2018-11-17 Sat

This extremely rare Silver Dirham or Dirham Sharaai issued by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb during is listed for INR 2,50,000.

Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India. His reign lasted for almost half a century (from 1658 to 1707) and was marked by several conquests and the vast expansion of the Mughal Empire. Aurangzeb was an orthodox Muslim and this can be clearly seen on his coins. When Aurangzeb came to the reign, he replaced the use of Kalima on the coin with couplets, as he did not want to defile the Kalima through its association with the monetary transactions of infidels.

This Silver Dirham was issued by him from the mint Akbarabad weighs around 2,50,000. Dirham Sharai coin was minted especially to pay Jaziyya Tax levied on Hindu Pilgrims.

In the Hijri year 1090; Aurangzeb had imposed the poll-tax also known as Jaizyya to the Non-Muslim population. This tax was to be paid in three categories and in three sums- the poor were to pay 3 Tolas, 1 Masha plus 0.45 and 1/20th of Masha of silver, the middle classes use to pay twice of this amount and the rich use to pay four times of this amount. The sums in equivalent Dirhams were going to be 12, 24 and 48 Dirhams respectively.

Image Courtesy: Oswal Auction