Story of Indian Money XV - Islamic States of Dehli Sultanate & their Coinage c. 1192 - 1555 A.D.

Mahmud Ghazni (r. 998-1030) began raiding the Indian territories on a regular basis between 1001 and 1021 A.D. and established a Ghaznavid province in Punjab consistent with his Afghan territories in 1028 A.D. He issued coins with the Kalima (Islamic expression of faith) inscribed in Arabic with the title ‘Leader of the faithful’ on the obverse. His Indian coins have reverse inscriptions stating ‘dinara struck for cities captured during the Holy War with India’. One Silver Dinara issued by Mahmud in 1028 A.D. from Mahmudpur (Lahore) has a unique bilingual legend with the Kalima in Arabic on the obverse and its translation in Sanskrit on the reverse! 

Mahmud’s successors adopted the ‘Bull-and-Horseman’ type modifying it into a ‘Bull-and-legend’ type with the name of the ruler in Kufic Arabic script. 
The Ghaznavids were deposed by Ghorids in Ghazni and finally evicted from Lahore by the Ghorid brothers, Ghiyath-uddin and Muizz-uddin in 1186 A.D. Muizzuddin or Muhammad Ghori (known as Muhammad bin Sam on his coins) succeeded in laying down the foundations of the Dehli Sultanate by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan at the Battle of Tarrain in 1192 A.D.
Muhammad bin Sam copied the ‘Bull-and-Horseman’ coin called Dehliwalas with either side devoted to Arabic inscriptions and issued them in billon and copper. Muhammad  also copied the Lakshmi type gold coin when he captured Kashi from Jayachandra, the famed rival of Prithviraj Chauhan, with the Nagari legend ‘Sri Mahamada bini saam’! In Bengal, his general Bakhthiyar Khilji initiated a new gold prototype with the obverse image of a charging Turkish horseman with a mace and the Nagari legend ‘Gaud Vijaye’ and a reverse Arabic inscription with Muhammad’s titles.
Muhammad was succeeded by his slave general Qutb-uddin Aibak (r. 1206-1210); however, no coins are found in his name or his immediate successor, Aram Shah. 
Aibak’s ultimate successor, his manumitted slave, Shams-uddin Illtutmish (r.1211-1236) reintroduced the Islamic coins with Kalima as silver tankas while continuing the copper and billon Dehliwalas. The most important feature of these ‘Islamic’ coins was the total abhorrence of images and the use of exact date and place of issue. 
Illtutmish also began the trend of invoking the Abbasid Caliph on his coins to ensure his religious sanction. This trend was continued by all his successors; notably Rukn-uddin Firoz his son (r.1236) Jalalat Raziya his daughter and the first woman to ascend the Dehli throne (r.1236-1240). 
The Dehli Sultanate's 'Slave Dynasty' continued under Illtutmish’s clan till 1266 when the last ruler, Nasir-uddin Mahmud was replaced by Balban, the Chancellor of the Sultanate. 
Balban was succeeded by his grandson, Qaiqubad who was replaced by his minor son, Kayumarth. 
The dynasty was finally replaced by a rank outsider, Jalal-uddin Firuz Khilji (1290-1296); Firuz and his successor, Rukn-uddin Ibrahim (r.1296) continued the coinage of the previous regime. 
However, Ibrahim was soon deposed by Firuz’s ambitious nephew, Ala-uddin Muhammad Khilji (r.1296-1316) who soon embarked with his army to capture riches from Deogiri, Malwa, Gujarat and Rajasthan; he also captured rich booty from Warangal and Dwarasamudra through his general, Malik Kafur. Ala-uddin and his successor Qutb-uddin Mubarak issued heavy gold and silver coins. 
Ala-uddin issued his coins with the haughty title ‘the second Alexander, the right hand of the Caliph’ while Qutb-uddin used the arrogant title ‘the supreme head of the faith, the Caliph, Lord of heavens and earth’ in Arabic.

 Qutb-uddin was replaced by Ghiyath-uddin Tughluq (r.1320-1325) who continued the Khilji coinage. However, his successor, Muhammad bin Tughluq (r.1325-1351) ushered in an era of unsurpassed numismatic glory by producing numerous types of gold coins with fine Islamic calligraphy. He also increased the weight of his coins after his South Indian campaigns.

However, his greatest numismatic achievement was his attempt to introduce ‘token currency’ in 1329 A.D. when he attempted to replace silver and billon coins with a token equivalent in copper validated by the state! He engraved "He who obeys the Sultan obeys the Compassionate" to scare and fascinate people into accepting the new system. 

However, the coins were forged by locals causing a collapse in the system till the Sultan agreed to replace the copper coins with actual silver ones causing a heavy drain on the exchequer. Muhammad also issued a variety of coins with religious legends including the name of the first four caliphs; he also revived the use of Kalima on his coins. Muhammad faced local revolts towards the end of his rule with the founding of Bahmani Sultanate in Deccan in 1347 A.D. which issued its own coinage.  

Muhammad’s successor, Firuz Shah Tughluq (r.1351-1388) issued some coins with the name of the ruling Caliphs but had to sanction the use of billon coins due to the reduced revenues during his reign.

Firuz’s successors witnessed the formation of local Sultanates in Gujarat (1391), Jaunpur (1394) and Malwa (1392). 

However, the greatest disaster was the invasion by Timur’s army in 1398 A.D. which reduced the Sultanate’s domains to the outskirts of Delhi. Mahmud, the last Tugluq ruler died in 1414 A.D. inviting counterclaims from two powers; Daulat Khan Lodhi the governor of the Doab region and Khizr Khan Sayyid.

Khizr Khan succeeded in the power struggle leading to the founding of the Sayyyid dynasty. 

The Sayyids refrained from issuing coins initially but the second ruler Mubarak Shah issued a novel coinage followed by his nephew Muhammad who preferred the Tughluq standard in billon. Alam Shah, the last ruler issued fewer coins and gave way to Bahlol Lodhi in 1451.

Bahlol Lodhi retained only copper and billon coins with a new formula of issuing coins extolling the virtues of the ruler on both sides and seeking divine blessings for his rule; this type was preferred by his successors, Sikandar and Ibrahim.

Ibrahim Lodhi was killed in 1526 A.D. in the first battle of Panipat by Zahir-uddin Muhammad Babur, the exiled ruler of Farghana who claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis Khan laying the foundations of the Mughal Empire.

 

Silver Tanka of Mahmud of Ghazni with Kalima in Arabic and Sharada Script

Gold Tanka of Muiz-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam issued along from Ghazna mint with the name of the Caliph Al-Nasir 

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Silver Tanka of Illtutmish in name of Caliph al-Mustansir

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Gold Tanka of Ala-ud-din Khalji with title 'Sikandar Sani' 'Second Alexander

Copper 'Token' Tanka of Muhammad bin Tughluq with legend 'Man ata Sultan faqd ata-ur-Rahaman' 'If I obey the Sultan, I obey God'