Nadir Shah, Silver Rupee of Shahajahanabad Mint (Delhi)

A memento of a massacre. On 20 March 1739, Nadir Shah, the king of Iran, defeated Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah and entered Delhi (Shahjahanabad). Rupees were struck in his name, giving him lofty titles like ‘King of Kings of the World’. But soon afterwards, a horrifying massacre followed with Nadir leading the slaughter in person. The impact of the event was felt across the Mughal Empire; rupees in Nadir Shah’s name were struck even at faraway places like Ahmadabad, Murshidabad and Banaras.