Adventures of an Indian rupee in Java. Owing to the success of the Mughal Rupee as a reliable trade coin, the Dutch East India Company made it an official currency on the island of Java in 1693. Rupees coming in with the trade were countermarked for local use. By far the most common mark was… Read more »
This is the first time the word rupiyah ever appeared on a coin. During the 47th and 48th year of his reign, Akbar issued an unusual series of coins. Struck at the Agra mint, these coins had denominations inscribed on them: rupiyah, darb (1/2 Rupee) and charan (1/4 Rupee). They are exactly as mentioned in… Read more »
A rupee minted during a siege. Soon after the fall of the Maratha capital Raigad in 1689, the Mughal army under the command of Zulfiqar Khan, reached Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu in hot pursuit of Chhatrapati Rajaram. A long siege ensued lasting till 1698, and during this time, the Mughals operated a mint to… Read more »
The rupee of a short-lived pretender. When Aurangzeb died in 1707, a war of succession broke out among his sons. The youngest, Kam Bakhsh, declared his independence in the Deccan and styled himself ‘Emperor, the Refuge of Faith’. He ruled from Bijapur and Hyderabad, and rupees were struck in his name from select mints in… Read more »
Gulistan presents a meticulous botanical tapestry comprising 24 sets of five paintings each, arranged in a grid that echoes the geometric harmony of Mughal charbagh gardens. Each set features Gopa Trivedi’s poetic yet scientifically precise illustrations of plants that, while foreign in origin, have become integral to Indian cultural identity. The collection showcases species spanning… Read more »
This photograph is a collection of XIX century photos of India. This photograph documents theTomb of Itimad-ud-daula, Agra. There is a garden in front of the tomb. There are two men squatting and one man standing in the right side of the photograph. Situated on the left bank of the Yamuna River, adjacent to Chini-ka-Rauza,… Read more »
This photograph is a collection of XIX century photos of India. This photograph documents theTomb of Itimad-ud-daula, Agra. There is a garden in front of the tomb. There are two men squatting and one man standing in the right side of the photograph. Situated on the left bank of the Yamuna River, adjacent to Chini-ka-Rauza,… Read more »
The sea is witness to much that defines India and our port cities are the sentinels of change. Let’s travel to some old and new ports through the Sarmaya collection of maps and engravings and imagine them at the peak of their power
This silver square rupee coin was issued by Jahangir. An inscription in Persian on the obverse reads ‘”Noor ud din Jahangir Shah Akbar Shah.” The reverse shows the Persian month Shahrewar, Ilahi date, and zarb, with test marks appearing on both sides. The Ilahi month inscribed on this silver coin is ‘Shahrewar.’ Jahangir took a… Read more »
The coin was minted in surat and is a ‘kalima’ type. It reads “kalima shahada” inscribed around the name of four Khalifas (Caliphs) which are inscribed inside the square, on the obverse. It reads “muhammad murad baksh badshah ghazi” on the reverse. Murad Bakhsh was the youngest son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz… Read more »
This coin is a decorative ‘kalima type’ seen during the reign of Jahangir. It was minted probably in the brief period that Bijapur was in the possession of the Mughals. Both Akbar and Jahangir attempted yet failed to consolidate power in the state of Bijapur. The coin is silver and struck inside a circle. The… Read more »
This silver coin was issued by Akbar and minted at Akbarpur Tanda. The coins consist of the ‘Kalima’ inscribed on the obverse and the name and title of the issuer, date and mint on the reverse. This particular coin from the Akbarpur Tanda mint is considered to be very rare, with the ‘Maltese cross’ mint… Read more »
This silver coin was issued in by Akbar, minted at Agra, and is known as the ‘Kalima type’. Inscribed on both the sides, the coins consist of the ‘Kalima’ (Islamic affirmation of faith) on the obverse and the name and title of the issuer, date and mint on the reverse. On the obverse side of… Read more »
The East India Company (EIC) had established themselves in the village town called ‘Madrasapattam’ (now Chennai) in 1639-1640. This became the first major English settlement in India. In 1687, Aurangzeb’s conquest of Golconda and Bijapur led to the introduction of silver coins in southern India. The EIC sought permission from the Mughal Empire to mint… Read more »
This silver coin is inscribed on both the obverse and reverse and the inscriptions appear inside a floral design motif. This qualifies it in the ‘Decorative type’ category of coin issued by Emperor Akbar. Akbar’s Ilai coins typically bore the Ilahi creed: Allahu Akbar Jalla Jalalhu. He issued silver Ilahi coins minted at Agra in… Read more »
This silver coin is inscribed on both the obverse and the reverse and shows a floral design motif. The coin has a broad flan typical of a ‘Nazrana type’ coin issued by Emperor Akbar. A Nazrana coin was struck specifically for guests who wished to present it in the Durbar in honour of the Emperor.… Read more »
This coin was minted in Patna with an ‘Alam Panah’ couplet. It reads ‘Shahe Nooruddin Jahangir, Ibn Akbar Badshah, Sikka e zad dar shahera patna, Khushru e Alampanah’. Jahangir took a keen interest in coinage, minting some of the best specimens from the Mughal period. His reign saw a vast variety of coinage. He popularised… Read more »