On The Coins of The Kings of Ghajni

On the Coins of the Kings of Ghazní
Author(s): Edward Thomas

Source: The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 9
(1847), pp. 267-386
Published by: Cambridge University Press
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267
Aut. IX.?On the Coins of the Kings of Ghazni. By Edward

Thomas, Esq., Bengal Civil Service.
[Read Mh March, 1847.]
T??r coins to which tho following notice refers form part of the
extensive collection made in Afghanistan by Mr. Massen, now depo
sited in the Museum at tho India House. Amid the more important
relics of tbo Baotrian successor? of Alexander the Great, which con
stituted tho bulk of this acquisition, slight attention was attracted
by the medals of a subsequent Mohammedan dynasty, the events of
whoso rule were comparatively well known, and whose history in itself
possessed none of the classic interest attaching to the survival of the
Greek monarchies in Central Asia. From this and other causes, Pro
fessor Wilson, in his description of the antiquities of Ariana, which the
labours of Mr. Masson had placed at his command, but briefly referred
to the numismatic monuments of the race of Sabaktagin. Such being
tho case, and adverting both to the numerical amount of these coins
now available, and to tho very limited number of medals of the
Glutztiavi princes yet noticed, cither by English or continental writers,
it scented probable that an attempt at a classification of these minor
antiquities might not be altogether devoid of interest.
In additiou to the assistance derived from the free use of the
treasures of tbo East India Company's Cabinet, advantage has been
taken of the equally liberal access afforded to various public and
private numismatic collections, to fill iu some of the lacuna? in the
serial order of the moneys of Z?bulist?n; the aid thus obtained will be
found duly acknowledged in the detail of the coins themselves.
The eventful period of Mohammedan history comprised in the
early rule of the Ghaznavis; the brilliant successes of the arms of
Islam under Mahniiid; as well as the material encouragement given
to literature by tho potentates of the day, have rendered the rise of
this dynasty the tbcino of ho many Eastern authors, that in the fulness
of their narrations but little remains to bo elucidated by collateral
means; and though in the present instance scanty room is left for
speculation founded on medals, these effectively fulfil their more
legitimate archaeological use of verifying authentic history, and thus
testing the comparative accuracy of the various writers on the subjects
they illustrate, whose works are now extant.
If the coins of the present Bcrics, unlike the medals of Greece and
Home, ofler no rare devices, no effigies or imitations of animal life,
268 ON TUE COINS OF THE
which, in their boldness and truth of execution, claim homago for tho
perfection of ancient art; or if they fail in affording classic allegories,
and indirect references to customs and superstitious, suitable for tho
display of antiquarian ingenuity, they record what is of greater im
portance,?a proportiouately far more ample circle of facts. If they
supply a more limited field for the exercise of the imagination, and
therefore furnish a less fascinating subject of study, they at the samo
time narrow tho possible departure from truth. In so doing they may
fairly claim excuse for want of symbolical or sculptural characteristics,
as well as a lenient criticism on the artistic demerits, with which, it
must be conceded, the later portion of the scries especially abounds.
Some few specimens of tho early mintages will indeed stand
comparison with tho best works of art of their class, both in respect
to tho fineness of the lines, and tho elegance and accuracy of the
Kufic legends; and, taken as a suite, even allowing for the great
deterioration in execution observable under the less powerful sultans
of the dynasty, the produce of tho Ghazni mint must be admitted to
have attained a high degree of excellence in tho order of Asiatic
coinages of its age.
Before proceeding to a detail of tho inscriptions to bo found on
tho coins, a few points may be alluded to as offering subjects of moro
general interest than the simple historical illustration afforded by the
major part of the medals of this collection.
The opinion advanced by many Mohammedan authors1 that
Sabn-ktagin* should be looked upon as tho first monarch of the Ghaz
navi race, is not horno out by the record on his money: on the con
trary, however powerful and virtually independent they may have
been, Sabaktagin, Ismail, and Mahiniid himself in tho early days of
his rise, all acknowledged the supremacy of the S?m?n? emperors,
and duly inscribed on the currency struck by themselves as local
governors, the name of the Lord Paramount, under whom they held
dominion. It was not until the year 389 A.n. that the House of
Ghazni assumed independence as sovereign princes, which ovent is
duly marked on Mahiu?d's met?ais of tho period, in tho rojection of
the name of the Suzerain Sain?n?, and tho addition of the prefix
Amir to his own titles. (See Coins, Nos. 9, 10, 23, &c.)
The numerous coins of Mahin?id, in their varied titular superscrip
i Mircliond, Hist. Gaz. cd. Wilkeii, p. 5; Kbal?sat al Akbb?r (Pri?e), ii.
277; Ferisbtali (Dow), i. 21 and 22 ; (Briggs), i. 13 and 14.
O j 3
? Or Subuktikin, ^ ? fxXxXx^ ? a8 ?? j3 written in a carefully engrossed MS.

of Utbi in the British Museum.
KINGS OF GHAZNI. 269
tions, mark most distinctly the progressive epochs of his eventful

career, commencing with the comparatively humble pr nomcn of
Scif al daulah, bestowed on him by N?h bin Mansiir in 384 A.n.,
proceeding onwards to the then usual S?m?n? titles of sovereignty,
?1 Amir, Al Syid, conjoined with the epithets of Yam?n al daulah,
and Amin al Millat, conferred on him by the Khal?f Al K?dir billah,
advancing next to the appellation of Nizam al din, and the occasional
prefix of the pompous designations of Malik al Mem?lik and Malik al
Muliik, and finally ending in tho disuse of all titular adjuncts, and the
simple inscription of the now truly celebrated name he had received at
his birth. (Ex gr,, vido Coins, Nos. 8, 9, 43, 44, 49, 53.)
Tho absence of any numismatic record of the title of Glmzi, said to
have been adopted by Mahmud on his return from some of his early
expeditions into India, leads to an inference, not altogether unsup
ported by other negative evidence, that the term in question was not
introduced into current use, in the full sense of its more modern accep
tation, till a somewhat later period.
The unique bilingual coin of Mahm?d, No. 42, claims a moro
than passing notice, though in the uncertainty regarding the date,
and the erasure of the place of coinage, no satisfactory inference can
be deduced as to the possible circumstances under which it was struck.
Hence, viewing it on the ono hand as a coin minted in reference to
some particular occasion, it avails but little to speculate on the preciso
section of Mahmuds Indian couquests, which was judged of such
importance by tho victor, as to bo dignified by a commemorativo
medal; or, on the other hand, recognizing this piece as the existing
representative of a local currency, it is equally unprofitable to hazard
an opinion as to tho identical people upon whom it may have been
thought desirable to impress an exalted idea of the greatness of their
now master, by thus communicating the sound of his titles through tho
medium of the characters of the lauguago in vulgar use. The letters
on tho reverse assimilate in a measure to tho form of the Sanskrit
alphabet denominated "Kutila," which is proved by the date on the
Rohilkund inscription to Imvo been in local use in the tenth century:
at tho samo timo tho Kutila alphabet by no means suffices for their
full identification, many of the characters employed approaching the
style of writiug attributed to a period, antecedent by many centuries
to the precise epoch at which these letters were fashioned; some
characters agreeing accurately with the corresponding letters in the
Tibetan alphabet, and not a few being readily identifiable with their
equivalents in the Allahabad inscription of tho fifth century. Of
course, it was naturally to be anticipated, that the letters should
270 ON THE COINS OP THE
exhibit the local modifications incident to the dialect of the country

