces of the em- 
 pire: meanwhile, constant and sanguinary encounters oc- 
 curred between the troops of the rival factions. At length, 
 Mullu Yekbal Khan, who, in fit keeping with the whole of 
 this strange proceeding, had remained an observant and 
 neutral spectator, first deceived, and, for the time, ruined 
 Nuserut Shah, and then succeeded in getting possession of 
 the person of Mahmud, in whose name he thenceforth 
 pretended to rule. This uncertain government was how- 
 
 the early style of the adaptation of the numeral displayed on coin 
 No. 63 ; but the five on the coins of Shir and Islam is so far 
 changed that, read as a Nagri figure, it would stand for a very 
 correct six. A figure but slightly differing from the form era- 
 ployed on the coins of Shir is known to have supplied the place 
 of difour on the Turkish money of the twelfth century a.h., and 
 many of our modern founts of Persian type possess no other re- 
 presentative of this number. An instance of its use may be seen 
 in the printed description of coin No. 93. 
 
76 COINS OF THE 
 
 ever put an end to by the advance of the celebrated Timur : 
 the defeat of the Indian army, the surrender and subsequent 
 merciless sack of Delhi followed ; and, for five days, the 
 Moghul conqueror continued feasting while his troops de- 
 stroyed ; and, to finish the inconsistency, '*^ on the day of 
 his departure he offered up to the Divine Majesty his sin- 
 cere and humble tribute of grateful praise." The capital 
 of Hindustan remained in a state of complete anarchy, to 
 which were superadded the horrors of famine and pestilence, 
 for the space of two months after the departure of Timur : 
 at the end of this period, it was taken possession of by 
 Nuserut Shah, and, shortly afterwards, it again passed into 
 the hands of Mullu Yekbal Khdn, whose sway at this 
 time, extended but little beyond its walls: the provinces 
 being, in effect, independent under their several governors, 
 who, one and all, styled themselves kings. Yekbal Khdn, 
 nevertheless, succeeded in gradually enlarging his boun- 
 daries; and, in 804, was joined by Mahmud {who had fled 
 at the sack of Delhi to Guzrat), on whom he bestowed his 
 protection and a pension. Yekbal Khan now undertook an 
 expedition against Ibrahim Shah Sherki, the sultan of 
 Janpur; and Mahmud, thinking to improve his own con- 
 dition, went over to Ibrahim : he was, however, received 
 with but small encouragement, and, finally, was allowed by 
 both parties to establish himself as a sort of local king of 
 Kanoj. On the death of Yekbal Khan, which took place 
 in an action with Khizr Khan, the governor of Multan, 
 Mahmud was again invited to Delhi ; but " deficient both 
 in sense and courage," he made but little profit of his new 
 position, and at last died in Zulkad, 815.2* 
 
 '-'•' The date of the death of Mahmiid is fixed by Ferishtah at the 
 1 1th Zulkud, 814 A.n.; and the assumption of power by Danlat 
 Khan Lodi, is aftirmt'd, by the same author, to have taken place 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 
 
 77 
 
 143. —Silver. 174 grs. 
 
 ^JlkL-j i'Jj The most mighty sovereign Abul Muhiimed 
 Mahmud Shah, (son of) Mohammed Shah, (son of) the 
 royal Firuz Shah. 
 
 In the time of the Imam, commander of the faithful. 
 May his khalifat endure. 
 
 144. — Silver (impure). 141 grs. Date 796. 
 
 R.— v=n izjiis>^ CLJjl:^ S^\ S^ <^\ <U:rU^^ 
 
 l45._Copper. 140 grs. Date 813. 
 Obv. — Centre iLi J».4><^v- 
 Marg. illegible. 
 
 R. — Air |^^_j^!^ ^^-^\ t-r^!^ 
 
 on the 1st of Muhurrum, 816. A difficulty is suggested in the 
 very fact of the capital, and the country dependent upon it, hav- 
 ing, as thus shown, remained for fourteen months without even a 
 nominal ruler : this anomalj', moreover, is not attempted to be 
 met by the writer in question, nor is even its existence noticed. 
 (See Briggs, vol. i. page 504; Elphinstone, vol. ii. page 80). 
 
 The Tubkat Akberi gives the following explanation of the 
 circumstances and dates bearing upon the matter, which, in satis- 
 factorily accounting for what Ferishtah has left unexplained, seems, 
 in so doing, to point out his error, as having arisen from a sub- 
 stitution of the year 814 for 815, as the period of the decease of 
 Mahmud : — 
 
 "After the death of Mahmud, in Zulkad, 815, for two months 
 anarchy prevailed in Delhi, when the nobles of that prince entered 
 into a compact with Daulat Khan, and Mulik Ardriz and Mubariz 
 Khan passed over from Khizr Khan and joined Daulat Khan," etc. 
 
 The Miriit ul xllem also gives 815 as the year of Mahmvid's 
 death ; though it openly mentions some uncertainty as existing in 
 regard to the extent of his reign, which is noted at " twenty or 
 twenty-two years and two months." 
 
78 COINS OF THE 
 
 146. — Copper. 56 grs. 
 Obv. — Legend as No. 144. 
 
 147. — Copper. 08 grs. Date 815 a.m. (See nolo ■^^) 
 Obv. — ui'iaL: i'Ji Jy>:s-c 
 
 R.— AlC JjbJ (Jjl^\ j\j 
 
 Twenty-sixth King (a.h. 797; a.d. 1;395). 
 
 The history of the partial sovereignty of Nuserut Shah, 
 including both his three years' possession of Firuzabad, 
 and his momentary occupation of the metropolis after the 
 departure of llmur, has been sufficiently adverted to in 
 the notice of the reign of Mahmud. 
 
 From 802, Nuserut Shah appears to have been lost sight 
 of by Indian historians, though his coin, No. 151, would 
 seem to indicate at least a temporary renewal of his power 
 in 807 H. 
 
 148.— Copper. 143 grs. 
 Obv.—J,^lL: ili c:-y^ 
 
 149. — Copper. 57 grs. 
 
 R— JJ^w^ cl<liSl j\j 
 
 150. — Copper. 67 grs. Date 797. 
 Obv, as above. 
 
 R.— v^v Jj^j ^C^w ^,\j 
 
 151.— Copper. 67 grs. Date 807. Similar to No. 150, 
 Other coins bear date 798. 
 
patan sultans of hindustan. 79 
 
 Twenty-seventh King (a. h. 815— 817; 1413—1414). 
 
 Whatever may have been the nominal designation under 
 which Daulat Khan Lodi held the government of Delhi, 
 the actual power pertaining to his office, whether monarchical 
 or oligarchical, seems to have been but limited. Of the 
 fifteen months allotted by historians as the duration of his 
 chieftainship, eleven were occupied in petty attempts to 
 extend his confined boundaries, and the remaining four 
 were passed in suffering a siege, in the citadel of Delhi, 
 and vainly opposing the arms of Khizr Khan, who, at the 
 end of this time succeeded in putting an end to the some- 
 what doubtful sovereignty of his adversary. 
 
 The absence of any specimens of the coinage of Daulat 
 Khan Lodi can hardly be said to cause surprise : on the 
 one hand, his circumscribed rule and embarrassed circum- 
 stances must have gone far to limit any fabrication of his 
 individual coins, and, on the other, the plunder of the 
 metropolis and the surrounding country by the hordes of 
 Timur must, as it depopulated, have utterly for the time 
 impoverished the narrow dominion over which alone Daulat 
 Khan held sway. This country, moreover, was peculiarly 
 the portion of all Hindustan the most afflicted by the inroad 
 of the Moghuls. Added to this, were it not for the direct 
 assertion of Ferishtah, that Daulat Khan assumed royal 
 insignia, and struck coin in his own name, the tenor of the 
 narrations of other authors might suggest some doubt on the 
 subject:'-^* a doubt that is naturally increased by the discovery 
 of two coins impressed with the name of another monarch, 
 
 25 Abiil Fazl does not allow Daulat Lodi a place in the list of 
 the raonarchs of Hindustan, though he mentions that the govern- 
 ment was held by this chief for a limited period. 
 
80 COINS OF THE 
 
 struck in the capital of wliich Daulat Khc4n was nominal 
 lord, and dated one in each of the years during nearly the 
 whole of the first, and a portion of the second, of which his 
 sway endured. 
 
 Twenty-eighth King (a.h. 817—824; a.d. 1414—1421). 
 
 Khizr Khan's accession to the dignity of ruler of the 
 imperial city and the small tract now subject to it, in adding 
 thereto his own governmental provinces of the Punjab, had 
 the effect of again increasing the importance of the empire 
 of the metropolis. Khizr having accepted service under 
 Timur, and having held his government of Multan, etc., 
 from that conqueror, continued to acknowledge the su- 
 premacy of the dynasty of the Moghul after he had himself 
 obtained possession of the capital. The new viceroy was 
 enabled to assert a sway much more extended than could 
 have been expected from the unsatisfactory state to which 
 the monarchy of Delhi had been reduced consequent upon 
 the inroad of Timur; and his power, though unequal, was 
 sufficiently recognised according to Indian notions of govern- 
 ment. At his death, he was in a condition to secure the 
 peaceful transmission of his honors to his son, Mubarik, 
 who, apparently with the sanction of the nobles or the court, 
 again revived the kingly style. 
 
