2020-08-31 Mon

The fourth Mughal ruler, Jahangir, was succeeded the famous Akbar the Great. Jahangir was known for his ambivalent stance on religion and his love for art. Like most Mughal rulers, Jahangir has given India few of the most iconic structures that have lasted the centuries without losing their glory.

The reign of Jahangir in the Mughal Empire is marked with the remarkable varieties and magnificent coins. His portrait and Zodiac signs coins are an excellent example of the evolution of epigraphic and calligraphy.

In Zodiac ‘Leo’ was the special sign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir because it was his birth sign according to Iranian astrology. According to astrology, the sign of Leo was considered to be the domicile of Jupiter, the planet which is associated with kingship.

The obverse of a coin depicts Bust of Jahangir facing left on the surface of the radiant sun wearing a turban with an egret (Jikkah) and a brocaded costume, holding a book in his left hand, to left "Shabiya Jahangir Shah Akbar Shah", to right downwards "Sana 6 Julus". The reverse of this coin depicts a lion emerging from the sun with the Hijri year at the bottom.

Image Source: Wikipdia.org