to which they referred, and amid tho many Hind? kingdoms subdued
by M ahm lid's prowess, it was scarcely to be hoped, that the legend in
question should be fully explicable by means of any given form of the
still limited number of recognized systems of Devauagari Palaeography;
but the present difficulty extends beyond this, inasmuch as the expres
sion of the characters is in itself undecided, and by no means uniform.
For tho rest, making allowance for a considerable degree of malforma
tion, these letters may bo looked upon as generally identical with those
employed by the Brahmanical kings of Kabul, and subsequently by the
Hind? princes of Northern India. In as far as the legend has yet been
deciphered, it would appear to bo nothing moro than a partial tran
script of the Kufic inscription on the opposito surface of the coin.
From the imperfection of the form of many of the Sanskrit characters,
it would seem that the die engraver must have been somewhat un
skilled in the language, the symbols of which he was called upon
to imitate. This deduction, if not justified by tho crudo shape of
several of the letters themselves, and the unsuccessful attempt at a
representation of the due sound of the corresponding words of the
Arabic legend, evidenced in tho whole tenor of the transcript, is con
clusively proved by tho want of uniformity in what must be taken to
stand for one and the same letter, in different parts of the inscription
itself. Tho result arrived at from this fact, as well as from the
superiority of tho execution of tho Kufic sido of tho coin, is simply,
that the piece in question was not the work of native moncyers, but
rather the production of an artist whose aptitude had been derived
from Mohammedan mints; and hence, that this medal should be viewed,
not as a new adaptation of the coinage of a subdued country, but as
a specimen of money fabricated in reference to some peculiar occasion,
to mark somo particular victory, or perpetuate some notable conquest.
Mahm?d is related to have assumed the title of "Sultan," and
to have been the first Oriental potentate who appropriated this
term1. A reference to the coins of this prince, however, leads to some
doubt on the subject, and although their testimony in no wiso militates
against the generally received account of the origin of the designation,
yet it inferentially controverts the assertion of its immediate adoption
and use by Mahm?d himself. D'Herbelot avers that Mahm?d was
first designated by this epithet in 393, by Khalaf, Governor of Seist?n,
on the occasion of his surrendering himself to Mahm?d's mercy after
a futile attempt at rebellion. II " luy apporta les clefs de sa fortresse,
et le reconnut pour son Sultan. Ce titre de Sultan, qui n'?toit pas
1 Kbal?satal Akbb?r (Price), ii. 2H2; Elpliinstone's India, i. 53H.
encor? en usage, plut ?i fort ? Mahmud, qu'il le prit toujours depuis ce
temps-l?, et pardonna, non seulement ? Khalaf sa r?volte, mais le
r?tablit encore dans son gouvernement1." De Guignes, accepting the
samo narrative of the first enunciation of the word in its new sense,
adds a more probable and less express assertion of the degree of Mah
in?d's self-application of the term in question?"Et ce titre jusqu'alors
inconnu, devint en usage parmi les Princes Mahometans, il plut
Mahmoud qui le porta le premier. Auparavant les Princes preuoient
celui de ' Malek ' ou do 'Roi.' Dans la suite celui-ci s'avilit et ne
fut plus donn? qu'? des princes tributaires et soumis aux SulthansV
From tho numismatic evidence available, it would appear that, although
it may reasonably have pleased Mahm?d to bo called by this novel
denomination, ho docs not seem directly to have caused himself to be
thus officially designated. Had M ahm ltd either himself assumed this
pnenomen, or had he received it from any competent authority, he
would most probably have inscribed the appellation on his coins,
whereon it will be seen he at one time much rejoiced to record his
greatness. Moreover, had this title been adopted and employed by
Mahm?d in the sense in which it was subsequently used, it is but
reasonable to infer that it would have been continued by his imme
diate successors, and, as such, would have appeared on their money;
whereas, the first Ghaznavi sovereign who stamps his coinage wilh the
term, is Ibrahim", 4/>l A.if. (See Coins, Nos. 117, 119, &e.) During
tho interval, the designation had already been appropriated by nnother
dynasty, the Soljiik Toghral Reg having entitled himself Sultan so
early as 437 A.n., if not before that date, after having in the first
instance, on his conquest of Khoras?n from Mnsa?d, contented himself
with the usual style of Amir. (See note to Coin 59.)
The coins of Mahm?d, in addition to the illustration afforded of
the various phases of his immediate reign, ofFcr evidence on two
points of contemporaneous history, one of which at least, under ordi
nary circumstances, should not have been dependent for elucidation
upon tho medals of a separate dynasty. The first of these refers to
tho non-recognition of tho Khalif Al K??dir billah, in the province of
KhorYtsan, until about eight year? subsequent to his virtual accession.
It is necessary to premise, that in the year 381 A.n. the Khalif Al
TnTh lillah was dethroned by tho B??ali Bah? al daulah, the then
Ain?r al Amar? of the court of Baghdad, and his place supplied by
? D'Hcrbclot, Bib. Orient., p. MX Paris, 1097. * De Guignes, ii. 1G2.

3 It still, however, remains a question whether this title may not have been
used by Masartd on some of his provincial Coins. (See p. 343.) Al Bt'hcki uses
the Anur and Sult?n indifferently.
Ahmed bin Ishak, who was elevated to the Khil?fat under the deno
mination of Al K?dir billah. The author of the T?r?kh Guz?dah
relates that " the peoplo of the provinco of Khor?s?n objecting to this
superce?sion, which was justified by no offence on the part of the
late pontiff, continued to recite the public prayers in his name; and
it was not until Mahm?d of Ghazni, in disavowing his allegiance to
the S?m?n?s, became supreme in that country, that any alteration in
this practico was ellccted, when Mahm?d, between whom and tho now
Imam there existed a friendly understanding, directed tho Khutbah to
be read in the name of Al K?dir1."
The accuracy of this relation is fully borne out by the archaeologi
cal evidence furnished by the collection under notice, Mahmuds coins
invariably bearing the designation of tho superseded Khal?f, Al-T??'h,
iu conjunction with his own early title of Seif al daulah, up to the
year 387 (Nos. 8 and 22*); while his money of a closely subsequent
period is marked by the simultaneous appearance of the name of Al
K?dir, in association with his own newly-received titles of Yamin
al daulah and Am?n al Millat. (See Coins Nos. 9, 10, 23, and
2d.) The second medal just cited bears uuusually explicit testimony
to this self-imposed submission, in tho addition made to Mahm?d's
detailed honorary denominations which are here seen to conclude with
the novel designation of Wal?3 Amir al M?miu?n (Servant of the Com
mander of the Faithful).
1 Extract T?r?kh Guz?dah, East India Company's Persian MS. Copy, No. C4?).
J - y
A?y^ %J?
A sonfewhat
8 A coin sim
pen of M. De
tory to find
recognition o
historical evi
supplied by t
3 D'Herbelot
advertence to
existed in th
" Il est rappo
Sultan Mahm
d'autres, par
KINOS OF GHAZNI. 273
Tho second circumstance referred to, which has now to be noticed,
also regards the dynasty of tho Khalifs of Baghdad. The Nisli?p?r
coins, Nos. 12, 19, 20, and 20, display the title of Al Gh?lib billah,
indicated as "designated successor" to Al K?dir. Who the indivi
dual thus nominated may have been, is not recorded in any of tho
histories of the time usually accessible to English readers, but a
manuscript copy of the Tarikh Guz?dah, in the Library of the East
India House, fortunately supplies the omission in the following passage,
which readily leads to an identification of the person in question, and
at the same time accounts for the disappearance of his name from tho
money of subsequent years, and tho eventual accession of a son of
Al K?dir, other than the one thus appointed.
puissance, et pour l'obtenir il luy envoya un Ambassade extraordinaire. L'Imam

Abo? Maiisor ayant demeur? un an ou environ ? Bagdet sans rien avancer dans
l'affaire qu'il poursuivoit, pr?senta enfui un m?moire dana lequel il exposoit au
Klialifc les grandes conquestes do son ma?tre, sa puissance, et son z?l? pour la foy
Musulmane, la conversion de plusieurs milliers d'Idol?tres ? la religion Maho
metano, le changement de leurs temples en mosqu?es, et qu'enfin il ?toit tout ?
fait indigno que l'on ne reconnut pas le m?rite d'un si grand Prince par un titre
qui co?toit si peu de chose au Khalife de luy accorder. Ce m?moire fit son effet
aupr?s du Khalife, lequel craignant qu'un hi puissant Monarque ne tournant enfin
ses armes contre luy, assembla son conseil, et mit en d?lib?ration quel titre on
pouvoit luy accorder, d?sirant, a cause que ce Prince ?toit fils d'un esclave, qu'o?
luy en donnast un qui fut ?quivoque. On trouva donc que celuy de Veli luy
conviendroit bien, parce que ce mot qui signifie Amy et Seigneur, signifie aussi
Serviteur et Valet. Mahmoud connut bien la pens?e du Khalife, et il luy envoya
un present de cent mille ?cus, afin qu'il njoutast seulement une lettre au nom, ?
stjavoir, un Elif. On luy accorda cette grace, et on luy envoya les Patentes avec
le titre do Vali, qui signifie absolument Ma?tre et Commandant. Doulet Schah."
(Bib. Orient., D'IIcrbelot, p. 53??.)
This story bears an appearance of much improbability when considered in
reference to the many early instances of mutual good will evinced on the part of
Mahmud and of his spiritual superior; as well as to the fact, that, later in life,
Mahmud is proved to have received or appropriated titles numerous and laudatory
enough to have satisfied the most craving ambition for such empty honours; and
finally, Fcrishtali notices the receipt at the Court of Ghazni, so late as 417 A.n.,
of a diploma conferring certain highly complimentary denominations both upon
Mahmiid and his three sons (?LjJJ t~*4^ ^cc#> Briggs's Fcrishtah, i. N|),
apparently the unsolicited offering of the identical Khalif who is reported to have
designed tho cutting reproach above described. It is true, it is not stated to
what particular period of his reign the occurrence of this episode should be
assigned; but Mahm?d's prompt and seemingly voluntary display of the word
e)^ in immediate connexion with his own name does not look as if he had any
scruples regarding its employment, or any dread of consequent imputations on hia,
parentage, even though the Wali was wanting in the so-asserted coveted AH/.
?-??All y>\ \jy ?s*\ tfjW +f+j? j ^lx?i> ?U* j? Sj&kxhL j?\$
Lei iXxjb^T *\?c J^ *N^ ?>^ ?^ Lr)3^ 3 ^ c^ ***^
$jf L?~~L?j fli ?JuX?> *Aj^ ?J^tXll ^l^^X-Li

"In the year (3)83, a son was born to Al K?dir, who was named
Ab?l Fazl Mohammed, and when he arrived at years of puberty he
was created Wali Ah'd ; he, however, died during tho life-time of
Al K?dir, who, in this same yoar, 83, married Sukinah, the daughter
of Dahii al daulah D?lem?."
The Tabak?t N?sir? furnishes the following additional information
regarding the titular designations of Al K?dir's sons, and conclusively
fixes the identity of the first successor elect :?
j^mJ y j ?yj aML ^jjlXH ?duL? $}+*? *X#? cHaôUj^)^ ^

ijJli ?to uSi ?ML ^JUJt \jy j ?jf ?) ?^ y6y?j j? [>?y?
The distinct information afforded by the money of Mahm?d on

this head, simply amounts to the fact that Al Gh?lib billah was recog
nized heir to the Khilnfat from 309 to 409 A.n. It would also seem
probable, from the occurrence of this title on a coin of Munich id al
daulah Mcrw?n?, dated 392, that the nomination of Al Gh?lib as
"Wali Ah\l," must have taken place prior to this last epoch. Tho
piece here referred to has been described by Fradin and Lindberg3, and
1 MS., No. MO, p. 120. East India House Library.