 The following extracts show that Khizr Khan, in de- 
 clining to assume the title of sultan, refrained from ex- 
 ercising that first of Oriental privileges of sovereignty, 
 involved in the inscription of his own name on the money 
 of the country. 
 
 It would certainly have been satisfactory, in referring to 
 the subjoined assertions of the acknowledgment of Timur 
 
PATA>f SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 81 
 
 and his successor, to have been able to have cited direct 
 numismatic proof of the Moghul supremacy in Hindustan : 
 however, it is probable that Khizr Khan did not needlessly 
 multiply such records of his own subservience. 
 
 " He refrained from assuming royal titles, and gave out that he 
 held the government for Timur, in whose name he caused the coin 
 to be struck and the Khutba to be read. After the death of 
 Timiir, the Khutba was read in the name of his successor, Shah 
 Rokh Mirza; to whom he sometimes even sent tribute at his 
 capital of Samarkand." — Briggs Ferishtah, vol. i. page 508. 
 
 " Khizr Khan, out of gratitude to his benefactor, Timiir, did 
 not assume the title of sultan, but continued to have the Khotbah 
 read in the name of that monarch, contenting himself with being 
 styled Ayiiut Aala, or The Most High in Dignity. At the death of 
 Timur, the Khotbah was read in the name of his successor, Shah 
 Rokh, concluding with a prayer for the prosperity of Khizr Khan." 
 — Gladwin's Ayin i Akberi. 
 
 Twenty-ninth King (a.h. 824— 839; a.d. 1421— 1435). 
 
 The annals of the period during which the now re- 
 established throne of Delhi was filled by Muaz ud din 
 Mubarik, are distinguished by a little varying succession of 
 efforts on the part of the sovereign to repress the continual 
 revolts of his subjects : prominent among these is to be 
 noticed the pertinacious and daring opposition of Jusserut 
 Gukka, who, during the thirteen years of Mubarik's reign, 
 appeared in arms and fought well contested campaigns no 
 less than six several times. The rebellion of Foulad is 
 also noticeable, not so much on account of its own intrinsic 
 importance as from the disastrous results which attended 
 the introduction of the Moghul auxiliaries of Ali, the go- 
 vernor of Kabul on the part of Shah Rokh, whose aid was 
 invoked by Foulad as a means of extricating himself from 
 
 M 
 
82 COINS OF THE 
 
 his own didicullies. Muburik was assassinated in 839, by 
 a band of Hindus employed for that purpose by his own 
 vii^ir. 
 
 152.— "5 
 
 153. — Copper. 172 grs. 
 Obv. — Area iLi CS,[^< 
 
 ^ »:»,«».♦] I ^<\ k— ^>:>' 
 
 154. — Copper. 80 grs. 
 
 R.-Arr JjtJ CS^l^^ 
 155. — Copper, 40 grs. 
 
 25 The electrotype cast of the coin figured as No. 152, was 
 placed in the hands of the engraver before an opportunity was 
 afforded of submitting it to any critical examination, under the 
 impression that the original was an unquestionable coin of Muaz 
 ud din Mubiirik. On a closer scrutiny, the name of the mint 
 city (the capital of eastern Bengal), and the surviving word of the 
 date (*50), are found to render this assignment somewhat dubious; 
 over and above this difficulty, the question as to whom the coin 
 really does belong, is not readily soluble by the evidence of written 
 history, inasmuch as the kingdom of Bengal is stated to have been 
 held by Hajf Hius from 744 to 760 (Stewart, pp. 83, 86 ; Briggs, 
 vol. iv. p. 331) ; and from 830 to 862, by Nasir Shiih (Stewart, 
 p. 100) ; or, according to Ferishtah, by Yusuf, from 849 to 866 
 (Briggs, vol. iv. p. 339). Under these circumstances, the bare 
 description of the coin is appended without further comment. 
 
 Silver. 102 grs. U. (Dr. Saincy). 
 
 R. — Area ^.u.<y^^\ ^.<\ yJ^^ ^^■^'^ ^^:. 
 f» At th(> royal capital, Sunargaon. year * 60. 
 
PA TAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 83 
 
 TiiiiiTiKTH King (a.ii. 839— 849; a.d. 1435— 144-i). 
 
 On the death of Mubarik, the vizir, assassin of that mo- 
 narch, elevated as his puppet king, Mohammed bin Ferid, 
 a grandson of Khizr Khiin. The first cares of the minister 
 were directed to engrossing the various governmental 
 posts for his own creatures: this purpose, too little con- 
 cealed, of necessity created dissatisfaction and distrust, 
 and speedily resulted in a very general insurrection ; 
 and, within a brief period of the apparent full success 
 of his iniquity, the Hindu vizir found his power limited to 
 the walls of the citadel of the metropolis, in which he was 
 now closely besieged. The sultan, too, his protege, was 
 also discovered to be seeking an opportunity of joining the 
 adverse party. In this crisis, the vizir determined upon the 
 murder of the sultan; but the latter receiving timely intima- 
 tion of the design, was able to overpower the vizir's band 
 with a well-prepared guard, and thus he met the fate he de- 
 signed for his lord. Not long after this, the emperor began 
 to give himself up to dissolute conduct, and, in consequence, 
 the affairs of the kingdom quickly shewed the want of a 
 master's hand. Added to the internal disorganisation, the 
 empire suffered from the attacks of foreign enemies. Ibra- 
 him of Janpur possessed himself of several districts border- 
 ing on his own dominions, and Mahmud Khilji of Malwa 
 went so far as to make an attempt on the capital. To 
 extricate himself from this pressing difficulty, the sultan 
 called in the aid of one who was destined to play a pro- 
 minent part in the history of his day, Behlol Lodi, at this 
 time nominal governor, though virtual master of the de- 
 pendencies of Lahore and Sirhind. By his assistance, the 
 king was relieved from his immediate danger, and the pro- 
 tecting subject was dignified with the title of Khun Khanan 
 
84 COINS OF THE 
 
 (first of the nobles). Behlols next appearance is in a 
 somewhat altered character, as besieger of Delhi itself, and 
 the adversary of the monarch he had lately saved: he was 
 not however successful. Mohammed died in 849. 
 
 156. — Copper and silver mixed. 142 grs. Date 84G.-^ 
 
 157.— Copper. 85 grs. Date 842:-'' 
 
 R.-^rr Jj,j ^<i^^^,L> 
 158. — Copper. 385 grs. 
 
 Obv. iU- J.,K3-v: 
 
 Thirty-First King (a.h. 849— 854; a.d. 1444-1450). 
 The Ala ud din bin Mohammed of the historians, who is 
 entitled Alem Shdh on his own coins, succeeded his father. 
 His accession was not, however, recognised by Behlol Lodi, 
 whose obedience the new sultan was in no position to en- 
 force. The first acts of the public life of this prince, 
 
 26 The silver coin (No D.cc.xxvn., page 545) attributed by 
 Marsden to this sultan, does not seem to be correctly assigned. 
 The Devaniigri inscription on the obvcise, connects the piece most 
 distinctly with the type of money introduced about a cent\iry 
 later by Shir Shiili, who is known to have remodelled the coinage, 
 and whose style of coins is seen to be closely followed by his 
 immediate successors, both in Hindustan and 13engal. The ab- 
 sence of the terms of filiation observable on the larger specimens 
 of the undoubted coinage of Mohammed bin Ferid, iu itself is 
 sufficient to decide that the coin in question did not issue from 
 his mint. 
 
 -' Other coins of this type arc dated, 843, 844, 817, 849 A.u. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 85 
 
 clearly manifested to his subjects that they had little to 
 expect either from his intellect or his conduct. In 851, 
 Behl6l Lodi made a second attempt on the city of Delhi, 
 but with as little success as before ; and shortly afterwards 
 the sultan determined upon the unwise measure of remov- 
 ing his capital to Budaon : his motives for this change do 
 not seem very obvious, as it was effected in the face of the 
 advice of his whole court. It would appear as if he hoped 
 for some fancied security which he did not feel at Delhi, 
 to which the boundaries of so many adverse chiefs had 
 attained a most inconvenient proximity. To complete his 
 own ruin, the sultan allowed himself to be persuaded to 
 disgrace his vizir, who, escaping to Delhi, quickly introduced 
 the powerful Behlul Lodi, who at once, on becoming master 
 of the capital, assumed the title of sultan ;28 somewhat 
 strangely, however, retaining Alem Shah's name in the 
 Khutba. Not long after this, Alem Shah offered to con- 
 cede the empire to Behlol, on condition of being permitted 
 to reside in peace at Budaon : no difficulty was made in 
 taking advantage of this proposal ; and from this time Behlol 
 is reported to have rejected the name of Alem Shah from 
 the public prayers, and the latter was allowed to enjoy his 
 insignificance undisturbed till his death in 883. 
 
