Silver Sasnu of Zain al-Abidin – Kashmir Sultanate

 

INCOMPLETE

Year: 842 AH, coin issued from 746-752 AH (1438/9 AD)

Regnal year: N/A

Weight: 6.13g

Mint: Kashmir

Obverse

Al-Sultan Al-Azam Zain Al Abidin	अल-सुल्तान अल-आज़म ज़ैन अल आबदीन	السلطان الاعظم زین العابدین
The Sultan, The Great Zain Al Abidin	महान सुल्तान ज़ैन अल आबदीन	اعظیم سلطان زین العابدین

Reverse

Zarb Kashmir (centre)     Fi Shahur Sanah isnin wa arba’in wa samaniat (in margins)	ज़र्ब कश्मीर (बीच में)   फ़ी शहूर सनह व इसनीन व अर्बाइन व समानीयात (चारों ओर)	ضرب کشمیر (بیچ میں)     فی شھور سنہ اثنین و اربعین و ثمانمائہ (چاروں اور)
Minted at Kashmir (centre)     In the year Eight hundred forty-two (in margins)	कश्मीर में ढाला गया (बीच में)   वर्ष आठ सौ बयालीस (चारों ओर)	کشمیر میں ڈھالا گیا (بیچ میں)     سنہ آٹھ سو بیالیس (چاروں اور)

 

 

Sultanate of Kashmir

Kashmir was never a part of the Delhi Sultanate. This mountainous region was ruled by Hindu Rajas until Islam was introduced into Kashmir early in the fourteenth century AD by Shah Mirza, an adventurer from Swat who became a minister to the ruling Hindu ruler and eventually succeeded in usurping the throne around AH 747 (AD 1346/7), adopting the title Shamsuddin.

The iconoclast Sikandar (1393–1416) and the moderate Zain al–Abidin (1420–70) were the most well-known of the subsequent kings. A Mughal governor, Mirza Haidar, officially subordinate to Emperor Humayun, controlled Kashmir from 1541 until 1551. The Chak dynasty took power in 1561 and remained in power until 1589, when Akbar added Kashmir to his kingdom.[i]

Zain al-Abidin

Ghiyasuddin Zain al-Abidin (reign: 1420-1470) was the eighth Sultan of the Kashmir Sultanate. He was more tolerant of Hinduism than his predecessor was, and he allowed its practise. On Kashmir's Hindu population, he abolished Jizya. Despite being a Muslim emperor, he forbade cow slaughter and permitted the building of temples. He gave Sanskrit literature and language considerable support. [ii]

He oversaw a number of civic projects, encouraged education, and proclaimed Persian the official language of his court. He reformed the coinage striking coins in gold, silver and bronze. Zain al-Abidin's health deteriorated towards the end of his rule, and his country was the target of plots by his three sons and others who supported them.

The coin

The coinage of the Kashmir Sultanate is unique in that it has its own weight standard. The silver sasnu was approximately 6.2g. The unusual weight of the coins suggests that trade with other kingdoms was not a major part of the economy.

The coin presents the rulers name alongside the date in numbers on the obverse. The reverse encloses the mint name of Kashmir within a central ornamental diamond and has the date in Arabic spread over the margins.

The sasnus are all dated Ah 842 and were probably struck from then on intermittently until the end of the reign with the same fixed date.[iii]

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[i] Brown, C. J. (1980). The Heritage of India Series: The Coins of India. University of Toronto Library.

[ii] Mehta, JI. (n.d.). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd,.

[iii] Goenka, S. G. (2022). The Coins of the Indian Sultanates: Covering the Areas of Present Day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. New Delhi: Manoharlal Publishers & Distributors.