1 MS. Tabakut N?sir?. East India House Library.
9 Silver. Struck at M??f?r?k?i. A.n. (3)02.
Areas? m
m yt * *N1 -Vy ?X*.?\ô
*_J Aj-^^ JtiVs..
3
aHL-i JL Ji ?JH_j /tM_?_II
^.J.iX-JI *X JLJ^JcJI'I^j ?MJH
13'A3A*? yj\
Frsehn, Num. Kuf. p. 77 ; Lindbcrg, M?ni. de la Soc. dea Antiq. du Nord,
1K44, p. 20*1.
KINOS OF ?IIAZNI. 275
the title of Al Glu?lib billah was imagined by these authors to apper
tain to the Mcrwan Amir himself; but the more explanatory legends
on tho Ghaznavi coins indicate cl?arly the personage to whom the
epithet belonged. In 416 A.n. Abdallah, the son of Al K?dir, then
in the twenty-seventh year of his age, entitled Al K?im beamerillah,
was nominated successor, and acceded to the throne of his father in
the last month of 422 A.U.
The ample materials supplied by Mr. Massons collection, in lead
ing to the identification of previously unafctributcd medals, shew that
the appropriation by the Ghaznavi monarchs of tho device of Nandi
(Bull of Siva), superscribed by the words Sri Samanta dev, as first
used on tho coins of tho Brahmanical kings of Kabul, took place some
what earlier than has hitherto been supposed; and that, whereas
Ibrahim was imagiucd to have been the first king who associated him
self thus far with his Indian possessions, it uow appears that the con
junction of Mohammedan titles with the Hindu Bull of Siva on one
and the same piece, took place in the reign of Modiid (432 a. u. =
1041 A.D.), if not at a still earlier period. (Sec Coins, Nos. .91, 92.)
Several conjectures have been advanced to account for the seeming
anomaly of a sect, usually so prejudiced on such subjects as the fol
lowers of Islam, accepting as a device for their money, a symbol
(adverting to the source whence it was derived) so purely idolatrous as
the one in question. In this instance a reference to the other coins of
tho collection assists in elucidating this apparent difficulty, it is to
be remarked, that, throughout all the conquests and consequent acqui
sitions of new territory effected by the House of Ghazni, there is to
bo seen a general indisposition to disturb the existing currency of the
kingdoms subdued. Financial motives may probably have first
prompted this conservatism ; but from whatever cause arising, the
efiects arc manifest throughout the period of the more extended domi
nation of this dynasty. What description of currency Alptcgin may
have found in use, or may himself have introduced at Ghazni, there
aro no means of knowing, as the only coin now extant, which bears
his distinct name, is a piece struck at Andcrabch in 347 A.n. (see Coin
No. 1); but Sabaktagin's coins, minted in the province of B?m??n,
vary considerably from the currency of his masters, the Sam?n is, and
approximate in weight and size to the local coinage of Kabul, under
tho Hind? kings of that city. Mahmud's Ghazni coins come in the
same category ; while the money of his N?sh?p?r mint differs materially
from these last, both in form and value. The like may be said of the
produce of Ihr mints of Balkh and Scjist?n, the former of which ob
viously, and the latter infcrcutinlly, may be taken (o disclose their
respective provincial peculiarities. The same remarks also apply

generally to the coins of Masa?d. The conclusion deducible from these
facts is, that there existed on the* part of the Moslem potentates of
Ceutral Asia at this period a desire to retain, as little changed as need
be, the local currency of the various provinces of their dominions1.
Thus, if it be admitted, that it was not tho custom to alter the coinage
of a newly-conquered country, the Ghaznavi monarchs, in stamping
the coins of the Hindus with their own names and titles, must be con
sidered, not as having placed the figuro of a Bull upon their own
money, but as having " caused the coin of these provinces to be struck
in their own names.'* The feeling of vanity incident to Oriental
Princes, which so uniformly led to this ceremony on the first acqui
sition of now territory, need not be enlarged upon, further than to
notice that, under this plan of retaining for the obverse, the device o?
the existing currency, in conjunction with the proof of their own supre
macy, evidenced by tho legend on the reverse, a more explicit record
of the conquest itself was attained, than would have resulted even
from a radical change of the entire coiuago.
The identification of tho name of the city of Labor on tho imper
fect margins of coins Nos. 92 and 129, points out distinctly the pro
vince to which these bilingual coins refer ; and a proof is thus fur
nished of the accuracy of the previous attribution of an intermediate
class of medals, bearing tho device of the Bull with tho Horseman
reverse, which have been assigned to the Hind? Sovereigns of tho
Punjab*, and which aro now seen to form the connecting link between
the original coins of the Brahmanical Kings of Kabul and the Mo
hammedan adaptation of this species of money now under review.
i If it were necessary to cite foreign and earlier examples of an [analogous

abseuce of more modern Moslem scruples in similar cases, it might be advanta
geous to point, among others, to the remarkable departure from the supposed
absolute rule on the subject, instanced in the retention by the Arabs, for the first
twenty years after their conquest of the country, of the Byzantine types of the
money of Mauritania, extending not only to the use of the general device of the
prototype, and the expression of Arabic names by means of Latin letters, but even
to au acceptance of a but slightly modified form of the cross itself. It is to bo
observed, moreover, that this enduring instance of freedom from the prejudice
above referred to, occurred at a period closely subsequent to the difference between
the Khalif Abdal Malik aud the Greek Emperor, which, in A.n. TO, led to the
first fabrication of pure Arabic money, when, if there had been the most remote
feeling of objection to the use of symbols on the part of the then followers of
Islam, it must have been expected to have shown itself with peculiar force. An
interesting paper on this subject may be referred to in letter No. 5 of M. de
Saulcy ? M. Ueiuaud, Journal Asiatique, a.d. HMO.
* Journ. Roy. As. Soc, No. XVII., p. 184.
There is considerable discrepancy observable in the statements of
tho various authors' of the history of the family of Ghazni in the
recognition of the exact date of Abdal Itashid's succession; though tho
coins of tho series under notice are insufficient to fix with precision
when the event occurred, yet as they suffice to prove when it actually
had taken place, they assist in dissipating errors which it might
1 To obviato tho confusion incident to detached notices, and to present at one

view a detail of the various historical writers to whom reference is made in the
present paper, the following summary of the several authorities quoted is here
subjoined t?
1. Tho Biography of Masn/id, the son of Mahm?d of Ohazni, catalogued in
tho Royal Library, Paria, as the T?r?kh Masa?di, by Ab?l Fazl Mohammed bin
Al Ilus?ti Al B?hok?. The work contains a full and voluminous account of tho
reign of Masa?d, interspersed with occasional digressions upon the occurrences of
the day: it was chiefly written and finally completed after the accession of Ibra
him, 451 A.n. Tho writer also refers to his own T?r?kh Yam?u?. Ilaj? Khalfa
has a notice of this author's compositions, to the following effect:?"T?r?kh A'l
Subcktcgin, Historia magna Ghaznavidarum pluribus voluminibus comprehensa,
Auctoro Abu'lfadhl Al Beihacki." The Paris MS. is of modern transcription (a.h.
1019), and, as far as the contents of European Public Libraries are known, it is
believed to be unique. The existence of this MS. only became known to the author
of the present notice after the major part of these sheets had been prepared for the
press; and even then the time disposable for its examination only admitted of a
partial perusal.
2. Tabak?t N?sir?, by Minh?j bin Sur?j Jurj?n?, dedicated to N?sir al din
Mahm?d of Delhi. A.n. C?O.
3. T?rikh Moktasar al Daul, by tho Armenian Abul Faraj. Latest date, f?fl3 a.h.
4. J?mi al Taw?r?kh, by Rash?d al din, Vizir of G?z?n Khan, and subse
quently of Olj?it? Khan. a.h. 710.
5. T?r?kh Bin?kit?, otherwise entitled Rauzat ?l? al Alb?b, an Abridgment of
the J?mi al Taw?r?kh, by Abu Soliman Fakhr al din D??d (vulg. Bin?kit?).
a.h. 717.
6. The original of the Annales Muslemici of Ab?l Fed? of Ilam?t was written
between lift and 732 A.n.
7. T?r?kh Guz?dah, by Ahmed bin Ab? Bekr AI Kasw?n?. 730 A.n.
8. Rauzat al Safa, by Mir Kh?wand Shall (otherwise Mirkliond), dedicated to
Ali Shir, Vizir of Sult?n Iltissen. The author died in Khor?s?u, in 903 A.n.
9. Khal?sat al Akhb?r, an Abridgement of the Rauzat al Safa, 905 A.n.;
10. Habib al Sa?r, about 927 A.n., dedicated to Habib Ullah, Vizir of Inma?l Shall
Sufavf, King of Persia; both by Gh??th al din bin Hamid al din, Khondem?r.
11. Jemal al din Ab?l Mah?san Y?saf bin Taghr? Bard? (Egypt). Middle of
ninth century a.h.
12. T?r?kh Nig?ristan, by Ahmed bin Mohammed, Al Kasw?n?. Middle of
tenth century a.h.
13. Tabak?t Akber?, by Niz?m al din Ahmed bin Mohammed Mokim, of
Herat, written at Agrah, in the time of Akber (about) 991 a.h.
14. T?r?kh al Jen?b?, by Ab? Mohammed Mu statt (vulg. AI Jen?b?). Latest
date 997. The author died in 999 a.h.
15. Mir?t al A'lem, by Bukbt?wur Khan. Time of A?rungz?b.
10. T?r?kh Ferishtah, (B?j?p?r). a.h, 101? = A.n. 1009.
278 ON THE COINS OF THE
otherwise have been somewhat dillicult to rectify. Minh?j al Sur?j