 159. — Silver and copper. 146 grs. Date 853. R. 
 
 Sultan Alem Sluih, son of Mohammed Shah. 
 R.— Acr Axjii^ uviri.- ^^^:„<y^\\ ^^\ ai-i^l 
 
 The Khalif, commander of the faithful. May his khalifat 
 endure. 853. 
 
 28 Behlol's actual accession is fixed, in the History of the Af- 
 ghans, edited by Dorn, at 17th Kubi ul Awul, 855. Vide page 46. 
 Edit. O.T. Fund. 
 
86 COINS OF THE 
 
 1 GO.— Copper. G6 grs. Date 853. R. 
 
 IGl.— Copper. 46 grs. R. 
 
 R — '" * * * ^^u,.^\ ^,\ ^jJi^\ 
 
 One coin similar to No. 163 bears the figure 4 as tlie 
 unit numeral of the date. 
 
 Thirty-Second King (a. h. 854-894 ; a.d. 1450—1488). 
 
 The vigorous rule of the Afghan Behlol Lodi offers a 
 strong contrast to the inane weakness of the sway of the 
 two Syuds who preceded him. His lengthened supremacy 
 of thirty-eight years, however, affords but little of variety 
 to dilate upon. The principal characteristics of his domi- 
 nation being defined in the successful and energetic sub- 
 jection of his local governors, and a prolonged war, marked 
 by the utmost determination on both sides, with the kings 
 of Janpiir : for a long time neither one party nor the other 
 can be said to have obtained any very decided advantage, 
 such as might have been expected to result from the great 
 efforts made by both. The balance generally remained in 
 favour of the monarch of Delhi ; and at length, in the 
 year 983, after a twenty-six years' war, he finally re-annexed 
 the kingdom of Jiinpur to his own empire. It is recorded 
 of this sultan, that, unlike Eastern monarchs in general, he 
 was no resjjecter of pomps and ceremonies, remarking, 
 " that it was enough for him that the world knew he was 
 king, without his making a vain parade of royalty." 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 87 
 
 162.— Silver (impure). 142 grs. C. 
 
 The confiding-in-God, Behlol Shah, the sultan. 
 
 In the time of the commander of the faithful. May his 
 khalifat endure. * * 2. 
 
 163. — Silver and copper. 52 grs. 
 
 Obv.-Jj^^s ^^^^ J]^ ,'^ J^J^, 
 
 164. — Copper. 85 grs. Date 855. 
 
 Obv.—jul: iLi JJ^. 
 
 165.— Copper. 67 grs. Date 886. 
 Obv. — Legend similar to No. 164. 
 
 R— AA1 - - 4.1^1 
 
 166. — Copper. 
 
 Ohc— Centre i\j^ J^ 3farff.—J]AJ\ 
 
 R. — AW -^<v*n --..■c^ l_-oIJ' 
 
 Dated coins of Behlol range from a.h. 855 to 893. 
 
 Thirty-Third King (a.h. 889— 923; a.d. 1488—1517). 
 
 Some time before his decease, Behlol had nominated as 
 ■his successor his son Nizam, who, accordingly, though not 
 -without opposition, ascended the imperial musnud under 
 the title of Sekunder Shah. In the division of his do- 
 minions in 883, the emperor had assigned the kingdom of 
 of Janpur to his son Barbek. On attaining the supreme 
 sovereignty, Sekunder demanded the nominal allegiance of 
 his brother in the preliminary mention of his own name, in 
 the public prayers recited in the portion of the country 
 
88 COINS OF THE 
 
 over wliich Barbek ruled : this being refused, it was found 
 necessary to compel its concession by force of arms. In 
 the action which ensued, Barbek was worsted, but was sub- 
 sequently forgiven, and re-instated in his government. 
 During the succeeding years, the sultan was occupied in the 
 subjection of Sherif, which was effected in the capture of his 
 stronghold Biana, and in the suppression of two some- 
 what formidable insurrections in Janpur and Oud. In 897, 
 Sekunder extended his conquests over the whole of Behar, 
 dispossessing Hussen, the last of the regal line of the Sherki 
 monarchs, who was forced to take refuge with Ala, king of 
 Bengal : with this last the sultan of Delhi came to a satis- 
 factory understanding, involving a mutual recognition of 
 boundaries, etc. In 909, the emperor, for the first time, 
 fixed his residence at Agrah, which henceforth was to su- 
 persede Delhi as the metropolis of Hindustan. Sekunder's 
 rule was disgraced by an unusual display of bigotry, evi- 
 denced principally in a persevering destruction of Hindu 
 temples, on the sites of which were raised Moslem 
 mosques. 
 
 167. — Copper. 144 grs. Date A.n. 906. (Other dated coins 
 have 896, 903, 906, and 918 ) 
 
 Ohv.— 
 
 JJ^J c:-?.-i^' i^ll^L: il-i) J jU' iU jJcG (^r-*^^^ ^^^\ 
 R. — ^i czj\:>. c:-?»\U- ,.H>-c»^\ ^.<\ ,.t.c;J, 
 
 168. — Copper. 53 grs. 
 
 Ohv. — ili J^' i\j:, jxS^ cT*^/^^ J)^j^\ 
 
 TniRTY-FoL'RTii King (a.ii. 923— 937; a.d. 1517— 1530). 
 
 Ibrahim succeeded his father Sekunder; from the very 
 commencement of his reign his arrogance disgusted the 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 89 
 
 nobles of his own tribe of Lodi, who speedily sought to 
 reduce his power by placing his brother, Jellal, on the 
 throne of the kingdom of Jtinpur. Having compassed this 
 purpose, however, some doubt arose as to the wisdom of 
 their own act, and hence an attempt was made to weaken 
 Jellal by the withdrawal of several Amrahs who had joined 
 his standard. Jellal, detecting this design, determined upon 
 active measures to secure himself; he therefore collected 
 his forces and advanced to Kalpi, assuming the style of 
 sultan, with the title of Jellal ud din. He next entered 
 into negotiations with Azim Humayun, who held Kalinjer 
 for Ibrahim, and at length induced him to desert the 
 cause of the emperor. Azim Humayun failed at the time 
 of need, and Jellal was reduced to a position of much diffi- 
 culty, from which however he had a favourable opportunity 
 of extricating himself, by the success of a sudden march 
 upon Agrah, which he found almost undefended ; but from 
 some strange infatuation, he allowed himself to be deluded 
 into treating with the governor of the city, and on the ad- 
 vance of Ibrahim, he was compelled to flee to Gualir, where 
 he received a temporary shelter ; he was, ultimately, after 
 various adventures and escapes, captured and put to death. 
 The alarm excited by the unrestrained cruelties resulting 
 from the distrustful disposition of the sultan, led to nu- 
 merous other rebellions: among the rest, Deria Khan, 
 viceroy of Behar, openly disclaimed allegiance ; and his 
 son, Mohammed, who succeeded him shortly after the com- 
 mencement of the revolt, caused the Khutba to be read, 
 and coin to be struck in his own name.-^^ Daulat Lodi, 
 the governor of part of the dependencies of Lahore, also 
 rebelled, and solicited the protection of Baber, who had 
 
 2" Ayin i Akberi. 
 
 N 
 
9U COINS OF THE 
 
 already, in 930 a.h., taken possession of Lahore itself. 
 Baber now sent an expedition under Ala, the brother of 
 Ibrahim, but in the engagement which ensued, the army of 
 the Moghuls was defeated with great slaughter. This was 
 followed by the advance of Buber in person, and on the 7th 
 of Rajab, 932, on the celebrated battle field of Paniput, 
 Ibrahim, after an individually well-contested, though ill- 
 directed action, lost his kingdom and his life. 
 
 169.— Copper. 83 grs. R. 
 
 Obv.—JlL> i\j^j^^ i'.-i ^:^^\ ^^\ ^y^\ 
 R. A^xijlrJ- C-.'w\L>- ^^^y*" /TT'*' rj^j S^ 
 
 170. -Copper. 37 grs. R. 
 Obv. — ^IkLj ili> i-*^]/} 
 
 R. — tci^ CL^Jjici^ ^^U,<^]\ y^.<\ 
 
 171.— Copper. 42 grs. R. Date 926. 
 Obv.— * * ^s^ ili ^i^l/\ 
 
 R. — in ^:^h>~ lljsL^ ^,^u,<^\ ^^^\ 
 
 THE MOGHUL CONQUEST. 
 
 The narrative of the chequered adventures of Btiber and 
 his son Humayun is more pertinent to general history than 
 a subject of peculiar import, in the present notices of the 
 local succession of the Patau dynasty of Hindustan. It 
 may, therefore, be sufficient to indicate more concisely than 
 usual, the dates of the several prominent occurrences of 
 the Indian reigns of these two monarchs. 
 
