Silver Rupee of Jahangir/Nur Jahan – Patna Mint
Obverse
|
Inscription |
Bahukum Shah Jahangir Yaft sad zewar Sanah 1037 |
बहुकुम शाह जहाँगीर याफ़्त सद ज़ेवर सनह 1037 |
بحکم شاہ جہانگیر یافت صد زیور سنہ 1037 |
|
Translation |
By order of Shah Jahangir gained
a hundred ornaments Year 1037 |
शाह जहाँगीर
के आदेश से, सौ आभूषण प्राप्त हुए वर्ष 1037 |
شاہ جہانگیر کے حکم سے سو زیور حاصل ہوے سنہ 1037 |
Reverse
|
Inscription |
Zanam Nur Jahan Badshah Begum Zar Zarb Patna 22 |
ज़नाम नूर जहान बादशाह बेगम ज़र ज़र्ब पटना 22 |
زنام نور جہان بادشاہ بیگم زر ضرب پٹنا 22 |
|
Translation |
Gold by the name of Nur Jahan Badshah Begum Minted at Patna 22 |
नूर जहान बादशाह बेगम के नाम में सोना पटना में ढाला गया 22 |
نور جہان بادشاہ بیگم کے نام میں سونا ضرب پٹنا 22 |
The coin
Mehr-un-Nissa, better known as Nur Jahan (1577-1645) was the
twentieth wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. During the latter years of
Jahangir’s reign, it was her who took over the matters of the state to a large
extent.
“By degrees,” says Muhammad Hadi, the continuer of
Jahangir’s Memoirs, “She became, except in name, undisputed sovereign of
the empire, and the king himself became a tool in her hands. He used to say
that Nur Jahan Begum has been selected, and is wise enough, to conduct the
matters of the state, and that he wanted only a bottle of wine and piece of
meat to keep himself merry.”[i]
In the Muslim world, the right to strike coins was among the
two juridically recognized expressions of the right of the ruler to sovereignty.
The other being the khutba, the right of the ruler to have his name mentioned
in the Friday sermon. Although Nur Jahan’s name was struck on coins, it was
still Jahangir’s name which was mentioned in the khutba.[ii]
Patna was a very active mint under the rule of Jahangir.
This coin is from the last year of Jahangir’s reign. The design itself is an excellent
example of the Nasta’liq calligraphic hand which had become prevalent by this
time.
Comments
Post a Comment