Technically, the Mughal period in India commenced in 1526 AD when Babur
defeated Ibrahim Lodhi, the Sultan of Delhi and ended in 1857 AD when the
British deposed and exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor after
the great uprising. The later emperors after Shah Alam II were little more
than figureheads.
The most significant monetary contribution of the Mughals was to bring
about uniformity and consolidation of the system of coinage throughout the
Empire. The system lasted long after the Mughal Empire was effectively no
more. The system of tri-metalism which came to characterise Mughal coinage was
largely the creation, not of the Mughals but of Sher Shah Suri (1540 to 1545
AD), an Afghan, who ruled for a brief time in Delhi. Sher Shah issued a coin
of silver which was termed the Rupiya. This weighed 178 grains and was the
precursor of the modern rupee. It remained largely unchanged till the early
20th Century. Together with the silver Rupiya were issued gold
coins called the Mohur weighing 169 grains and copper coins called Dam.
>Where coin designs and minting techniques were concerned, Mughal Coinage
reflected originality and innovative skills. Mughal coin designs came to
maturity during the reign of the Grand Mughal, Akbar. Innovations like
ornamentation of the background of the die with floral scrollwork were
introduced. Jehangir took a personal interest in his coinage. The surviving
gigantic coins, are amongst the largest issued in the world. The Zodiacal
signs, portraits and literary verses and the excellent calligraphy that came
to characterise his coins took Mughal Coinage to new heights.
Coins of the Mughal Empire
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Mohur-Aurangzeb |
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Mohur-Farrukhsiyar
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The early years of Shah Jehan's reign brought forth a large variety of
types; coin design was standardised towards the latter part of his reign.
Aurangzeb, the last of the Grand Mughals was austere in his ways and orthodox
in his beliefs. He did away with the Kalima, the Islamic Article of Faith from
his coins, and the format of coins was standardised to incorporate the name of
the ruler, the mint and the date of issue.