2017-12-11 Mon

Shah Shuja was born on 23rd June 1616 in Ajmer. He was the second son and child of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his queen Mumtaz Mahal. He proclaimed himself the king in 1657.

Muhammad Shah Shuja was appointed by Shah Jahan as the Subahdar of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. During his governorship, he built the official residence Bara Katra in the capital Dhaka.

When Shah Jahan fell ill, a struggle for the throne started between his four sons - Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh. Shuja immediately crowned himself the emperor and took imperial titles in November 1657.

This Silver rupee of Shah Shuja was struck at Akbarnagar. The obverse of the coin bears the Kalima within a square border- La Ilaha Illallahu Muhammadur Rasulullah and names of khalifa-e-Rashidoon. The reverse of the coin carries the name and title of the ruler ‘Shah Shujaa Sanah Ahad’. This coin was sold for INR 3,90,000 at Classical Numismatic Gallery.