2021-10-04 Mon

An adjoined copper Quarter Anna was issued by Jaswant Singh of Sailana Princely state in 1908 Anno Domini. The obverse of the coin features, bust of King Edward VII which is facing towards right and value and Date within beaded circle, Sailana State in Devanagari and English on the backside.

Sailana princely state was a part of Malwa Agency, Central Indian Agency. It had an area of 450 square miles. The word ‘Sailana’ is traced from the name of Shaila hills. Its territories were scattered and intermingled with Ratlam state and so it was tedious for the cartographer to make an accurate map of Sailana. Its boundaries intermingled with Gwalior, Indore, Dhar, Jhabua, Jaora, Banswara and Kushalgarh. The chief river of the state was Mahi which flows in the western part of the State.

The lineage of Sailana comes from Rathore Rajputs of the Ratanavat branch, an offshoot of the Ratlam house. Jai Singh, the great grandson of Ratan Singh established the state. Ratan Singh was responsible for the foundation of Ratlam state. In 1716, he fought a battle at Sagode against his uncle for the murder of his father. He secured Ratlam and kept it for his elder brother. The existing state and conquered state was divided among both the brothers. Raoti town was made the capital of the state. Later, in 1736 he shifted the capital to the newly built Sailana city. He fought 22 battles and turned Sailana into an independent state.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World