(the author of the Tabak?t N?sir?), Ab?l Faraj, Ab?l Fed?, and
Rash?d al din, unite in a?lirming that both M?d?d's death and Abdal
Rash?d's accession took place in the year 441 a.ii. The three latter
authorities, indeed, assume a direct succession, but the probably more
accurately informed Minh?j al Sur?j allows an interval of two months
for the joint reigns of Masa?d II. and Ab?l Hasan Ali1. The
T?r?kh Guz?dah gives tho year 441 A.n. (Rajah) as the date of the
death of M?d?d, and 443 for tho accession of Abdal Rash?d, and these
periods have been accepted with little variation by the authors of the
Rauzat al Safa, Habib al Sair, the Khal?sat al Akhb?r, and the T?r?kh
Fcrishtah. The evidence derivable from coins would indicate that
these historians are one and all, to a certain extent, incorrect in their
determination of the epochs in question, inasmuch as the medal of
Abdal Rashid (No. 93) clearly displays the written numbers 440,
thereby proving iucontestably, that tho prince, under whoso auspices it
Avas struck, had obtained full possession of regal honours somo time in
the year recorded. In thus approximately fixing the timo of tho ac
cession of Abdal Rash?d, and in so doing ante-dating the period usually
assigned for M?d?d's death by at least seven months, some assistance
might have been anticipated therefrom in tho solution of another
doubtful point, viz., the duration of the reign of this last-named prince.
The averments of different historians on this head vary to the amount
of no less than two years and ten months5'. Of courso this discrepancy
implies to a. certain oxtont a corresponding di?lbronco of opinion as to
the date of accession. Thero is, however, less variation in the assign
ment of this aira than might have been expected from the contra
dictions adverted to ; the period of tho decease of this monarch being
now in a manner fixed, demands an acceptance of tho testimony of thoso
authors whoso relation assimilates most nearly with tho probabilities
resultiug from the facts available. The year above assigned as having
witnessed M?d?d's death, 440 a.m., placed in reference to even tho
earliest date proposed by any one of tho writers whoso conflicting assor
tions it is desirablo to reconcile, does not admit of tho possibility of his
having reigned nine years. It becomes, therefore, necessary to ascer
tain how far tho shorter period of seven years will meet tho exigencies
of the case. Here again, a weighty objection presents itself, inasmuch
as the corroborative detail of contemporaneous events, and the means
1 Or Xc ?J?i)Jl \.AS Bah? al daulah Ali, as he is called by the Guz?dah

and Habib al Sair.
* N?sir?, Ab?l Fa raj, .Icii?hi, Tabak?t Akber?, and Fcrishtah, nine years;
Ab?l Fed?, nine years and ten months ; Rauzat al Sala, nine years and eleven
months; Tarikb Guz?dah, Habib al Sair, ami Khal?sat al Akhb?r, seven years.
KINOS OF OHAZN1. 279
of accurate knowledge possessed by the author of the T?r?kh Masa?d?,

scarcely admit a question as to the correctness of his statement, and
this is to the effect that Mddud captured and killed his uncle Moham
med in Shab?n, 432 A.n.1 If this is to be taken as the actual date of
accession, it leaves an interval to be filled up of eight years, more or
less; the exact duration of the asserted seven years' sway, is thus
manifestly unsupported by tho evidence cited; it is true that, by ante
dating still more the epoch of the decease of M?d?d, the use of the
term seven years, or less than eight, might possibly be justified; but it
must at the samo timo bo admitted that thero is no direct testimony to
support any such solution of tho matter at issue*.
Whatever may bo the correct estimate of the length of tho
roign of this Prince, the origin of tho diff?rences to bo detected in
tho assertions of the historians above noted seems to be clearly ex
plained by a casual observation to be found in the Mir?t al A'leru ;
viz., that "M?d?d reigned for seven years subsequent to the death
of his uncle Mohammed, and in all nine years3." Hence it would
appear that it was the practico among some writers to compute the
commencement of M?d?d's reign at an epoch much prior to his full
accession, that is to say, from the time when he was first placed in
charge of Balkh, &c, on his father's departure for Ghazni, in 431 *, or
T?r?kh Masa?d?, Bibl. du Roi, Paris.

1 M. De Guignes (ii. 177), in quoting from various authors at one and tho
same time, has placed himself in a difficulty in respect to this question. He
takes Ab?l Faraj's statement, which he cites as a.h. 433, for the date of Mo
hammed's second accession ; then mentioning Madrid's death and quoting from
Ab?l Fcd?, he states that this monarch died in 440, after a reign of nine years
and ten months. The seven years actually adopted from date to date, as the
duration of MoMud's reign, in which also must be included the brief sway of
Mohammed, is thus, in the confunion of authorities, amplified by two ycirs and ten
months. Moreover, tho quotations themselves are both incorrect; the printed
texts of Ab?l Faraj and Ab?l Fcd?, severally give 432 as the epoch of the revolt
against Masa?d and the elevation of Mohammed [see p. 343 (Pococke, Oxon.
1043), and p. 132, vol. iii. (Rcisk), respectively]. In like manner, the period of 440
will be seen in the printed text of the original to be 441 (sec Ab?l Fcd?, iii. 132).
?fi\* if?Jy2>- +*?. v3ît> \\ tSxj SyXi+t.* (-yt *3^3* I v*2**"
Mir?t al A'lem, No. 7G57, Rich Collection, British Museum.

4 Shaw?l, 431. Ab?l Fed?.
VOL. IX, U
possibly from a period still earlier, as Ferishtah asserts that M?d?d

was invested with tho "ensigns of royalty" some timo previous to this
occasion.
The next circumstance which is capable of elucidation from tho
coins of this scries, although a matter of no particular weight, is a fit
subject of remark, as showing the possible value of numismatic studies
in historical investigations of greater importance. A single medal of
Ferokhz?d is adequate at this distance of time, and in tho hands of a
strange people, to decido with certainty what tho authors of tho Guz?dah
and the J?mi al Taw?r?kh, writing with all tho advantages incident
to their positions, were unable to pronounce a correct opinion upon,
viz., the parentage of tho prince in question, who is hero distiuctly
announced as "the son of Mnsai'id." (No. i)7, &c.)
Another inquiry which has attracted much notice from tho various
authors whose evidence is extant, is the duration of tho rule of Ibrahim.
This difficulty, even in the absence of any direct medallic dates, is
capable of solution from the collateral record borne by coins. Fortu
nately for the facility of present proof, the discussion of the question is
much simplified by the circumstance of the debated point being, not
up to what time the reign extended, but as to which of the two periods
of thirty or forty-two years', is the correct representative of its total
duration. All writers concede that one of those two given quantities
is the true one: heneo a settlement of the matter is reduced to the
simple acceptance of one or the other. There seems to be little ground
for hesitation in tho admission that either the year 450 or 451 a.m.,
(probably tho latter,) witnessed tho accession of this Sultan. If thirty
years be taken as the limit of his reign, Ibrahim should have ceased
to rule in 480-481 A.n.; but as the coin, No. 125, exhibits the nanio
of the Khalif Al Mostazher billah, as contemporary with Ibrahim,
whose money it purports to be, and as this Khalif did not ascend his
own pontifical throne till 187, it is clear that Ibrahim of Ghazni
lived and ruled subsequent to this last epoch. The inference that he
reigned his full forty-two years is, under tho circumstances, sufficiently
legitimate.
It remains to notice one more fact, illustrated by tho money of tho
period,?that Bahrain Shall held his kingdom under Sanjar, governor
of Khor?s?n. Ab?l Fed? refers2 distinctly to this point, and even
goes somewhat beyond what the coins of Bahrain (Nos. 142, 144, &c.)
1 Date of Ibrahim's death, according to different authors: N?sir?, 492; T?r?kh

Guzidah, idem; T?r?kh Bin?kiti, idem; Ab?l Fcd?, Mirkhond, and Jeu?bi, 481 ;
Ab?l Mah?san, 492; Ferishtah, doubtful! ! De Guignes, 401.
XfJic 2)lô1 l^JU? ?vs?.l? ^r?^ is*3^3 *Jy* y^+* S^-^3
KINOS OF OIIAZNl. 281
altogether support, in respect to the mention of the recital in the Khut

bah, and consequent inscription on the coinage, of the name of Sanjars
brother, Mohammed, the Selj?k emperor. The J?mi al Taw?r?kli,
more accurately, confines its assertion to the now affirmed recognition
of Sanjar's supremacy alone1. Mirkhond gives no information on the
subject of this vassalage; and Ferishtah only alludes to it indirectly
in noticing the original grant of the kingdom of Ghazni to Bahrain by
Sanjar on the occasion of the latter1? defeat of Arsl?n Shah. The
medals of Khtisn'i Shall (Nos. 148, 149) indicate that this feudal sub
jection extended to the early part at least of the reign of this, the
succeeding king.
Adverting to the numerical amount of the Ghaznavi coins in the
East India Houso Cabinet, some explanation is due, regarding the
apparently limited result obtained in actual dates. But this deficiency
is readily to be accounted for. It will be seen that in the silver
money of the kingdom of Ghazni it was the custom to record both the
date and place of coinage on margins forming the extreme edge of the
piece. Two causes have combined in the present instance to render
the inscriptions on these margius generally illegible. First, to judge
from the specimens extant, the insufficient breadth of the planohet in
itsolf could have afforded but little probability of securing a complete
marginal legend on any given piece, the dies being usually larger than
the surface of the metal to be impressed2. Second, the coins of Mr.
?XaX^ ? v^^ (v>^ $}X"~o (?yl *\>?*o\yQx\ ?UlaLwdt yy*3

j?aX\ A?k*\jQj (^jU?AmJ? +.J jî~? JS.+JJ *J> ?X*:s2 QjllaA.îJ
Ab?l Fed?, Ann. Mos., iii. 384.
3 ,
??sy
Persian
8 The fol
somewhat
in the fab
"The Mcl
round ing
"The Zerr?b je-dâS 1 cutR from round ingots, pieces of gold, silver, and
copper of the Bize of the coin. * It is surprising, that in Iran and Turan
they cannot cut these round pieces without an anvil | IjJLaJ mad"6 on pur
pose; and in Ilittdoostan, tho workman, without any such machine, performs this
business with such exactness, that there is not the difference of a single hair.
"The Seal-engraver ongraves the dies of coins on steel and such like metals.
"The Sickchy places the round piece of metal between two dies | ?&.^ J, and,
by the strength of the Hammerer, both Bides are stamped at one stroke." Glad
win's Ayin i Akbcr?, i. 15,
U 2
Masson's collection were gathered on the locale of their original issue

