2016-11-30 Wed

Muhammad Bin Tughluq (AH 725-752; AD 1325-1351) was the Sultan of Delhi. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq of Tughluq dynasty. He was one of the most controversial rulers of Indian history. He introduced the concept of Token currency in which he issued brass and copper coins whose value was equal to that of gold and silver. But his experiment failed because people started minting the coins in their house. He was a very knowledgeable person and knew different languages like Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Sanskrit. He was a man with an open mind. He was well versed in poetry, astronomy, religion and philosophy.

Muhammad Bin Tughluq had issued coin in five different types:

I) In the name of his father Ghiyas –ud-din Tughluq.
II) In his own name- Normal issue.
III) Token issue (also known as Black Tanka).
IV) In the name on Abbasid Caliphs.
V) Joint issue with the sultan of Bengal.
Out of these five types the coins which he had issued with the name of the Abbasid Caliphs are two types: - “Al-Mustakfi I” and “Hakim II”.

The Caliph “Al-Mustakfi I” died in the year AH 740. Muhammad Bin Tughluq started striking the coin in the name of “Al-Mustakfi I” after his death till AH 744. First, he started minting this coin in Delhi and in the following year in Daulatabad.

These coins were struck in gold and billion but few silver coins are also found. One such silver Tanka was sold for INR 75,000 at Todywalla Auction held in Ahmadabad on 27th Feb 2015.

This very rare Silver Tanka reads as “Fi-Zaman Al-imam Al-Mustakfi Billah Amir Al-Muminin Abu Rabi Sulaiman Khulidat Khilafatahu” on the obverse. And “Duriba Hadha Al-Dinar Al-Khilafati Fi Al-Dehli Shahur. This coin was minted in Dehli. Date on the coin in not clearly visible.