 Baber's sway, after his occupation of the cities of Delhi and 
 Agrah, was not undisputed, but he may be said generally to 
 have triumphed over all opposition : he died, in full posses- 
 
PATAN SULTANS Ol' HINDUSTAN. 01 
 
 sion of the empire of Hindustan, on 5th Jumad ul Awul, 
 936 A.H., and was succeeded by his son, Nasi'r ud din 
 Huniayun. In 946, Hindal Mirza, another son of Biiber, 
 revolted; and shortly afterwards, Kiinirtin, the brother 
 who held Kiibul, followed liis example, marching to Delhi, 
 where he was met by Hindal, who persuaded him to join 
 forces, and in company they advanced towards Agrah , 
 but disagreeing by the way, Hindal, finding himself the 
 weaker, fled, leaving Kamran to assume the imperial en- 
 signs on his arrival at the capital. Humdyun was at this 
 time engaged in a war with Shir Khan, who held a con- 
 siderable portion of Bengal and Behar. On the 6th Safar, 
 946, Huniayun was surprised by his wily adversary, by 
 whom he was totally routed, and his whole army destroyed. 
 Humayun himself, escaping with the utmost difficulty, join- 
 ed his brothers at Agrah, who saw their common danger in 
 the increasing power of Shir. For six months, consultations 
 and disputes continued, which ended in the departure of 
 Kamran towards Kabul ;3i to this, succeeded the advance 
 of Shir (now Shir Shah) ; and Humayun, after a temporary 
 advantage, was finally defeated, in Muharrim, 947, the 
 victor possessing himself of the ca[)ital. From this time 
 until his triumphant re-conquest of his Indian empire in 
 
 SI Kamran's coins are extant. The following is a description of 
 a specimen in the East India Company's Collection. Kabul 947. 
 
 Silver. 71 grs. 
 
 Obv. — ^rea (diamond shaped) ^_<-;'i i\j^Sj i^^i^/^'^ ^V/^^s^.^ 
 
 ii/«r^.--. ^CLc ju; ^^w ji=^ ^,iiW\ ^^'i\ ^^^\ Li<a^5^ 
 ^fv ij^ jjl^ t_^j ^'ILLj 
 
 R. — Circular area, the usual short symbol. 
 
92 COINS OF THE 
 
 P62j Humayun was fated to be a wanderer: the tale of his 
 sufferings, his escapes, his varied fortunes, and his pro- 
 minent heroism, developed during this interval, forms a 
 romance of kingly life but seldom equalled. 
 
 BABER. 
 
 172.— Silver. 715grs. V.R. 
 
 Ohv. — Centre illj'j ^>lj j^/K5>^ ^^ri,•^\ ^^ 
 Zehir ud din INIohammed Baber Padshah. 
 
 Mar^.— (worn) * * ^1\ ^lU^l 
 
 V..— Centre i^\ J^_^ j.^^ ^\1\ m 
 Marci.—^^W ^ - - - - 
 * Uli, the chosen ! 
 
 173. — A second silver coin of Baber (E.I. Company's Cabinet), 
 somewhat similar to the above, has the word ^c;U at the 
 
 end of the inscription on the obverse area, in addition to the 
 legend detailed under No. 172. 
 
 On the obverse margin is to be seen — .,l*U- Ji^!il 
 
 R. Area. — As in the last coin. 
 
 M«r^.-(Legible) ^^W J^ ^sy^\ * 
 
 HUMAYUN. 
 174.— Gold. 13grs. R. 
 
 ohv.—i^\ j^^^. ^^,, ^\'i\ ^jn 
 
 R. — ^wC^t'vi!^ j^L>- j_5jli i'Jijlj ^ij.^Ui. j^*<sr.<! 
 
 Mohammed Ilamayun Padshah Ghazi. May God pro- 
 long his reign. 
 
 175.— Silver. 71 grs. R. 
 
 Obv. — Centre ,cjli ^^^>>i\^^ >>/K^« 
 Mohanmied Hunn'iyun Ghazi. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 93 
 
 The king, the amir, the most mighty sultan, the khakan. 
 May Almighty God prolong his dominion and sovereignty. 
 Struck at Agrah, year 944. 
 
 R. — Centre 
 i^\^jxs>- y^xj ilAj ^< ^JJ <^W\ tdll J^y-J; Jk/*.<s;.c A\\'i\ ^Wi 
 There is no god but God, Mohammed is the apostle of God. 
 God is bountiful unto whom he pleaseth, without measure. 
 
 Marg. — iU^-cd!^^^. ^s-SxJi ^J^is- 1^\^=^- y^s. ^^ i:i.x:i_ ^AA ^S^i_ 
 
 By the truth of Abubekir, by the justice of Umur, by the 
 modesty of Usman, by the wisdom of Ali, may God 
 reward him. 
 
 176. — Another silver coin, 71 grs., struck at Agra, is dated 945. 
 A variety, with a nearly square area, has the date 952 ; the 
 name of the place of mintage is obliterated. 
 
 A fourth coin of the type here described, which is un- 
 fortunately wanting in both date and place of mintage, has 
 the stamp or currency mark of Kamran ; of this impression 
 the following words are legible: — 
 
 _i ili t)lj \J^/"*^ J'^-^ 
 
 Another silver coin of Humayun (71 grains), has the 
 i^j\h. ^stA'^^ Jv^<s-< only, in an oblong area. The reverse 
 area being circular, as in the specimen engraved, the le- 
 gend itself is confined to the usual short symbol. The 
 margins are much worn, but apparently vary slightly in 
 their legends from those of the above coins. There are 
 traces of the figures 937. 
 
 Thirty-Sixth King (a.h. 947— 952; a.d, 1540-1545). 
 
 Shir Shah had already assumed the title of Shah on his 
 permanent subjection of Bengal; his entrance into Agrah, 
 
94 COINS OF THE 
 
 therefore, had to be signalised by no new accession of 
 honorary designation. On attaining the supreme power in 
 Hindustan, Shir's attention was directed to the due or- 
 ganisation of his kingdom in the more complete reduction 
 of the Moghul governors of provinces, and the conquest 
 of neighbouring states. In 948, he possessed himself of 
 Malwa; in 949, he reduced the fort of llaisin, treacherously 
 massacreing the garrison; in 951, he invaded and overran 
 Marwar. His next exploit was the capture of Chitor, and 
 his last operation the siege of Kalinjer, where he was killed 
 by the explosion of a magazine in his own trenches, sur- 
 viving only long enough to receive the report of victory, for 
 which he had still sufficient life left to exclaim, " Thanks 
 be to Almighty God." His rule was able and energetic, 
 but deceitful. Of works of lasting value to his country, he 
 is famed for having constructed a high road in extent four 
 months' journey, from Bengal to Rohtas near the Indus. 
 This undertaking was made complete by the caravanserais 
 at each stage, and the excavation of wells at the distance of 
 each mile and a half, the whole being planted with trees to 
 afford shade to the traveller. 
 
 177.— Gold. 1G7 grs. U. 
 
 ohv.—^A^\ j^\ ^\ ^y.j jj^.. k\^\ iixi 
 
 There is no god but God, Mohammed is the apostle of 
 God. The just sovereign. 
 
 shir Shall, the sultan. May God prolong his reign. 947. 
 Sa Sar Said. 
 
 178.— Silver. 176 grs. Shirgurh, (9)49 a.h. (Prinsep Coll.f- 
 
 Ohv. — Square area d^\ J^y J^^^sr-o ^^'^^ ^'^^ 
 
 3- The silver coin of a similar type to the above, described by 
 Marsden under No. dcc.xxix., as being dated 945, is not so dated 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 95 
 
 R.—Sqtiare area ^oX« ^1 u\L:i- ^J^^L> ili^-..^ 
 
 ]\Iarq. — 
 
 179.— Silver. 175 grs. C. 
 
 Obv.— Centre AW ^y.j Sa^ S^\1>\ m 
 
 Ababekir, Umur, Usman, Ull. The just sovereign. 
 
 R.— Centre ',fS <ijU^ j ^.(U ^11 jirL J^W ^l^^^ 
 Shir Shah, the sultan. May God perpetuate his dominion 
 and sovereignty. 949. 
 
 Marg.—^ ^ W^ iUj^'l^^ili^!! yl ^.^s\\ LjjJ^ S^^ 
 
 Ferid ud dunia u ud din, Abul Muzafar, Asylum of the 
 world. Sri Ser Sdhi. 
 
 180.— Silver. 174 grs. 
 
 Obverse area and margin similar to No. 179. 
 
 R.— Centre ^U^ ^ dS^ i]^\ j,U ^lU-- ili^^ 
 
 in the only specimen of the kind in his cabinet in the British Mu- 
 seum. Marsden was unable to detect the Hindi inscription on 
 the margin of the reverse of this medal, which, with the aid of a 
 better specimen, such as the one now described, is clearly re- 
 cognisable. 
 
 Marsden's No. Dcc.xxxvii. is seen from the original coin to 
 have been struck at -.ILf Gualir, and not at Korah. 
 
