2018-09-22 Sat

Shams al-Din Kayumarth was the last Sultan of Mamluk dynasty who ruled for a short period. Kayumarth was only three years old when the nobles of his father, Muizz al-Din Kaiqubad enthroned him fearing an attack from Jalal al-Din Firoz Khilji and the incapability of Kaiqubad to face him.

However, Firoz Khilji was successful in his bid to power and assumed the throne after murdering Kayumars, ending the Mamluk dynasty and starting the Khalji dynasty.

Coins of Kayumarth are extremely rare. One of his silver Tanka which is depicted above was sold for 1,80,000 by Classical Numismatic Gallery. Both sides of the coin showed beautiful Arabic calligraphy. The obverse depicted the legend ‘al-Sultan al-'Azam Shams al-Dunyawa al-Din Abu al-MuzaffarKayumarth al-Sultan’ within a rectangle. The reverse of the coin is inscribed with ‘al-Imam al-Musta'asim Amir al-Mumineen’ in a double rectangle set in a circle, date and mint details in the margin.

Image Source: Classical Numismatic Gallery