and subsequent more immediate circulation, and unlike the reserved
store of less-freely current foreign coin, or the choice specimens of a
miser's hoard, they have, in the majority of instances, been inhumed
in detail, apparently, after having been subject to an extensive series
of successive transfers in the ordinary commerce of their day. The
coins have suffered accordingly; and much of what was probably
originally clear, is now often wholly obliterated.
The same causes have offered obstacles to the full examination of
tho geographical questions involved in a comprehensive decipherment
of the names of tho mint cities. There, however, seems to bo less
ground to regret this circuinstanco, as, judging from tho names already
identified, there is reason to suppose that, dating from the reign of
M?d?d, with tho single exception of the produce of the city of Laho'r,
tho monetary circulation of the empire was supplied solely from tho
mint of the capital. It is not proposed to enter into a lengthened
examination of the positions and relative importance of the different
cities recorded on these coins. They are sufficiently in accordance
with accepted history to require but little separate notice; where any
difficulty in regard to due identification suggests itself, full geographical
references are appended in the notes pertaining to the coin on which
the name first occurs.
In the detailed enumeration of these cities, tho abseuco of tho name
of Kabul, looking to its magnitude and local importance, might be
noticed as somewhat singular; but it would seem, from the limited
numismatic evidence at present available, as if Ferw?n, in the first
instance, and subsequently Ghazni, had satisfied the monetary wants
of tho entire Hill country in which they were situated. The poli
tical value of the position of the former, in reference to tho S?m?n?
possessions immediately to tho northward, together with its advan
tageous proximity to the silver mines of Punjhir, may probably have
first inlluenccd the adoption of Fcrw?n as a leading mint city, in
which respect it would seem to havo superseded tho functions of
Punjhir itself, which was at one time a place of coinago of tho
Emperors of Bokhara1. By tho timo Mahm?d had ascended tho
throne, tho regal city of Ghazni may be supposed to havo risen to a
sufficiently elevated position as a capital to do away with the necessity
of the services of a second mint in the circumjacent territory.
Though not strictly within tho limits of the prominent subject
under review, yet, as a matter intimately connected with the rise of
1 ^?. See Coins, Nos. ?75 (a.h. 294) and "133 (a.h. 302), Fnehn'a
Reccnsio.
tho Moslem power in an integral portion of the Ghaznav? dominions,

it may he useful in regard to tho closely previous history of Kabul1
itself, to examine briefly the narrations of tho contemporaneous as
1 In citing the subjoined extracts from different geographical authors, it will be

useful to premise the dates at which these writers severally flourished, as without
full advertence to this particular, many of their assertions regarding the state of
backwardness or advancement of the various localities described may appear incon
sistent, and even conflicting.
In judging also of the credibility of the more modern geographers, close atten
tion must be paid to discriminate between the original observations of the author
himself and tho incorporated transcripts from earlier authorities: these last are
often acknowledged, but when not admitted to be quotations, are manifestly liable
to mislead.
The earliest production to which it is necessary to refer, is the Arabic original
of the Persian MS. translated by Ouselcy, and published by him in the year 1800,
as " The Oriental Geography of Ebn Haukal." Ouseley's MS. was at that time
supposed to be a Persian version of Ibn Haukul's Arabic Mus?lik wa Mum?lik ;
intermediately, the text in question has been attributed by Uylenbroek to Ibn
Kbordadbah, whose original composition was supposed to bear a similar title, vi*.,
J?llr^ J?UU uÛf or J?llrl J\ J?UJ.1. Gildemeister has, however,

determined that " Istakhri c^ysîa*^! âmA?II Ob&l ?A auctor libri
climatum ^JIj^JJ (_?jS Oju inter anuos 900 et 025 Chr. scripsit. Sindiam
iuvisit ejusque terne tabulam deliueavit. Editus est ejus liber ex versione P?rsica
in Auglicam linguam translatus ab Ouselcyo." (Scriptorum Arabum De Rebus
Indicts, p. 70.) Mailler also, the Editor of the lithographed facsimile of the
original Arabic text of Istakhri, testifies that "Idem est opus gcographicum, quod
vir eel. W. Ouselcy in Anglicum sermonem translatum anno 1000 hoc nomine
' The Oriental Geography, &c.,T Londini edidit;" and he adds, regarding the date
of the composition itself, " Inde apertum est, Abu Isbakum annum 303 inter et
annum 307 vel 309 h. (= 915?921 p. Chr.) opus suum geographicum confe
cisse." (Liber Climatum, &c, J. II. M ller, Gothic, 1029, p. 22.)
Ibn Haukul began his travels in 331 A.n. "scieutia? cupiditate ductus longis
itiner?bus fere omncs terras Musl?micas invisit, ex quibus redux sub annum 366
(inc. 29 Aug., 976) opus suum gcographicum J?lcL J?LgJLi i_t\Xf
inscriptum coucinnavit ita, ut id I?thakhrii libro quasi fundamento superstrucret
suis observation i bus aucto et perfecto." (Gilde., p. 70.)
In like manner, Mueller observes?" Diserte igitur Ibn Haukalidcs unice ad
opus Abu Ishaki el faresii se applicasse, ejusque formam et expositionem scquutum
esse profitetur, ita ut Ibn Haukalidis opus non nisi altera sit auctior et emendatior
Abu Ishaki opcris cditio. (p. 4.) Ibn Haukalidcm opus suum anno demum 366
?367 H. (=976-977 p. Chr.) ex itiucribus suis, qu anno 331 h. (= 942 p.
Chr.) iugressus erat reducem composuissc, cujus rei nul lam clarissimi Uylen?
brockii sag?icit?is reliquit dubitationem." (Mceller, p. 22.)
Alb?r?n?'s K?n?n is the next in order of antiquity ; the exact epoch of its
completion is not known, but an approximate estimate may be formed from the
284 ON THE C01N3 OF THE
well as the more modern writers who refer to its conquest by

Mohammedans, as it is by no means clear from their varied assertio
fact of the author's death having occurred shortly subsequent to 430 A.n. =
?39 A.D.
KdrisPs work received its finishing stroke in Shaw?l, 548 A.n. = 1154 A.D.
Kasw?u? (Zakaria bin Mohammed bin Mahm?d), the author of the Ath?r al
bel?d, died in (?74 A.n. = 1275 a.D.
And, lastly, Ab?l Feda* concluded his geographical compilation (Takwim al
Balad?u) iu 721 A.n. = 1321 a.d.
1^x3^ 4Xs?l? uXi^k ?bi\j /^*a:?UL ?^KOy* J<X?4* 1^1 \$3

?i?ji ^ <?j3*y?3 ^?s c> J*$\ i^j y^ys \^3 (?jyl^s
(Liber Cliraatum Auctore El Issthachri, J. II. Mouller, Gothic, p. 110.)
The sentence regarding the inhabitants of Kabul appears in the following form
in the Persian Mes?lik wa Mcni?lik.
j tsiyo ?y^x*** j*n^p * * * ?y? (Sj??$$ y*^

&c. sl? ?S ?\xjy\ j *XJjU y^? yîSx^ (j?}j
(Persian MS. J?L#.^> ? J?Ia*** E?ist India House.)
" Kabul is a town with a very 6trong castle, accessible only by one road: this
is in the bands of the Mussulmans ; but the town belongs to the infidel Indians.
They say,? &c. (Ouseley's Translation, p. 220.)
Ibn Haukal follows Istakhri with sufficient precision in tho main point of the
occupancy of the town and castle; but he seems, intentionally or otherwise, to
have made the ?J^H ^ Jj&\ into AâI^ jUlft.

l^.xi^ 4*?^ ?J?jk *x\\j i^jXX&xllj ?yoy* jiX?$3 1^1 J^lT $
Ibn Haukal. Bodleiau Library, No. 530, Hunt.

Kasw?u? does not throw any new light upon this subject, his version of tho
matter being much to the same purport as tho following mis-quotation of Ibn
Haukal by Ab?l Fed?, where it will be seen that the nice distinction of tho tenure
of the castle by the Mohammcdaus, while tho Hindus still occupied tho town, is
entirely lost sight of.
Judging from tho French translation (G?ographie D'Edrisi, par M. Anidd?c
JAiibert, pp. 102, 103; see also p. 450), the passage iu Edrisi, corresponding with
the first part of the above quotation, appears to be somewhat confused, and a
simultaneous reference to the city of Kandahar, is strangely mixed up with many
local details, which manifestly apply to the town of Kabul.
J^3 u>*u*?ji i^-ij vjUoU y** ?* jo^j y?y> y A ?b
at what exact period the city first passed from the hands of its ancient
masters. Leaving unnoticed the early attacks of the generals of the
first Khalifs, the wars of Uejaj, and even the conquest** of Arnin',
which scarcely affected the permanent independence of the monarchy,
the explicit statements of tho Tabak?t N?sir?2, and the Rauzat al
^? ?aM?ji ?jb?wt^ ?i?n y&2 l?+\\ ^s ?y$\

3
p^j-? ^>*4"
?JVJC ?AJtX* IgAJjX ?jj ?Agit *^>} ?