 ^^ ..t:'. ,*J^ (_?i Possessor of tivo lights, in reference to his mar- 
 riage with two daughters of the prophet. 
 
96 COINS OF THE 
 
 181, — Silver. 171-5 grs. C. (Date on a similar coin. 948.) 
 Obverse square area, as in gold coin No. 177. 
 
 R. — Square area Vi='i <5iXc d^\ ji=i- ^,11:1^^1 il-i^-l 
 
 182.— Silver. 175 grs. C. 
 
 The obverse square area contains the usual short symbol. 
 
 R. — Square area aiX« <d!l Jkld- iLi ^ ^^'lA^I 
 
 183.— Silver. 175 grs. Struck at Kalpi. 
 
 Ohv.—Area ^1^ ^J> aJJ^ J^^ j^.^ ^l!)!^ d]l^ 
 
 ^.—Area ^f^ ^Fff^ <!>^ <^^ ^^ c;^!^^-' il^^-^ 
 Margins worn. 
 
 184.— Copper. 310 grs. 
 
 185. — Copper. 315 grs. Agrah, a.ii. 950. 
 Ohv. — Area <jc» ^l^n^^^\ s^s. (J 
 
 Vi.—Area i,J\ c-yi ^IkLj iU ^-J: 
 
 ilfarc;.— aU^ ji>- yli^Sl ^'^ 
 
 186.— Copper. 316 grs. 
 
 Ohv. — Square area dll\ Jil=i- ili «.-i j.,li;L<j 
 Marrj.—* * <i]]\ .uiiL. ^sXlc 
 
 R.— Square area ^'^ ViUj!1 i^-.-^l Jk^-i 
 Marg.—**r siW * * 
 
 ^* The eloquent. ■*■' Sic. 
 
PATAxN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 97 
 
 188. — Copper. 151 grs. 
 
 189.— Copper. 43 grs. 
 
 Ohv.- ^U=LJ^ ^UJl .^iJ^ 
 
 Thirty-Seventh King (a. h. 959— 969; a.d.154o— 155-3). 
 
 Adil Khan, the eldest son, was nominated successor of 
 his father, Shir Shah. Jellal Khan, the younger brother, 
 however, taking advantage of his absence from the capital 
 at the time of the death of the father, obtained possession 
 of the imperial dignity und^r the title of Islam Shah ; and 
 not long afterwards, Adil made a formal resignation of his 
 birthright, and saluted Islam Shah as king, simultaneously 
 accepting, for his own portion, the Jaghir of Biana; but 
 soon having cause to distrust the good faith of his brother, 
 Adil fled to Mewat and openly revolted. This effort was 
 quickly crushed by the sultan, and Adil took refuge in 
 Behar, where all traces of his eventual fate are lost. This 
 outbreak was followed by a second rebellion in the Punjab, 
 under Azim Humayun, which was for the time subdued by 
 the defeat of the insurgents. The rest of the reign of Islam 
 was disturbed by repeated revolts, and during this latter 
 period he had no less than three remarkable escapes from 
 assassination. He died in 960 a.h. 
 
 190.— Silver. 168 grs. C. 
 Ohv. — Square area 
 
98 COINS OF THE 
 
 Abiibekir the true, Uniur the discerning, Usnidn the de- 
 fender, Uli the chosen. 
 
 ^.—Ilanj. 
 
 *fvv :^;^ JjU^^lkLJ\ ^.^!U^.:ja^ ^UjJ^J^b- 
 
 Jellal ud dunia wa ud din Abiil Aluzatar, the just sovereign- 
 
 Tslam Sh{ih, son of Shir Sh.ih the sultan. Mry God pro- 
 long his reign. 
 
 191.— Silver. 173 grs. (thick coin). C. 
 
 Obv.—Area d^\ ^y^j ^^.< 't^\ ^\ cJ'^ "i 
 
 Mara. ^U^ ,.,Ui^ . ^<*^ . X'l--^ 
 
 Area.— j^U dli^ .\U- ^UaL: iU^^ ^t^'i i'-i ^^ 
 
 192.— Copper. 315 grs. 
 
 ohv.— ^.}:::^\ ,..vj>n J.** ,<.cy^ ^-^^ ^v ^ 
 
 c; 
 
 ^.cv^ji yrr-*- 
 
 193.- Copper. 38 grs. 
 
 \^.-^M\ ^UJ^, .u,U 
 
 35 The .,»,J\ (The Defender, Patron, also Servant) is a somewhat 
 doubtful reading, as on many coins there seems to be a dot over 
 the third letter, making it ^,^\. Marsden has given this woid as 
 .,»i]\, but the best cut specimens of Islam's mintage display the 
 c or c in its perfect shape. Islam's coins are very uncertain iu 
 their orthography in other respects, the A being frequently 
 written ,^>, and the HJ^t Shahi, being used indiscriminately 
 
 with \\\[^ Shahi. 
 
 The same uncertain method of expressing the Devanagri equi- 
 valent of tiie Persian name of iLi^-i. is also to be seen in its full 
 
 force on the coins nf tliat prince. 
 
patan 3ultans of hindustan. 99 
 
 Thirty-Eighth, Thirty-Ninth, and Fortieth Kings. 
 
 Tlie historical events of the partial reigns of the three 
 last of the Patan kings of the Delhi line, are so interwoven 
 with one another, that it may be appropriate to notice them 
 together. On Islam Shah's death, his son, Firuz Khan, a boy 
 of twelve years of age, was for the moment elevated to the 
 throne of his father; but he was almost immediately mur- 
 dered by Mubariz Khan, a nephew of Shir Shah, who 
 usurped the sovereignty, entitling himself Mohammed Adil 
 Sh^h. Equally infamous and ignorant, the self-elected 
 king entrusted the direction of his kingdom to one Himu 
 (a Hindu shopkeeper) ; fortunately the individual thus 
 selected was as capable, as he subsequently proved himself 
 courageous, and for a time upheld the monarch he served. 
 The king's inconsistency in resuming jaghirs and govern- 
 ments from the holders and conferring them upon others, 
 apparently without any object but to show his power so to 
 do, led to an attack on his person in open court, from which, 
 flight but narrowly saved him. In 961, a rebellion was 
 organised, which obliged the monarch to march against the 
 insurgents in person, when he attacked and routed them 
 near Chunar. Shortly after this, Ibrahim Sur, Adil's 
 cousin and brother-in-law, revolted, and took possession of 
 Delhi and Agrah, obliging Adil to confine himself to 
 the eastern portions of his dominions; no sooner, however, 
 had Ibrahim seated himself on his newly erected throne, 
 than another competitor started up in the person of Ahmed, 
 a nephew of Shir Shah, who, on this occasion, took the name 
 of Sekunder Sh4h, and defeating Ibrahim, succeeded to his 
 lately acquired territories. In the meantime, Mohammed 
 Khan Guria, governor of Bengal, rebelled against Mo- 
 hammed Adil, but was eventually vanquished and slain by 
 
100 COINS OF THE 
 
 Himii ; prior to which hist action, Humayun had re-pos- 
 sessed himself of Agrah and Deliii, and thus in acquiring 
 Sekunder's provinces found himself in antagonism with Mo- 
 hammed Adil. Himu, hearing of the death of Humayun, 
 which occurred about this time, and leaving his master in 
 safety at Clumar, advanced towards Agrah, which he 
 entered unopposed, and thence proceeded to Delhi, where 
 he overcame Tirdi Beg, the Moghul governor. He next 
 prepared for a march on Lahore, but was met on the plain 
 of Paniput by Behram, the guardian of the young prince 
 Akber, and defeated and slain, after a display of considera- 
 ble valour. Adil continued to reign in his Eastern do- 
 minions till he was killed, in 964, in a battle with Behadur 
 Shah, a pretender to the throne of Bengal. 
 
 MOHAMMED ADIL. 
 l94._Silver. 174 grs. R. 
 ^ Ohv. — Square area d^\ ^\y^j s^-^sr^ aHI ^i] A\ ^ 
 
 R. — Square area Hit ^« tdl^ Asi- J^A^ ^li JjU A.k^-« 
 
 Mohammed Adil Shah, sultan. INIay God prolong his 
 reign. 96 L Sri Mahamad Sah. 
 Margins illegible. 
 
 195.— Silver. V.R. As No. 194. Date 963. 
 
 196.— Copper. 308 grs. V.R. 
 
 R.-^n .vSU_.eN - - ....\L\ ^Jl 
 
 SEKUNDER. 
 197.— Silver. 175 grs. U. 
 
 Obv. —Square area a\1\ J_j-m wV.«s,s-^ cdl^ !^\ aJH 
 
 R. — =Tr - - j^ ili jjcLo i^Uol-- 
 
 Martrins illegible. 
 
PATAN SULTANS OF HINDUSTAN. 101 
 
 198. — Copper. 35 grs. R. 
 
 The following account of the Oriental method of coining, 
 as in use at Delhi in the time of Akber, may not be 
 uninteresting, as evidencing the probable practice of the 
 earlier period to which the coins of the present series more 
 immediately refer. 
 
