2020-09-30 Wed

Assam is the land of Bhramaputra it is a place of incomparable beauty but when it comes to its coinage, one could not stop marvelling at this fine piece of art. This land was ruled by the Ahoms dynasty, the other kingdom in this valley minted coins in the 16th century but the Ahoms struck coins for the first time in 17th-century CE.

The Ahom Kingdom flourished for 600 years in the Brahmaputra Valley of present-day Assam. Ruled by the Ahom dynasty, the kingdom resisted Mughal expansion with great success. The founder of the kingdom, Sukhaphaa, was a Tai prince of the Mong Mao region.

Chakradhvaja Simha rules the Ahom kingdom from 1663 to 1670 AD. During the reign, he issued silver and gold coins in the denomination of Mohur and Rupee. These coins are found in octagonal and round shape.

Depicted here is a silver Rupee that belongs to his reign. The obverse of a coin depicts the Ahom legend ‘Kao Boi Pha Ta-Ra Heu Ciu’ while the reverse inscribed with ‘Chao Pha Siu-Pung-mung Pin Canlak-ni Plek-ngi’.

Image Courtesy: Classical Numismatic Gallery