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Akbar. We read the following on page 120 of "A Manual of Musalman Numismatics" ;
" Also there are the large handsome gold pieces of 200, 100, 50 and 10 muhrs of Akbar and his three successors, which were, no doubt, not for currency use exactly, but for presentation in the way of honour for the emperor or offered to the emperor or king for tribute or acknowledgment of fealty, nazarana as it is called."
On pp. 27-30 of " Ain-i-Akbari", volume I (H. Blochmann ) we read the following description of the gold coins of Akbar as given by Abul Fazl :
"l. The S'hansah is a round coin weighing 101 tolahs, 9 mashahs, and 7 surkhs, in value equal to 100 L'al i Jalali - muhurs. On the field of one side is engraved the name of his Majesty, and on the five arches in the border, alsultanu ala'zamu alkhaqanu almu'azzamu khallada allahu mulkahu wa sultanahu zarbu dari – Ikhilafati Agrah -" The great sultan, the distinguished emperor, may God perpetuate his kingdom and his reign ! Struck at the capital Agrah." On the field of the reverse is the beautiful formula, and the following verse of the Qoran? :- Allahu yarzaqu man yashau bighairi hisabin, -"God is bountiful unto whom He pleaseth, without measure; “- and round about are the names of the first four califs. This is what was first cut by Maulana Maqsud, the engraver; after which Mulla Ali Ahmad made with great skill the following additions. On one side, Afzalu dinarin yanfuquhu alrajulu, dinarun yanfuquhu 'ala achabihi fi sabilillah, -" The best coin which a man expends, is a coin which he spends on his co-religionists in the path of God."
And on the other side he wrote,
Alsultanu al'ali alkhalifatu almuta'ali khallada allahu ta'ala mulkahu wa sultanahu, wa abbada 'adlahu wa ihsanahu, - " The sublime sultan, the exalted calif, may God the Almighty perpetuate
1. Also called Kalimah or the Confession of Faith, la ilaha ill-allah, Mohammadio rasol-ullab.
2. Qor. Sur. II, 208.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