 The melter melts the refined plates of metal and casts them 
 into roimd ingots. The zerrab cuts from the round ingots pieces 
 of gold, silver, and copper, of the size of the coin. It is sur- 
 prising, that in Iran and Turan, they cannot cut these round 
 pieces without an anvil, made on purpose ; and in Hindustan, 
 the workman, without any such machine, performs this business 
 with such exactness, that there is not the difference of a single 
 hair. The seal-engraver engraves the dies of coins on steel and 
 such like metals. The sickchy places the round piece of metal 
 between two dies, and, by the strength of the hammerer, both 
 sides are stamped at one stroke. 
 
 Rupeeah j(..»j , . is a silver coin of a round form, in weight llj 
 mashahs. It was first introduced iu the time of Shir Khan, and 
 under the present reign it has been revived, and made more pure. 
 — Gladwin's Ayin Akberi. 
 
102 
 
 In preference to complicating the text with multitudinous 
 references to similar coins, varying from the specimens 
 described, only in date, it has been deemed advisable to 
 subjoin, in a distinct form, a comprehensive Table, em- 
 bracing all the annual dates obtainable from a careful 
 examination of the contents of the various cabinets, that 
 have contributed materials for the foregoing review of the 
 moneys of the kings of Delhi. 
 
 The numbers printed in larger type refer to the coins 
 which are to be found described at large in the text. The 
 ordinary numerals imply only a general identity in the 
 piece bearing the date, with the coin to which the number 
 itself properly belongs in the preceding detail. It has not 
 been so much an object to make the present summary an 
 exposition of the different extant species of coins, as to 
 indicate, in a connected form, the years capable of citation 
 as those comprised in the reign of certain given monarchs, 
 proved by their coins. The abbreviations, b.m., i.h.. m., 
 p., refer to the various collections of the British Museum, 
 the East India House, and the accumulations of Marsden 
 and Prinsep, both of which last are now deposited in our 
 National Museum. Where no such acknowledgment is 
 appended, the examples have been taken from coins in the 
 author's own possession. 
 
Gold and 
 Silver. 
 
 176 
 
 176 
 
 Billon and 
 Copper. 
 
 154 
 
 154 
 153 
 153 
 154 
 
 15V 
 
 156 
 
 157 
 
 150 
 
 157 
 156 
 
 I ISO 
 lOO 
 
 lAri 
 
 162 
 162 
 164 
 164 
 164 
 164 
 lOO 
 105 
 166 
 165 
 
 165 
 
 167 M. 
 
 167 B.M. 
 
 167 
 
 167 B.M, 
 167 B.M, 
 
 167 
 
 167 B.M, 
 
 167 B.M, 
 
 167 B,M 
 
 Shir Shah. 
 
 946 
 947 
 948 
 949 
 950 
 951 
 952 
 
 Islilm Shah. 
 
 952 
 953 
 954 
 955 
 956 
 957 
 958 
 959 
 960 
 
 Mohammed 
 Adil. 
 
 961 
 963 
 
 Gold and I Billon and 
 lilvcr. Copper. 
 
 181^ 
 1.77 
 
 181« 
 1»8, ISO 
 
 180 B.M. 
 
 180 B.M. 
 ISO 
 
 lOl 
 
 190 
 190 
 
 190 i.n. 
 
 191 
 
 1905 
 
 190 
 
 190 
 
 190 '^ 
 
 1S5 
 184 
 ISO 
 
 194 
 195 
 
 Sekunder. I 
 
 962 i 10« 
 
 Struck *!!L,^J\j\jJ 
 
 Frachn, " Recensio," p. 177. 
 
 Page 67. 
 
 Asiatic Society. 
 
 See also Marsden's plates, 
 
 Fig. Dcc.xxx. 
 Sec Cast Types, 
 
ABSTRACT TABLE OF DATES. 
 
 
 Gold and 
 
 Billon and 
 
 
 Gold and 
 
 Billon and 
 
 
 Gobi and 
 
 Billon and 
 
 ! Gold and 
 
 Billon and 
 
 
 Gold and Billon and 1 
 
 
 Silver. 
 
 Copper. 
 
 
 Silver. 
 
 Copper. 
 
 
 Silver. 
 
 Copper. 
 
 Silver. 
 
 Copper. 
 
 
 Silver. 
 
 Copper. 
 
 Mohammed 
 
 
 
 Umur. 
 
 
 
 Firdz III. 
 
 
 
 MubSrik II. 
 
 
 
 Shir Shah. 
 
 
 bill Sum. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (Continued.) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 715 
 
 
 es 
 
 772 
 
 776 
 777 
 778 
 779 
 780 
 
 
 115 l.ll. 
 11* 
 
 
 
 154 
 
 946 181 » 
 
 
 590 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 833 
 
 
 154 
 
 947 IJI 
 
 
 
 o 2 i.n. 
 
 
 Mubilrik. 
 
 
 
 
 834 
 
 
 153 
 
 948 ! 181 « 
 
 ISO 
 
 596 
 
 
 
 
 64 B.u. 
 64 
 OS 
 
 
 
 115 Ml. 
 
 115 A.8.' 
 115 
 
 115 
 
 835 
 
 
 153 
 
 949 1»8, MO 1 
 
 ill. 
 
 Altnmsh. 
 623 
 
 2 I.n. 
 
 14 
 
 717 
 718 
 719 
 720 
 
 OI 
 68, 69 
 
 69 
 70 
 
 
 836 
 
 Mohammed 
 
 bin Fcrld. 
 
 842 
 
 
 154 
 15» 
 
 960 i 180 B.M. 
 
 951 1 180 B.M. 
 
 952 ISO 
 
 IsLtaSha. 
 
 185 
 184 
 
 ISO 
 
 
 
 
 Khnsru. 
 
 
 
 784 
 
 
 118 
 
 843 
 
 
 156 
 
 952 lOl 
 
 
 MasSud. 
 
 
 
 720 
 
 
 (7* 
 
 I Cast 
 I No. 8 
 
 787 
 
 
 
 
 
 157 
 
 953 ; 190 
 
 
 641 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 788 
 
 114 
 
 118 
 
 846 
 
 
 156 
 
 954 lOO 
 
 192 
 
 
 
 
 789 
 
 
 118 
 
 847 
 
 
 157 
 
 955 1 190 I.n. 
 
 
 Miiliniud. 
 
 
 
 Tughlak I. 
 
 
 
 FMz&Ziffer. 
 
 
 
 843 
 
 
 156 
 
 966 191 
 957 190« 
 
 
 654 
 
 39 
 
 
 720 
 
 
 79 
 
 791 
 
 
 
 Alcm Sh4h. 
 
 
 
 958 190 
 
 
 
 39 
 
 
 
 »5 
 
 80 
 
 
 
 
 
 \IZ 
 
 959 1 190 
 
 
 658 
 662 
 
 ':!9 
 
 
 722 
 723 
 
 78 
 
 80 
 
 Tnghlak II. 
 
 
 
 853 
 
 
 960 190 » 
 
 
 Ball.iSli. 
 
 
 
 724 
 725 
 
 »8 
 
 80 
 
 790 
 
 
 1»6 
 
 Bchlol Lodi. 
 
 
 
 Mohammed 
 Adil. 
 
 
 C64 
 
 42 
 42 
 42 
 
 
 Mohammed 
 Tughlak. 
 
 
 
 Abdbekir. 
 791 
 792 
 
 
 ISO 
 
 8.55 
 860 
 
 .02 
 
 164 
 
 162 
 162 
 
 961 104 
 963 ■ 1»S 
 
 lOO 
 
 673 
 
 4S 
 
 
 725 
 
 »1 
 
 
 
 
 129 
 
 863 
 
 
 164 
 
 Sekunder. 
 
 
 
 
 
 726 
 
 sa 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 164 
 
 
 
 678 
 
 ''• ■ ' 
 
 
 727 
 728 
 
 83 
 88 
 
 
 Nasir ud din 
 Mohammed. 
 
 
 
 873 
 
 
 164 
 164 
 
 962 10» 
 
 
 KiiikobiW. 
 
 
 
 729 
 730 
 
 89 
 
 
 790 
 
 131 
 
 136 
 
 877 
 886 
 
 
 I«5 
 
 
 
 687 
 688 
 
 40 
 
 46 M. 
 
 
 IC730 
 
 (06,I01. 
 
 793 
 794 
 
 
 I3« 
 
 136 
 
 888 
 
 
 166 B.M. 
 
 165 
 
 
 Firiiz. 
 
 
 
 
 
 97 
 
 
 
 
 890 
 89J 
 
 162 
 
 165 
 
 
 691 
 
 50 
 
 
 03 
 9* 
 
 OS 
 
 Sekunder. 
 
 
 fl40 
 
 
 
 
 
 694 
 
 50 
 
 
 733 
 
 93 
 
 795 
 
 
 141 
 
 Sekunder 
 
 
 
 
 
 AO 
 
 
 
 
 93 
 
 
 
 (14» 
 
 Behlol. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 735 
 
 92 
 
 93, 94 
 
 
 
 
 895 
 
 
 167 M. 
 
 
 Ilivaliim. 
 
 r»4 
 
 
 736 
 737 
 738 
 741 
 742 
 
 94 
 
 93 
 
 Nfoir ud din 
 Mahmlid. 
 
