Silver rupee of Islam Shah Suri – 1477
Obverse
|
Inscription |
Islam Shah Ibn
Sher Shah Sultan 954 Khuld Allah Mulkahu Shri Islam Shahi
(Nagari) (Centre)
1477 [Star of David] Jalal uld [duniya] Wa’l Deen Abu’l-Muzaffar Al Sultan Al Adil (in margins) |
इस्लाम शाह इब्न शेर शाह सुल्तान 954 ख़ुलद अल्लाह मूलकहु श्री इसलम शाही (नागरी
में) (बीच
में)
१४७७ [दाऊद का सितारा] जलाल उल [दुनिया] व दीन अबु अल-मुज़फ़्फ़र अल सुल्तान अल आदिल (चारों
और) |
اسلام شاہ ابن شیر شاہ سلطان 954 خلد اللہ ملکہ شری اسلم شاہ (ناگری
میں) (بیچ میں) ١۴۷۷
[ستارہ داؤدی] [جلال الد [دنیا والدین ابو المظفر السلطان العدل (چارون اور) |
|
Translation |
Islam Shah son
of Sher Shah King 954 May God may perpetuate his kingdom Shri Islam Shahi
(Nagari) (Centre)
1477 [Star of David] Glory of [the World] And Faith, Father of the Conqueror The Just Sultan (in margins)
|
इस्लाम शाह पुत्र
शेर शाह सुल्तान 954 भगवान इस राज्य को कायम
रखे श्री इसलाम
शाही (नागरी में) (बीच
में)
१४७७ [दाऊद का सितारा] शान [विश्व] की और धर्म की, विजेता के पिता न्यायप्रिय सुल्तान (चारों
और) |
اسلام شاہ ابن شیر شاہ سلطان 954 خدا اس سلطنت کو قائم رکھے شری اسلم شاہ (ناگری میں) (بیچ میں) ١۴۷۷
[ستارہ
داؤدی] کا[جلال [دنیا اور دین کا، ابو
المظفر عدل سلطان (چارون اور) |
Reverse
|
Inscription |
La ila illallah Muhammad Rasul Allah (centre)
(in Margins) Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Omar Al Farooq Osman Al Affan Ali Al murtaza (in margins) |
ला इलाहा इल्लल्लाह मुहम्मद रसूलुल्लाह (बीच में)
अबू बक्र अल सिद्दीक़ उमर अल फ़ारूक़ उस्मान अल अफ्फ़ान अली अल मुर्तजा (चारों और) |
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله (بیچ میں) ابو بکر الصدیق عمر الفاروق عثمان العفان علی المرتضیٰ (چارون اور) |
|
Translation |
There is no God but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God (in margins)
Abu Bakr, the Truthful Omar, the Distinguisher Osman, the Modest Ali, the Chosen One (in margins) |
कोई भी परमेश्वर नहीं है,
परमेश्वर के सिवा, मुहम्मद उस
ईश्वर के प्रेषित हैं (बीच में)
अबूबक्र, सत्यवादी उमर, विवेकी उसमान, विनयपूर्ण अली, चुने हुए (चारों और) |
نہیں ہے کوئ معبود سواۓ اللہ کے محمد اللہ کے
پیغمبر ہیں
(بیچ میں) ابو بکر الصدیق عمر الفاروق عثمان العفان علی المرتضیٰ (چارون اور) |
About
Jalal ud din Abul Muzaffar Islam Shah Suri (reigned:
1545-1554) was the second son of Sher Shah Suri. After Sher Shah’s death in
1545, his two sons Adil and Jalal were contenders to the throne. At the time of
Sher Shah’s death, both the sons were absent from the capital; Jalal was at
Rewa while his brother was at Ranthambore. Jalal, despite being the younger of
the two, was favoured due to the fact that he was considered brave, and had
proved worthy previously by brilliantly managing the business of the state.[i]
Jalal then took up the title of Islam Shah.
He carried on his father's objectives of improved
centralization and effective administration. Two months' pay in cash was given
to the soldiers as the new king's first official act. The monarch resumed all
of the Jagirs, and those who held them received payment.