^(GCographio D'Aboulfcda^Tcxtc Arabe, par MM.
Paris, 1043, p. f HS
"Ibn 11.m lui I said: Kabul is in the jurisdiction of
Moslems and infidel Hindus. The Hindus are of opinio
the Shall, is not rightly entitled to the dignity of Shah, u
covenanted to him in Kabul. It is said in the K?n?n (A
of Kabul was the residence of (the) Princes of the Turfes
* * it is one of the frontiers of the Moslems toward
it also is the city of Ghazni."
Before taking leave of the geographical authors who
subjects connected with the age immediately preceding t
paper refers, it is desirable to attract the attention of the
to the valuable but little known MS. of Ibn Khordadbah, in
which contains much miscellaneous information regarding
~ 3
the work is entitled

?oM^yis- j aJJl tX*x
Khordadbah died in 300 a
and were extensively us
Oriental Translation Fun
1 " In the year 107, und
his Governor of Khoras
Ghour, Ghurgistan, and
of the Houses of Ommiah
upon Khorasan.*' Gladwin
3 ca^H^'k v^-r
^3-i os**?}"0 !>

MS. Tabak?t N
Safa', show that Kabul was completely subjugated, in the middle of

the third century of tho Hijrah, by Yak?ib Lith, the first of the
Sofnrians of Sejist?n.
Istakhr?, writing early in the fourth century of tho Hijrah (303 to
309), notices the citadel of Kabul as being in the hands of the Mo
hammedans, the town being still occupied by the Hindus, and he goes
on to add that the King is not entitled to the sovereignty unless it be
covenanted to him at Kabul; both the one and the other expression
implying that the king, to whom the latter sentence refers, did not
reside at Kabul, his castle being in the occupancy of people of another
race, and the very fact of the necessity of his coming to Kabul for
inauguration, evidencing generally that he held his court in some other
city. Ibn Haukul, in reproducing almost verbatim the exact expres
sions of Istakhr?, gives additional authenticity to tho original text,
which he recognises as the basis of his own work, appending thereto
such observations as the progress of time aud his own more extended
knowledge enabled him to supply*.
Alb?r?nfs averment, in tho K?u?n, which has been preserved
?\JUj 8^4j Jai? iyLc **jf ci~KX2>\j^ (j-jU y vy^? ^
clx?s yy?~~o jLs y ^ 3 cl?, ca^* î y

MS. Rauzat al Safa, Royal Asiatic Society, No. 43.
* For instance, the passage which should correspond with the text of Istakhr?,
p. 110, line 7, M ller, and which is translated from the Persian version by
Ouseley, p. 225, last line, and two first lines of 220, runs thus in Ibn Haukal:?
W ?^1 LS^]y iS* iS^S CU^l* 15^1^ *<** is* W^3

Xi' d^?^ (?j?3 **J4rH 'i?jS l<p^ ?tiy? (*r^ yf\ \^=ss^^ JLo
I A I A . . ?
XjUvXj^ iry^
And among his man
expresses himself
^j.?ilt (?j-* Cl*
The few passages ci

Haukal have been ca
author in the possess
by Ab?l Fed?, is strictly consistent with his assertions in the T?r?kh
Hind; but at open variance with the deposition of Istakhr?; so
much so, that it is difficult to reconcile the obvious discrepancies. If
Istakhr? be correct, the castle of Kabul was in the possession of the
Moslems in the early part of the fourth century of the Hijrah; it had
possibly remained so from the time of its capture by Yakub Lith.
Alb?rnn?Vj mention of its being the residence of the Turk, and subse
quently of the Brahman Kings, would appear to indicate, that, how
ever much of continuity there may have been in its occupancy by the
royal line of the former race, and whether they wore the parties losing
and recovering it, or not, one fact is clear, that the Brahinan.s, as well
as tho Turks, onco possessed it. Alhiruni's position iu the suite of
Mahm?d of Ghazni, and his consequent opportunities of obtaining
precise information on the spot, to the closely preceding history of
which his observations refer, together with his admitted knowledge of
the language of the country itself, render his evidence on this point
unassailable. Recognizing this, and at the same time holding deserved
confidence in the accuracy of Istakhr?, who, it is to be noted, was also
an original observer, the apparently conflicting statements are expli
cable only by concluding that Kabul having once been subdued by
the Moslems, was recovered by the indigenous rulers some time after
tho visit of Istakhr?. This may have been effected by the Turks; but
it is more probable that tho Brahmans recaptured the city, as, on
attaining supremacy, and speedily becoming a powerful and conquer
ing dynasty, and having also in view the prestige attaching to the
ancient metropolis, which has formed the subject of remark of the
Mohammedan authors now cited, their early endeavours would
naturally be directed to the re-acquisition of so desirable a possession.
In examining the correspondence of the different epochs, it will be
seen that the period which directly succeeds the date of Istakhri's
observations, accords with sufficient exactitude with the conclusions
already arrived at from indirect testimony as to the date of the sub
version of the Turk, and tho rise of the Brahman dynasty1. It may
be objected that the wording of the sentence of the K?n?n above
referred to, might be taken to mean that the Brahman occupation of the
Castle of Kabul was direct, as was their supercession of the Turk
Kings; but this can scarcely be said to bo the sole and necessary sense
of the terms employed.
Before concluding these preliminary observations, it may be requi
site to advert concisely to an important element of any numismatic
system?the monetary standard. The monuments at command, whence
1 Journ. Roy. As. Soc, No. XVII., p. 179.
all inferences on this head must ho drawn, though numerically ample,

nre, as has hcen already remarked, in a generally imperfect state of
preservation, arising not so much from any direct injuries incident to
their age, as from a necessary detrition consequent upon a prolonged
circulation; heuce, any attempt at an adjudication of tho original
mint weights, must be founded less on any extended average, than on a
comparatively limited number of selected specimens. It will tend to
disembarrass tho inquiry of much of its apparent complexity, to reject
all advertence to provincial coins, and to confine the attention to the
produce of the mints more directly dependent on the seat of govern
ment, as these will manifestly offer a more accurate criterion of the
Imperial standard, than the palpably varying curreucics of the several
departmental governments.
In the unsatisfactory state of the materials which arc to form the
more immediate proofs in the present investigation, great aid may be
anticipated from ?an approximate identification of the mouetary sys
tem upon which the Ghaznavi currency was founded. Two most
obvious sources present themselves for selection?the system of the
S?m?n?s, from whose court the newly-made monarchs took their rise;
or that of the Brahnians, to whose kingdom they succeeded'. Tho
weights of tho Bokhara moneys have not been very accurately ascer
tained. Marsden, however, after deciding upon the standard of tho
coins of the Khalifs as averaging severally?gold, 65*6 grains; silver,
45 grains,?goes on to observe, that the S?ini?n? dirhems appear to have
been slightly heavier than the corresponding coins of tho Khalifs; and
his own published specimens of these pieces?thirteen in number?show
an average weight of 45*30; the highest weight of any singlo coin
being 49-5 grains. If these last figures are to be taken as tho accu
rate representatives of tho standard of the Bokhara silver coinage, it
would sccin to have been too light to have stood as an exemplar for
tho money of Ghazni, as a cursory glance at the weights noted with
each coin now described will discover numerous silver pieces of 51,
many of 52, and some as high as 55 grains. The most ancient Indian
coins known, which consist of "small llattened bits of silver, atanipcd
1 As far as can be ascertained from the numismatic records they have left
behind them, the currency of the Drahmans would seem to have formed a very
large proportion of the circulating medium of the surrounding hills. It is to be
noted also, en passant, that the precise Dynasty that ruled at Ghazni at the time of
its capture by Alptegin has not yet becu identified, but judging from Istakhri's state
ment (Ouseley'8 Orient. Geog., p. 200), the futuro capital of the empire of Mahm?d
was a place of but small importance in the early part of the fourth century of the
Hijera.
at random with punches," the supposed "marks of successive dynasties

authenticating the currency," average in weight 50 grains'; the old
Varaba, a frequent and widely-spread species of silver coin, also
averages 50 grains'; and, finally, the Rajput, or what are now
known to be Kabul Brahnianical silver pieces, average over 50 grains1,
and appear, from their direct connexion and close approximation in
weight, to have served as the true models upon which the Ghaznavi
money was based4, and this inference receives additional confirmation
from the fact of an apparent attempt at an assimilation, observable in
the outline, form, and shape of the moneys of the preceding and suc
ceeding dynasties.
All reference to the gold coinage of tbo I lou.se of Ghazni lia?
hitherto been avoided, as there Ls no known gold piece of the Braliuian
Kings of Kabul, whereon to found a comparison; indeed, it would
seem as if the currency of this metal, if existing at all, in the form of
national coins, in the Hill dominion of this race, must have been very
closely limited5. Moreover, .singular to say, among the many gold
medals of Mahm?d and his immediate successors, struck in various
parts of the extensive empire which owned their sway, there is not a
single metropolitan gold coin in Mr. Masson's collection that dates
prior to the reign of Mo'd?d. These and the succeeding extant medals
of this metal, like the provincial coins of N?sh?p?r6, &c., in their ex
traordinary variation in weight, offer serious obstacles to any satis
factory identification of the intentional standard. The Ghazni gold
coins, on a rough estimate, may be inferred to have had a proposed
average weight of about 65 or Go* grains7, and to have been modelled,
in point of form, upon Mahm?d's early N?sh?p?r Dinars, which he
first issued while still only a Governor for the S?m?n?sB.
1 Prinscp, Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. IV. p. 027 (50 grains, or the tank of
3 mashas.)
8 Idem, p. 07K * Idem, ?77.
4 There are some unaccountable exceptions to any possible rule of even pa
tially equivalent weights, as, for instance, No. 05. The silver coin, No. 37, whic
weighs 7G grains, may possibly havo had an original mint value of 1J Ghazni
Dirhems.
5 "The Unit of the Hind? system [India] was of gold, and the old specimens
found arc of GO or 120 grains in weight." Prinscp's Useful Tables, p. 15.
0 Tho N?sh?p?r gold coins of Mahm?d, Nos. 0, 9, 10, and 12, average flft'4
grains. No. 9 differs in weight from No. ?0 as much as 20'1 grains. Masa?d'?
Coin, No. 51), and three other similar N?slu?p?r pieces, the latter actually the pro
duce of the same dies, average C4*il5 grains; but vary in different specimens to the
extent of 23"2 grains.
7 Nos. 77, 7?\ 93, and 90, average C5 gnins.
n The Cabinets in the British Museum, amid an ample scries of Sam?n? silver
The copper currency would appear, from its general characteristics,