 
 
 904 
 90G 
 
 
 167 B.M. 
 167 
 
 ■ Struck |.lL3yjj 
 
 
 
 
 
 94 
 
 795 
 
 144 
 
 
 909 
 
 
 167 B.M. 
 
 ' Frachn, "Eeoensio," p. 177. 
 
 Ala ucl din. 
 
 
 
 85 
 
 
 796 
 
 144 
 
 (Nusernt, 
 
 914 
 915 
 
 
 167 B.M. 
 167 
 
 > Page 67. 
 
 699 
 
 57 B.M. 
 
 
 743 
 749 
 
 »» 
 
 
 797) 
 
 
 
 
 167 B.M. 
 
 < Asiatic Society. 
 
 700 
 
 
 60 
 
 110 MI. 
 
 11«,M1 
 
 798 S 
 
 
 9'8 
 
 
 167 B.M. 
 
 ' See also Marsden's plates, 
 
 702 
 
 
 »0, 60 
 
 
 800 
 
 
 147 
 
 919 
 
 
 167 BM. 
 
 Fig.BCC.XX... 
 
 703 
 704 
 705 
 
 57 M. 
 
 G. C. B.M, 
 
 59 
 
 To 
 
 Firtiz III. 
 
 
 
 801 
 803' 
 
 
 147 
 Firiz. 
 
 Ibrfllim. 
 
 
 
 ' See Cast Types. 
 
 ii5 
 
 57 
 57 M. 
 
 60 
 «o 
 
 59 l.H. 
 
 759 
 761 
 766 
 
 
 115 
 
 115 l.H. 
 115 l.ll. 
 
 813 
 
 
 (Nnscrut, 
 
 Humitjlin. 
 
 
 1« 
 
 
 712 
 
 S7 
 
 59 
 
 
 
 115 
 
 815 
 
 
 I4« 
 
 937? 
 
 176 
 
 
 
 713 
 
 57 B.M. 
 
 69 
 
 769 
 
 
 115 l.ll. 
 
 816) 
 
 
 ( Finiz, 
 
 944 Wjro/,. 
 
 
 
 
 
 57 BM. 
 
 59 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^132 
 
 945 id. 
 
 iin 
 
 
 
 715 
 
 57 n.M. 
 
 59 
 
 -71 
 
 
 115 
 
 818 1 
 
 
 ?1*3 
 
 052 ? 
 
 
 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 In closing this description of the various coins of the Pat^n kings 
 of Delhi, it may be* useful to append a brief resume of the 
 more prominent changes, which an exact examination of the series 
 of their medals has rendered requisite in the list of the accessions 
 of the diiferent sovereigns quoted at the head of this essay. 
 Though some apology is due for the position in which these recti- 
 fications appear, yet the present allocation has been the almost 
 necessary result of the mode in which these notes have been 
 written and published ; that is to say, in detached portions : the 
 major part of the subject having been undertaken at the moment, 
 by instalments; as the more locally interesting claincs on the 
 space of the Journal in which these descriptions were to appear 
 admitted of their publication. Hence, as it was requisite to adopt 
 some distinct groundwork whereon to proceed, the recognised list, 
 and the hitherto received statements of Ferishtah, were accepted 
 in the first instance as safe bases, from which any important 
 divergence was deemed improbable. This expectation will be 
 seen to have been erroneous in the following instances : — 
 
 No. 15 Umur . . . for 716 read 715. See coin 63, and note p. 73. 
 
 16 Mubarik . . — 717 — 716. QQ} 
 
 17 Khusru . . —721 — 720. 74, and cast No. 8. 
 
 18 Tughlak. . — 721 — 720. 79. 
 
 24 Sekunder . _ 796 — 795. 140, 141, 142. 
 
 25 Mahmud's death 814 — 815. See note, p. 76. 
 
 The last point in this detail has been sufficiently explained in a 
 note at the foot of page 73 ; but the other discrepancies seem to 
 require a few additional remarks, not so much on account of any 
 difficulty existing in the questions themselves, as from the curious 
 exactitude with which the proposed emendations frequently sup- 
 port one another. The conflicting nature of the historical dates, 
 and the testimony of coins Nos. 66 and 74, formed the subject of 
 notice in their fit place ; but the precise nature of the numeral on 
 coin No. 63, having escaped detection at the right moment, 
 necessitated a correction, which will be found in the note to coin 
 No. 140. It now merely remains to direct attention to these con- 
 secutive evidences, and to express a conviction, which isolated un- 
 supported medals might not have altogether justified, that the 
 
 ' The date of 716, to be found on this coin, is supported by a like figured 
 date on a similar coin in the East India House Cabinet, and is conclusively 
 confirmed by the written inscription of the same date on a silver coin of 
 Mubarik in the British Museum. (See cast No. 6.) 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 In closing this description of the various coins of the Patdn kings 
 of Delhi, it may be* useful to append a brief resume of the 
 more prominent changes, which an exact examination of the series 
 of their medals has rendered requisite in the list of the accessions 
 of the different sovereigns quoted at the head of this essay. 
 Though some apology is due for the position in which these recti- 
 fications appear, yet the present allocation has been the almost 
 necessary result of the mode in which these notes have been 
 written and published ; that is to say, in detached portions : the 
 major part of the subject having been undertaken at the moment, 
 by instalments; as the m.ore locally interesting claires on the 
 space of the Journal in which these descriptions were to appear 
 admitted of their publication. Hence, as it was requisite to adopt 
 some distinct groundwork whereon to proceed, the recognised list, 
 and the hitherto received statements of Ferishtah, were accepted 
 in the first instance as safe bases, from which any important 
 divergence was deemed improbable. This expectation will be 
 seen to have been erroneous in the following instances : — 
 
 No. 15 Umur . . 
 
 16 Mubarik . 
 
 17 Khusru . 
 
 18 Tughlak. 
 24 Sekunder 
 
 for 716 read 715. See coin 63, and note p. 73. 
 
 _717 _ 716. 66.1 
 
 _ 721 _ 720. 74, and cast No. 8. 
 
 — 721 — 720. 79, 
 
 — 796 — 795. 140, 141, 142. 
 
 25 Mahmud's death 814 — 815. See note, p. 76. 
 
 The last point in this detail has been sufficiently explained in a 
 note at the foot of page 73 ; but the other discrepancies seem to 
 require a few additional remarks, not so much on account of any 
 difficulty existing in the questions themselves, as from the curious 
 exactitude with which the proposed emendations frequently sup- 
 port one another. The conflicting nature of the historical dates, 
 and the testimony of coins Nos. 66 and 74, formed the subject of 
 notice in their fit place ; but the precise nature of the numeral on 
 coin No. 63, having escaped detection at the right moment, 
 necessitated a correction, which will be found in the note to coin 
 No. 140. It now merely remains to direct attention to these con- 
 secutive evidences, and to express a conviction, which isolated un- 
 supported medals might not have altogether justified, that the 
 
 ' The date of 716, to be found on this coin, is supported by a like figured 
 date on a similar coin in the East India House Cabinet, and is conclusively 
 confirmed by the written inscription of the same date on a silver coin of 
 Mubarik in the British Museum. (See cast No. G.) 
 
2 APPENDIX. 
 
 Mohammedan authors, who assign the several dates of 716,^ 717, 
 and 7'2l,^ as the epochs of accession of the respective princes 
 noted above, are one and all incorrect, to the extent of having 
 post-dated each of these different events by one year. The writers 
 in question seem to have adhered with sufficient apparent scruple 
 to the correct duration of the reign of each monarch ; but by 
 some error in the earlier part of their narrations, they have been 
 led into a series of mistakes, which their tests of accuracy proved 
 insufficient to rectify. Having advanced thus far in the correction 
 of P'erishtah's erroneous dates, and having ante-dated a succession 
 of three kings each by one year, the application of a similar pro- 
 cess in favor of the next monarch in order is easily justified ; 
 especially as his predecessor, who ascended the throne in the third 
 month of the Mohammedan year, reigned somewhat less than 
 five months: whence it is manifest, that in accepting these last 
 data-* the elevation of the successor must of necessity be placed in 
 the same year. 
 
