KNOWING the importance that coins have for numismatists in exploring various facts in the era of their circulation, it may be of some interest to the readers to know about what currency and other disciplines prevailed during the reign of Akbar-i-Azam, the Mughal emperor, as described by his learned courtier Allama Abul Fazal in his remarkable treatise Aeen-i-Akbari.
COINS OF GOLD
Having satisfied himself about the purity of gold and silver the emperor invented various patterns for the coins. They enhanced the glory of the royal treasury.
1. SAHANSA: It is a round coin weighting 101 tolas, nine mashas and seven rattis. It is valued at seven Lal-i-Jalali. In the middle of the coin on one side is engraved the name of the Qibla-i-Alam, the emperor himself, and in the five arches of the corner is written a scripture in Arabic. In the middle of other side is written the Kalima-i-Tayyaba and all around are engraved the names of the four revered caliphs.
Originally it was Maulana Maqsood, the seal engraver, who used to do the engraving, but later on Mulla Ali Ahmed did away with it and on one side was added an Arabic scripture. Later on, all these scriptures were erased and substituted with a Persian quatrain of Sheikh Faizee, the poet laureate. On the same side, right in the middle, was engraved Allah-o-Akbar Jalla Jalalahu. On the other side of the coin another quatrain was written. In the middle of the same side were engraved the year and the month of its minting.
2. Another coin of the same name and shape was also in circulation which weighed 90 tolas, eight mashas and was equivalent to 100 round Ashrafis in value, each weighing 11 mashas.
3. RAHAS: This one is half of the above two. At times it is square in shape. On one side it has similar engravings as of the Sahansa and the other side has another quatrain of Faizee.
4. ATMA: It is 1/4 of the Sahansa. It is both round and square in shape. Some have the same engravings as of the Sahansa and some have a different quatrain of Faizee on the other side with the opposite side having the first quatrain of the poet.
5. BINASTA: Like the Atma, this coin too is made both round and square in shape. Its worth 1/5 of the Sahansa.
6. CHUGAL (CHAHAR GOSHA): This coin is square in shape. Its weight is three tolas and 5 1/4 rattis. It is valued at 30 rupees.
Chugal (Round): The weight of this round coin is two tolas nine mashas and is valued at three Jalali Mohars, each Mohar is valued at rupees 11 and weighs 11 mashas.
7. CHUGAL (SQUARE): This square coin is 1/50 of the Sahansa and is valued at two Lal-i-Jalali. Engraving on both types of Chugals is identical.
8. LAL-I-JALALI: It is round in shape. In weight and appearance it is equal to two Mohars. One side has Allah Akbar and the other side Ya Moeeen engraved on it.
9. AFTABI: This coin too is round and its weight is one tola, two mashas and 4 3/4 rattis. It is valued at rupees 12.
10. ILAHI: This coin is also round and weighs 12 mashas, 11/3 rattis. It has engravings like the Aftabi and is valued at rupees 10.
11. LAL-I-JALALI (SQUARE): Its weight and value both are equivalent to that of the Illahi’s.
12. ADAL GUTKA: This is a round coin and weighs 11 mashas. It is valued at nine rupees. One side has Allah Akbar and the other Ya Moeen engraved on it.
13. ROUND ASHRAFI: This coin is like the Adal Gutka in weight and value, but has different engravings.
14. MEHRABI: In weight and value it is like round Ashrafi and is similar to it.
15. SAEENI: This is minted both in square and round shapes. In value it is equivalent of the Laal-i-Jalai and round Ashrafi. It has Ya Moeen engraved on it.
16. CHAHAR GOSHA: In weight and value it is equal to an Aftabi.
17. GURD: It is half of the Illahi coin and has the same engravings.
18. DHAN: It is half of the Lal-i-Jalali.
19. SALEEMI: It is half of the Adal Gutka.
20. RABI OR RUBAI: It is 1/4 of the Aftabi.
21. MUN: It is 1/4 of Ilahi and Jalali coins.
22. NISF SALEEMI: It is 1/4 of the Adal Gutka
23. PAKH: It is 1/5 of Illahi coin.
24. PANDO: It is 1/5 of the Lal-i-Jalal. It has engravings of poppy flower on one side and white rose on the other.
25. SAMNI OR HASHT SADA: It is 1/8 of the Illahi. It has engravings of Allah Akbar on one said and Jalle-Jala-Lahoo on the other side.
26. KALA: It is 1/16 of the Illahi and has engravings of the white rose on both sides.
27. ZARRAH: It is 1/32 of the Illahi.
It is customary in the royal mint that gold coins of Lal-i- Jalai, Dhan and Mun are struck each month.
Apart from the gold coins mentioned above the royal mints also strike coins of silver and copper.
COINS OF SILVER
1. ROOPIYA: This round coin weighs 11 1/2 mashas. This was introduced during emperor Sher Khan’s rule, but reached to its perfection during the reign of Akbar-i-Azam with new engravings on it. On one side of it is engraved Allah-Akbar Jalle-Jala-Hoo and the other side has the date on which it was struck in the mint.
It is equal to 40 Daams in value, though its value keeps fluctuating. But for the payment of salaries it is always considered to be equal to 40 Daams.
2. JALALA: It is square in shape and was introduced in the emperor’s reign. It value and engravings are similar to the Roopiya’s.
3. DARB: It is 1/2 of the Jalala.
4. CHARAN: It is 1/4 of the Jalala.
5. PANDO: It is 1/5 of the Jalala
6. ASHT: It is 1/8 of the Jalala
7. DASA: It is 1/10 of the Jalala
8. KALA: It is 1/16 of the Jalala
9. SOKI: It is 1/20 of the Jalala
The same divisions are also made of the Roopiya, but in shape are different from the above.
COPPER COINS
1. DAAM: Its weight is five taanks or one tola, eight mashas and seven rattis. It is 1/40 of a Roopiya. On one side is engraved the name of place of the mint and the other side has the year and month in which it was struck. For calculation purposes it is considered to have 25 parts and each part is called Chitial. These imaginary parts are merely for calculation.
2. ADHELA: It is 1/2 of the Daam.
3. PAOLI: It is 1/4 of the Daam.
4. DAMARI: It is 1/8 of the Daam.
During the early reign of the emperor, the gold coins were struck at various places but later on these came to be made only in five cities, the capital, Bangala, Ahmedabad, Gujrat and Kabul. The silver coins are minted in other than the above four cities, at 10 other following pales: Allahabad, Agra, Ujjain, Soorat, Delhi, Patna, Kashmir, Lahore, Multan, and Manda.
The cooper coins are minted only in the following 28 places: Ajmer, Oudh, Attock, Alwar, Budaun, Banaras, Bhakkar, Behra, Pattan, Jaunpur, Jalandhar, Hariduar, Hisar Firoza, Kalpi, Gawaliar, Gorakhpur, Klanur, Lakhnow, Mando, Nagor, Sirhind, Sirhind, Sialkot, Saronj, Saharanpur, Sarangpur, Sambal, Qannauj and Ranthanbhore.