and the weights of the better specimens, to have been intended to
correspond with the silver currency. It will be seen that brass was
occasionally made use of for coinage, though probably only in lieu of
the accustomed copper; but the minuto silver coins of 5*25 and 5*50
grains (Nos. 74, 103) must have greatly superseded the necessity for
an extensive copper currency. The mixed silver and copper, or
billon, coinage of the Punjab may bo assumed to havo boeu continued,
in point of weight and value, on tho old Hindu standard.
A few words seem to be required to introduce to the notice of the
reader an item of occasional consequence in numismatic investigations,
the niouograms and mint marks. In the present iustanco, it may bo
sufficient to remark that the former present but few notable attri
butes, and that their range is limited to the following unimportant
varieties :?
1. Words expressive of some excellence, such as _Jj^ Justice
(Just?)1; ^vxi Victory, <kc.
coius, contain only five specimens of the gold coinage of the Monarcas of this
House, and these are, without exception, the produce of the N?sh?p?r mint ; their
weights are as follows:?a.h. 346, 06*4 grains; A.n. 3G5, 02*0 grains; a.h. 37o*,
750 grains; and a.h. 384, two specimens, 54*5 and 48*0 respectively.
i It seems probable, from the frequent and, at times, almost uniform use of
the word _J*Xc on the dies of Kufic Coins, that its employment was designed
to refer to tho integral value of the piece to bo impressed, and, as such, that it
o -
should be read as ^JtXx Just, and not as _J*Xc J
of other distinct substantives, such as ^v?i, ?i?, which occasionally take the
place of _J*Xx?though thcso also may bo taken to refer, less directly
perhaps, to the Coius bo inscribed?certainly militates against the cutir? con
clusiveuess of this suggestion ; but, on the other hand, the early history of Arab
money, and the subsequent numismatic employment of the word -J4XC and its
derivatives, tend to show that the present may very fairly be admitted to be an
open question.
The earliest coinage of copper money under the Arabs (ante, A.n. 7b'), or
rather the but slightly-modified adaptation by the followers of Mohammed of tho
existing currency of the Syrian provinces of the Byzantine Empire, in which are
associated Arabic words in conjunction with the old devices and partially retained
Greek legends, shows that the probably initiatory application of the Arabic alpha
bet to these Coins was employed to denote simply the place of issue and the full
and fair measure of the value of the piece; the one conveyed by the curt inscrip
tion of the name of the mint city, the other in the record of either of the following
2. Abbreviations of titles, as I^ ^Û &c.

3. The names of the Arabic months, i_x^r * psô &c, refer
ring possibly to the month in which the piece was struck.
4. The designation of various cities of the empire, such as

,_,Lt>Jl / . ,LJ &c. It does not appear quite clear what maybe the
intent of these last superscriptions, as they are found on coins fabri
cated in cities other than the town whose name is expressed by the
monogram.
words: ?-?Ls? current, lawful; ?-?-aaIo good; ?\j full (weight). Occa
sionally tho Arabic words arc used in direct reference to, and correspondence
with, the customary Greek word KAAON, to be found on the opposite surface of
one and the same Coin, evidencing thereby their meaning?long unknown?as
well as their use and origin. (M. de Saulcy, Journal Asiatique, 1039; see also
Marsdcn, PI. XVII., Nos. CCCIV., CCCIL, and Nos. CCXCVI., CCXCVIII.)
The primary examples of the inscription of _J*\c are noticed in Frtehn's
comprehensive Iteccnsio Numorum Muhamedanorum, aB discovered on certain
Bokhara copper Coins of the Khalifs?A.n. 105, 190, and 209?which maybe
supposed, from tho tenor of tho legend, and the circumstances under which they
were struck, to have required some unusual authentication; thence the use of the
word may be traced as of constant recurrence on the medals of the S?m?n?s,
whence it must have found its way to the anomalous position it is f-ecn to hold on
the Nagari Coins of the Hind? Kings of Kabul (Journ. Roy. As. Soc, No
XVII., p. 107).
Whatever may have been the previously accepted signification of this mono
gram, its adoption in this case admits of but one explanation, namely, that it was
intended to attest the current value of the coinage thus marked. Had it been the
object of the Kabul Monarchs in any way to refer to their own justice, or to
equity in the abstract, as a virtue to be inculcated in the every-day transactions of
those who were to use this money, the monogrammatic word would have been put
forward in a form and character intelligible to those who were expected to profit
either by one or the other?the subjects of the Sovereign with whose device it
was thus identified?and not, as is here seen, in the superscription of an isolated
word in a strange language, the very letters of which the native die-engravers were
scarce able to imitate; whereas, in adopting the attestation mark of his neighbours,
the Ruler of the day may well have proposed to himself to ensure the free circu
lation of his own money, if not in the adjacent dominions, still, unobstructed by
undue depreciation in the marts and bazaars of the conterminal cities.
For tho after adaptation of the import of JAc , it may be sufficient to refer
generally to its frequent appearance on Coin9 authoritatively passed into circula
tion in a country for whose express use they were not in the first instance
designed. The currency marks in these cases were given by a subsequent punch
impression, and the adjective meaning of ?J<Xc, the most common of these
stnmp words, is indirectly attested by the oft-recurring use of the nearly analogous
The single letters, which are found occupying any convenient

comer of the area, arc usually held to be mere mint marks, and seem
to import little or nothing calling for extended observation1.
t.
contre-marque g*-?'/ current (Fradtn, pp. 463, 499) ; more rarely i
the punch-mark of .?la victory, which, though convertible as Sib v
may be accepted as a substantive denoting perchance the acquisitions
in the same way that the original die use of this word and its syno
may be supposed to have referred to a similar means of attainment of t
nent materials, or to have conveyed the less direct allusion, implied
commemorative record of a recent conquest.
The_5iXc is also often conjoined in these second impressions

name of the Monarch who wishes to stamp the authenticity of the m
Numismatic Chronicle, Coin of Humayun, Article "Pat?n Kings
1847)
And, lastly, the term seems so to have passed into mint parlance, that it is to
be seen as A*J?Xc and ?J<X? (j**.Xi (Frtelm*s Itecensio, pp. 431, 432) on the
moneys of the descendants of Timar; and by Mohammed Tughlak of Delhi the
word JfcXxJl is applied as tho direct name of a novel species of Coin introduced
by himself. (Num. Chron., 1847.)
1 Professor Fradm at one time advocated the opinion that the isolated Kufic
letter or letters *- (j* cs U?and __3 occasionally to be seen on ancient Mo
hammedan Coins, were intended to denote the month in which the pieces thus
marked were struck (Fr hu, ProL, i., 15), these being supposed respectively to
stand for the initial letters of Jum?d al Awal, Sitaban, Z?'l Hajah, Rab? al Awal,
and _J for the final letter and represenlativc of Shaw?l. Setting asido the
admittedly unsatisfactory character of this theory, its application to the present
series is clearly shown to be inadmissible, by the fact of the occurrence of
one of these supposed initial indices (j* in conjunction with other single con
sonants, which might also stand for the first letter of tho name of a month, as in
No. 3; but, in addition to this, the same (j* is seen on three several Coins,
Nos. 84, 8f>, 80, in association with the full names of three distinct and varying
Mohammedan months.
KINGS OF GHAZNI. 29:3
TABLE I.?The Ghmnam Dyna.sty, and, the cotcmporary Khalifs.

Accepted Onlf?
of Accession.King? of Ghazni. Notlcc.i of various Date*
Khalifs of Unglitlud. dillercnt Authorities
A.n. A.n. A.n.
Al Miiti'h llllnh . 334

Abd., Zi'l Kndnh, 3<?3
Alptegin . Revolt, 350, Rauzat al Safa
Al T?l'h llllnh . 303
Opposed by Halm al i)7d Islmk .
daulah, (Sluib?u) ?HI A Iptcg?n's ?loath, doubtful.
Ab? Ishak "Ibrahim" Ibn
\)77 Sabaktagin
Al K?dir blllah. 3HI
Died, Zi'l Hajah, 422 ?W7 Ismail. Sabaktag?n's death, 380, N
3S7, Ab?l Far?j ; 387 (Stinb
Sala, Ab?l Fed?. Khal?sat a
998 Mahmud. entitled Seif al daulah, 38
sion of Ghazni, Habial Aiv
Independent, 38?I.?Varion
103(1 Mohammed Mahni?d's death. Hab? al A'
Fed?, Khal?sat al Akhb?
Coins AU, ft 11 fice.
1030 Masa?d . Mohammed's 1st relgn, 7 m
Masa?d's accession, 422, N
Al Kftim beamerlllah .. 422 Shaw?l), Itauzat al Saf
A k libar.
Died, 13 Shab?n, 407 1040-1 Mohammed Rebellion against Masa?d, 432 (Rab? al
A'khir),Ab?l Fed?; Mohmmned's restora
tion, 432, N?siri, Ab?l Faraj ; 432 (Jtnmid
al A will), Akber?; 433, Habib al Sair; 433
fJum?d al Aual), Guz?dnh.
104! M?d lid Mohammed's 2nd relgn, 4 months, N?siri.
Al?diid's accession,432 f Shab?n;, Masai?d?:
432, N?siri, Ab?l Faraj. F.ntry iutnChazn?.
432 (23rd Shab?n), Ab?l Fcd?. Accession,
434. Guz?dah; 433, Khal?sat al Akhb?r,
Fcrlshtah.
1048 Masa?d IT.. M?d?d's death, 441, N?siri, Ab?l Faraj : 441
(Ilajab). Ab?l Fcd?, Guzidah, Kauzut al
Safa, Khal?sat al Akhb?r, Habib al Sa?r.
1048 Abul Itasnn Ali Masa?d II. and Ab?l Hasan Ali, length of
llah? ni daulnh relgn, jointly, 2 months, N?siri.
Masa?d II., I month, Guz?dah, Habib al Ma?r;
5 days, Tabnk?l Akber? ; ?days, Ferishliili.
Ab?l Hasan AH, length of reign, 2 years, Gu
z?dah, Khal?sat al Akhb?r; nearly I year,
Habib ?1 Sa?r; 1 month, Tabak?t Akber?.
1048 Abdal Rashid . Accession,440, fixed from Coins- 441, N?siri,
Ab?l Faraj, Ab?l Fed? j 443, Guz?dah, Kha
las atnI A k libar.
10f>2 Toghral .... 444, Ab?l Fed?.
lor?2 Ferokhz?d Length of Toghral's rule, 40 days, Nasiri,
Khal?sat al Akhb?r, fcc. Ferokhz?d's ac
cession, 443. Zi'l Kadah, N?siri.
Ibrahim .... Accession, 451, T?r?kh Masa?di, N?siri,
Ab?l Fed?, Jen?b?; 4.ri0, Guz?dah, fcc.
AI MokIndi beamcriilnh
Uled,l5Mubarrlm,4H7
AI Aloslnzher blllali ...
IHed, lORubi Akhlr,f>l2 1 on.) Masa?d ?II.Ibrahim's ricalh, 4??2, fixed from Coin*, N??
sir?. Guz?dah, Ab?l Al abasan; 4SI, Ab?l
Fed?, Raiuat al Safa. See p. 280.
508 1114 Sh?rz??d . Guz?dah, Jen?b?, &c.
Knmnl nl daulah
1115 Arshin. Accession, f?09, N?siri, Guz?dah, fkc.
Al Alostarshld blllnh ... 1118 13 a lira m . Capture and sack of Ghazni by Al? al din
Killed, 17Zi'l Kadah,r>2y Jeh?ns?z, f>47.
Al llashld blllah .
Al Moklofi leiunetlllah
Inaug., 12Zi'l Hajah,530
1152 Khusr? Accession,
. 5.ri2, N?siri: f>44. (?uz?dah ; .r>43,
or r?.r?0, Ab?l Fed? ; ?i47, Akber?.
AI Mostanjcd billah ... 1100 Khusr? Malik,...
Khusr? Alalik Dually dispossessed of Ghazni
by the Ghor??ns, M7, Ferish'ah ; forced to
The monthly Hatw in sin render at Lahor, '?B?, Rauzat al Safa :
t/iii column urn laten
/ -..,., */,,)! r.ir,,. fiKl, Akber? ; f?b'_', FerMilah.
294 ON THE COINS OF THE KINGS OF GHAZNI.
It has been usual to consider as the Obverse of pure Moham