 This point has been made the subject of separate mention, for 
 the purpose of drawing more direct attention to the question in- 
 volved in its admission, namely, the value of the figure ©which 
 is to be found in the unit place of the annual date on coin No. 79. 
 As long as Ferishtah's dates remained unimpugned, it was impera- 
 tive to conclude that this numeral was, in its position on this coin, 
 intended to represent a five ; as a monarch who was asserted to 
 have attained his throne in 7'2i, and retained it till 7-25, had ob- 
 viouslv no vear of his sway which would answer to the employment 
 of a final naught in the notification of the period of issue of any 
 of his coins. Having, however, seen cause to discredit so much 
 of the historian's testimony, it may now be permissible to restore 
 the hitherto questionable figure to its correct place in the list of 
 numerals, and to account it a naught and notliing but a naught.^ 
 
 In arriving at this determination of the functions of the dubious 
 figure, it is requisite, before finally taking leave of this question, to 
 anticipate a notice pertinent thereto, in its due dynastical order, 
 
 -' Assistance in the due assignment of the disputed date qf the accession 
 of any given king, is naturally to be sought in the determination of the 
 epoch of the inaugurntion of his predecessor and the length of his reign. 
 There are discrepancies as to the sera of A1.4 ud din's enthronement to the 
 amount of one year; or, more correctly speaking, a ditierence between the 
 citation of the year 695 (\Iinit ul Alem and Tubkit Akbtri) and 696 (Fe- 
 rishtah). The duration of his lule is pretty uniformly fixed at 20 years and 
 some months. 
 
 •' The Tuhk.'it Akberi gives 720 as the date of the accession of GhiJls ud din 
 Tughlak. 
 
 * Strmge as it may seem, it is to be borne in mind that the dates of the 
 months are often perfectly trustworthy, when the simultaneously appended 
 year is altogether false. 
 
 * See note to coin No. 74, and coin No. 135. 
 
APPENDIX. O 
 
 and to rectify in this place the opinion expressed in regard to the 
 date and circumstances under which the coin (No. 135) bearing 
 the joint names of Firuz and his son Mohammed was issued : it 
 will be observed that, all doubt having now been removed as to 
 the fact of its true date being " 790 All.," it can only be looked 
 upon as a medal of the regency of the son, struck during the 
 temporary retirement of the father from the cares of state ; and 
 not, as was at one time supposed, a simple medal of the son, coined 
 after his full accession to the undivided throne of Delhi. 
 
 Continuing the examination of the various dates pertaining to 
 the sway of the remaining monarchs, it would seem that the error 
 which extended itself to the epochs of the inauguration of four 
 kings in succession, was by some means accommodated in the 
 accurate assignment of the aera of the commencement of the rule 
 of Mohammed bin Tughlak : but again, in the date of the in- 
 stallation of Ala ud din Sekunder Shah, there recurs a similar 
 inaccuracy of one year, as it is clear from the many dated coins of 
 this prince, that the 45 days of his rule should be assigned to the 
 year 975, and not to 976,*'" as affirmed by Ferishtah, (See coins 
 No. 140, 141, 142, etc.) This error, in as far as its results might 
 have affected the accessions of the monarchs who follow, will be 
 seen to have been speedily and successfully got rid of by the 
 perpetration of a new error, which curtailed the full extent of 
 the reign of Mahmud, Sekunder's immediate successor, by the 
 identical overdrawn year. 
 
 In addition to the above rectifications of the inaccuracies of 
 Eastern historical authorities, there are errors to be acknowledged 
 as the writer's own, as well as many slight orthographical dis- 
 crepancies in the Anglicised Oriental names, arising from the 
 occasional correction of the press by other hands during the tem- 
 porary absences of the author. The latter, where considered of 
 sufficient consequence, will be found duly recorded in the list of 
 errata. The former demand a more explicit notice, and may 
 briefly be enumerated as follows: — 
 
 1st. The incorrect assignment of the coin described under 
 No. 58, which is shown, from a more extended examination of the 
 medals of other Indian dynasties, to have belonged to Ala ud din 
 Mohammed Sekunder al Sani, of Khwarizm, who conquered 
 Ghazni in 612 a.h.,^ and not to Ala ud din Mohammed Sekunder 
 al Sani of Delhi. 
 
 2nd. The omission of an important variety of the binominal 
 coins of Firiiz III., which, had they not escaped notice, should 
 have appeared after coin No. 123. These medals bear the joint 
 
 ^ The Tubk-it Akberi also assigns 976 (19th Rabi al Awal) as the date of 
 the inauguration of Sekunder. 
 ■' Abul Faraj, De Guignes, etc. 
 
 P 
 
4 APPENDIX. 
 
 names of Firuz and his son Futteh Khan. They are sufficiently 
 common, and in the obvious variation in the form of the letters of 
 the legends, from those of the metropolitan monies of the father, 
 and the inferiority of their execution as works of art, indicate 
 themselves the produce of a provincial mint. 
 
 The following is all that can be satisfactorily deciphered of the 
 inscriptions: — 
 
 Silver and copper, 135 grs. 
 
 Ohv.~ * * ili j.^^ ^W^ 
 
 R- — cijj^Jc^ c:-Jji>~ 'f^'^yi^ i^jr:^"^^^ yrr*^ ctS'l^ '^^ 
 Others have the name of the khalif JsUl^xo: in the place of 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Advantage has been taken of the existence of sunilry unpublished 
 casts of rare coins, prepared to be used as types by the late James 
 Prinsep, which have lately passed into the possession of the 
 trustees of the British Museum, to add to the numismatic illus- 
 trations already afforded by the copper-plate engravings which 
 elucidate the subject-matter of the present notice. Referring to 
 the detailed transcripts of the legends of the several medals em- 
 bodied in the preceding pages, it will be sufficient for the explan- 
 ation of the subjoined impressions, to indicate generally the class 
 to which each specimen belongs, adding merely the date or other 
 variation in which their originals may have differed from the coins 
 described at large in the text. 
 
 No. 1. Cast of the original coin described at the foot of p. 17. 
 
 2. Ditto ditto of No. 27. 
 
 3. A coin of Kaikobad, similar to No. 46. 
 
 4. An imperfect specimen of Ala ud din's gold coinage, 
 
 No. =57. 
 
 5. Mubarik Shah, ''65. 
 
 6. Idem, similar to 64, but dated 716 a.h. 
 
 7. BehadurShah ^ILL. ^^ JSAJi\ iU^jl^ p. 42, 43. 
 
 8. Khusru, similar to No. 74, but the cast of a different coin 
 
 A.H. 720 (*r.) 
 
 9. Tughlak Shah, similar to 75. 
 
 10. Mohammed Tughlak, from a gold coin similar to No, 82. 
 
 11. Idem id. id. No. 84. 
 
 TTo the right, the reverse of a 
 
 ,,<-</' i^j-rc ^ ■ J coin similar to No. 88. 
 
 12. Surfaces of different coms< r^ .i i n ^-u c 
 
 I To the left, the reverse of a 
 
 L coin similar to No. 96. 
 
 13. Shir Shah, similar to No. 181, with the addition of 
 
 tijlkJuv. in the reverse area. a.h. 948. 
 
 14. Shir Shah, similar to No. 179. 
 
 15. Islam Shah, similar to No. 190. Date 960. 
 
 16. Islam Shah, idem. Date 957. 
 
ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. 
 
 Page 5, line 12, for .^c^c^^ read ^j;^^Au^ 
 
 „ 15, coin 14, for " Silver" read " Silver and copper." 
 
 „ 21, line 18, for " Balbam" read " Balban." 
 
 „ 22, coin ", for ' Copper" read " Silver." 
 
 „ 23, line 20, for " 688" read " 658." 
 
 „ 25, line 7, after " and" insert " one of his commanders." 
 
 „ — coin 42, for" Date 678" read " 673 ;" and alter Arabic 
 accordingly. 
 
 „ 29, note ^, and page 58, line 19, et seq., for " Akhberi" read 
 " Akberi." 
 
 „ 55, coin 94, obverse, add *J Xl^ 
 
 „ — reverse, for jc^ read ^^ 
 
 „ 63, coin 111, for " 109," read " 110." 
 . „ 66, coin 118, for "114" read "115." 
 
 „ 72, coin 136, for "795" read "790." 
 
 „ 100, line 6, for " Clumar" read " Chunar." 
 
Xiim Cfn:m,.Tol IX_ p. 89. 
 
 COINS OF THE PATAN SULTANS OF HINDOSTAN. 
 
Num. CkroTi. Tol.JL.p.i 
 
 COINS OF THE PATAN SULTANS OF HINDOSTAN 
 
J-Sasire^ gel. tr . 
 
 COINS OF THE PATAN SULTANS OF HINDOSTAN 
 
Wum. Giron . Fol.'X . p. 
 
 COINS OF THE PATAN SULTANS OF HIMDOSTAN. 
 
.'>/m. Chron.Tvl 
 
 piy 
 
 vijjjf>/ x!i^i'tiiii>^ \^h^i^ 4y^Ji:^ 
 
 ■ OINS OF THE PATAN SULTANS OF HINDOSTAN 
 
2. S. 
 
 3. S. 
 
 4. G. 
 
 
 5. G. 
 
 6. S. 
 
 7. S. 
 
 5. C. 
 
 mLmi 
 
 ^"^mti 
 
9. G. 
 
 14. S. 
 
 15. S. 
 
 12. B. 
 
 13. S. 
 
 10. G. 
 
 1. G. 
 
 16. S. 
 
 /^^ 
 
 m 
 
3 92 
 
U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
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