The fleeing Mughal emperor Humayun, whom his father had deposed,
made one fruitless attempt to attack him. Although he had little opportunity
for military campaigning, he led a successful campaign against the city of
Kalinjar, which his father had failed to capture. The Kalinjar Raja was
subsequently executed.
Between his father's Serais, Islam Shah constructed a Serai
every half Kos. He stationed two horses and a few footmen at each of the Serais
to deliver news from Bengal every day. Poor tourists were provided all kinds of
amenities. [ii]
About Islam Shah Dr. R. P. Tripathi says that “He was a
worthy successor to his father. A good student of literature and a patron of
men of letters, he distinguished himself in literary circles by his wit,
humour, apt quotations from classics and appreciation of fine composition. At
times, he composed extempore verses. He had studied canon law and theology and
took an intelligent part in discussion on those subjects. His private life was
well regulated. His manners were pleasant, polished and refined. He had
distinguished himself as a good soldier and an able commander even as a prince.
The coin
Although several varieties of Islam Shah’s coins are known,
this particular type, assumed to be from the Bengal region is known as the
“mintless type” or the “1477 type”. The obverse features the name and title of Islam
Shah in Arabic alongside “Shri Islam Shahi” in Devanagari.
The design of the reverse presents the Kalima Shahada in the
centre, and the names of the four Rashidun Caliphs alongside their epithets in
the margins.
The Mysterious Number
Perhaps the most interesting trait of this type is the
number 1477. The significance of this number has puzzled numismatists since it
was initially observed. The following section is largely from “A Star, a
Mysterious Number, and Contemporary Islamic Culture” by Md. Shariful Islam. [iii]
On first sight one might assume it to be the date of
mintage. However, the actual date of this specimen, 954 AH, is present below. These coins are dated 952-60 AH (1545-1552 AD)
meanwhile Saka era (Shaka Samvata) 1477 corresponds to 1555 AD, which is after
Islam Shah’s death.
The number 1477
A significant number of Muslims use 786 to represent the
first verse of the Qur’an: ‘Bismilllahir Rahmanir Rahim’. It is one of the most
important phrases in Islam and is used by Muslims mostly before starting
"good deeds" such as prayers. The number 786 is the abjad numeral
value of this verse.
The Abjad numerals, also called Hisab al-Jummal, are a
decimal alphabetic numeral system/alphanumeric code, in which the 28 letters of
the Arabic alphabet are assigned numerical values. In the system, the first
letter of the Arabic alphabet, ‘alif’ represents 1, the second letter ‘bā’
represents 2 and so on up to 9. Letters then represent the first nine intervals
of 10s and those of the 100s: yāʾ for 10, kāf for 20, qāf for 100, ending with
1000.
If the number 1477 is converted into the abjad numeral
system, the verse 56:15 of the Qur’an is found, which is ‘عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍۢ مَّوْضُونَةٍۢ’ meaning ‘on jewelled thrones’.[iv] Now if
the number 1477 is replaced with the verse, the entire legend can be read as
‘al sultan al adil/ a’la suri mauzuma / Jalal al dunya/ wa’l din abu’l
Muzaffar/ Islam Shah ibn Sher Shah sultan/ Khuld allah mulkahu.
The complete
meaning can be translated as ‘The just sultan, on jewelled thrones, the glory
of the world and faith, father of the conqueror, Islam Shah son of Sher Shah
sultan, may Allah perpetuate his kingdom. Although this may be a mere
coincidence, the verse fits perfectly into the title of the sultan.
[i] Reign
of Salim Shah, Successor of Sher Shah Suri. (2019). Retrieved from notesonindianhistory:
https://www.notesonindianhistory.com/2019/06/reign-of-salim-shah-successor-of-sher.html?m=1
[ii] Sen,
P. (n.d.). Biography of Islam Shah the Successor of Sher Shah. Retrieved
from preservearticles.com:
https://www.preservearticles.com/history/biography-of-islam-shah-the-successor-of-sher-shah/23510
[iii] Md.
Shariful Islam, P. (2018). Mysterious Number 1477. Retrieved from
academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/43875942/Mysterious_Number_1477
[iv] Verse
56:15. (n.d.). Retrieved from Quran:
https://quran.com/en/al-waqiah/15
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