Quadrant IV: The Coinage of the Bengal Sultans: 1205 – 1576 AD
5.1 Do you know
Description Image Source
“In the very beginning of Image source: the 13th century, the people of Bengal saw a completely alien coinindia.com/galleries-bengal.html coinage so far as their language, script, metrology and type are concerned. The language on the coin is Arabic, script is Nashq and Tughra. The metals used for manufacturing these coins was grossly Silver”
“Large number of silver tankas of Bengal are found with chisel cuts and various
other type of punches generally known as ‘shroff marks,’ a special characteristic of this coinage. This was probably the result of a system of discounting and reminting of older coinage”
“Starting with a single mint in 13th century, the number of mints increased from 14th century and reached its highest number of fourteen mints simultaneously were in operation in 16th century”
5.2 Timeline
Timelines Image Description
Bakhtyar Khalji invaded Bengal, struck coins in the name 1205 CE of Muhammad bin Sam, bilingual with horseman motif
Bengal as a provincial kingdom was under the rule of the 1205-1334 CE Governors deputed by Delhi Sultans
Period of early Independent Sultan under the leadership of 1334 – 1345 CE Fakhr al-din Mubarak Shah
Shams al-din Ilyas Shah conquered the entire Bengal and 1345 CE established the first independent sultanate in Bengal Hindu chieftain Raja Ganesa captured the power in 1416-18 CE Bengal for a brief period in the name of Danujamarddana Deva Nasir al-din Mahmud Shah established a new 1434 CE dynasty known as Later Ilyas Shahi dynasty The Abyssinians (Palace guards or Khwajas) 1487 – 1493CE overthrown Sultan Jalal al-din Fath Shah and held their sway over Bengal for a brief period With the reign of Ala al-din Husain Shah, Bengal 1493 – 1538CE entered into its most prosperous period of almost 50 years, the golden period in medieval Bengal
5.3 Glossary
Starting Related Term Definition Character Term T Tanka Silver/ Gold coins of Medieval Bengal weighing 10.4- Sikkah 10.8 gm
N Nashq A type of script for writing Arabic language
T Tughra A special type of script for writing Arabic language
K Kalima Profession of faith Shahada
H Hadrat Jalal The holy seat of majesty S Sikandar al- The second Alexander
Sani
K Khazanah The treasury
D Dar al-darb The mint
5.4 Web links
Web links
coinindia.com/galleries-bengal.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_Sultanate www.anwarscoincollection.com/category/sultanate/bengal-sultanate
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/bengal_sultanate-1.html
https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/3012-coins-of-bengal-sultan-husain-shah/
5.5 Bibliography
Bibliography Ahmed, Shamsuddin, Supplement to the Catalogue of the Coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, Vol.II, 1938. Bhattasali, N.K., Coins and Chronology of the Early Independent Sultans of Bengal, Cambridge, 1922 (New Delhi, 1976 reprint) Deyell, John S, ‘Rupar Bangla. the Politics and Religion of Mediaeval Bengal through Coins’, in Martha. L. Carter (ed.), A Treasury of Indian Coins, Marg, Bombay, 1994. Karim, Abdul, Corpus of the Muslim Coins of Bengal (Down to A.D. 1538),Dacca, 1960.
Mitra, Pratip Kumar, ‘Silver Coin of Bengal Sultans in the Collection of the State Archaeological Museum, West Bengal’, Pratna Samiksha, Vol. I, Calcutta, 1992.
Hussain, Syed Ejaz, The Bengal Sultanate, Politics, Economy and Coins, (AD 1205-1576), Manohar, New Delhi, 2003.
Stan Goron and J.P.Goenka. The Coins of the Indian Sultanates Covering the Area of Present-day
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. New Delhi: Munshiram and Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd, 2001.