medan Coins that surface of the medal which bears tho formulas of
?Ml SI aJI S &c. ; this rule will be seen to have been adhered to,
where circumstances would permit, in the following description of the
Coins of Ghazni; but it is necessary to notice that, although the
European custom of placing tho Obverso or its representative on tho
left hand has been complied with generally in tho cngraviugs, it has
been found necessary to reverse the usual practice in the printed
transcript of the legends of the medals, as the nature of tho language
employed?being written from right to left?and tho parallel juxta
position of the contents of the Obverse and Reverse?which in many
instances are intended to be run one into the other?rendered this
arrangement almost imperative. It will be seen, however, that this
has not in all cases sufficed to accomplish tho end in view, as tho dio
cutters seem at times to havo disregarded all attempts at uniformity,
and to have considered their task fulfilled in the mere insertion of a
given number of words, without much regard to tho order in which

they were required to be placed.
The type lines, which are occasionally to bo found above tho

Arabic legends, are intended to mark that part of the word or sen
tence that is clearly legible, in contradistinction to what may be either
doubtful or, in some cases, actually illegible. They have been adopted
as less unsightly in their association with tho type, and more conso
nant with Oriental practice than the brackets in use among Westorn
natious to iudicate restored passages.
It is to be observed that Roman numerals havo been attached to

those Coins of which engravings are to be found in tho plates.
Tablo I. has boon placod in its present position as boing proporly

introductory in showing the order of succession of tho Kings of the
Dynasty and the several contemporary Khalifs. Tables II. and III.,
giving the summary of the dates and mint cities, are inserted at tho
conclusion of the description of the Coins which havo furnished tho
results indicated.
DETAIL OF THE COINS.
ALPTEGIN.
No. l.
Silver. Ander?beb? 347 A.n. Frrehn, Nov. Symb., p. 15.

Rrv. Obv.
A?
?Ml _J^|> iX^^s\ô
e_r -?_?_A_11
Marg. ^Jjl 1<X?> uy? ?Ml ^

Marg. A^y ?HA ^Jy?r iS+^y^
\$&A L-V 4,1 (?+??3 ^f^W
Ll>3~/?U
TnE following coins are noticed in this place as probably deriving

their origin from a mint under the control of Alptcgin; there are
many arguments in favour of this classification, though it is not defi
nitively adopted, as tho pieces are wanting in tho distinctive name of
tho chief in question, and tho assignment now proposed is perhaps at
variance with the requirements resulting from the acceptance of the
reading of a medal, presenting many identical peculiarities given by
Professor Fraehn, whose description of the coin is reproduced below.
It will be seen that the St. Petersburg Professor discerns the name
of Bokhara, as the place of mintage of the coin referred to, which
identification, if correct, is slightly adverse to the attribution at present
suggested: however, without directly impugning the decipherment
vol. ix. X
adopted by Professor Fnehn, the presumptions iu support of the pro

position above advanced may be briefly enumerated.
The first coin of the class now cited (letter A) has been assigned
to Abdal Malik, the sixth S?m?n?1; that it was struck during his reign,
and under his acknowledged auspices, there can be little doubt, but, as
will appear from other specimeus of analogous mintages, probably
either iu honour, or under the immediate influence, of an exalted oflicer
of the State, if not actually in one of the chief cities of a provincial
governor.
It is to be premised in entering on this discussion, that the quota
tion of c_o 'i 5*03* ?All /. Y-? fxaj , which occupies the prominent
portion of the area of one face of tho coin, and will be seen to form tho
distinctive mark of the present series, is found on none of tho other
coins of any of tho three several Emperors, whose names are recorded
on the opposite surface of the medals now described. This peculiarity
would in itself imply that the coins thus emblazoned, wore separated
from the other monies of these Princes, on account of some local or
political cause hitherto unexplained, and wero thero no other unusual
facts observable in regard to these pieces, this alone would induce an
inquiry as to the possible design which originated this want of uni
formity.
The first step in the present examination is, to fix with as much
x With a view to avoid textual recapitulation, and future references to tho

original authorities, a detail list of the S?imtu? Monarchs is hero annexed :?
Accession.
A.n.
1. Nasr bin Ahmed - - - - 281
2. Ismail bin Ahmed - 279
3. Ahmed bin Ismail .... 295 Safar, Khal?sat al Akhb?r
4. Nasr bin Ahmed - - - - 301 Juntad al A'khir, idem.
5. Null bin Nasr .... ;jai Rajah, idem.
(i. Abdal Malik bin Null - - - 343 Hab? al A'khir, Ab?l Faraj
and Ab?l Fed?.
7. Mans?r bin N?h I. 350 Shau?l.
8. N?h bin Mans?r - 3(?6 Ab?l Faraj and Ab?l Fed?;
Rajab, Khal?sat al Akhb?r.
il. Mans?r bin N?h II. - - - 387 Rajab, Ab?lFed?andKh
al Akhb?r.
10. Abdal Malik bin N?h - - - 389 Safar, Khal?sat al Akhb?r.
Eilck Khan enters Bokhara - - 389 10 ZV I Kadah, N?sir?, ?lc.
11. Ismail bin N?h (M?ntascr), killed in Rab? al Awal 395, Khal?sat ni Akhb?r.
The months given generally indicate the date of the death of the preceding
monarch, and do not always so accurately represent the tinto of the inauguration
of the successor.
* u Assista nee from God, and speedy victory.*1 Koran, surah lxi. ver. 13.
KINOS OF Q.UAZN1. 297
prccisiou as the materials will admit of, the period of time embraced
in the issue of the various extant medals bearing the motto above
referred to. This will be seen to extend from the sixth year of the
reign of Abdal Malik, through that of Mans?r bin Niih I., to the
early part at least of the domination of N?h bin Mans?r, or during
the period included between the years 348 A.n., as proved by the St.
Petersburg coin, and 366 A.n., the first year of the reign of the third
of theso monarcliH.
The second condition in this investigation is to decide the locality
in which the pieces in dispute received their stamp. The coin (A)
has been asserted to have been struck at Bokhara; all the others,
which retain cither the entire record or partial trace of the name of
their mint city, disclose the whole or portions of the word ForwuV.
The last point to be determined is the identification of the individual
who, on any other species of medal, may be found to have used the
lMl*_5 Vide Istakhr? (Mocller,) pp. 109, 112 Text, and Map
i . \L*l,?>- Xr+'? ^?* XVIII, p. 111. See also Persian MS. Mcsalik wa
Mcm?lik, East India House Library, p. 91.
"The river of Penjhir runs through the town, (x>L> rUs*)> mid passes from
lariatteh till it comes to , # .L 3 Fcrouan, and so proceeds into Hindoostan.'
Ouseley's Oriental Geography, p. 225.
" La ville de Carwaii # A j est peu consid?rable, mais jolie; ses environs
sont agr?ables, ses bazars fr?quent?s, Res habitants riches; les maison? y sont
construites en argile et en briques. Situ?e sur les bords de la rivi?re qui vient de
Bendjehir K\f
-?\j cette ville est run des principaux march?s de rinde." Geo
"H *
graphie d*Edrisi,p. 476. Paris Edit. 1836.
Abulfed?, quoting Ibn Haukal and Abiil Majd Ismail al-M?sal?, also mentions
. yA 3 (Fer?wan) as a considerable town in the province of Dami?n; vide

p. 404 and 467, G?ographie d'Aboulf?da, Texte Arabe. Taris, 1840.
4? Barwan," Ibn Batuta (Dr. Lee*? Translation, pp. 97 aod 08).
" Another route [from Balkh to Kabul J is that of Peru an. Between Perw?n
and the high mountain, thero arc seven minor passes, which they call tbe II eft -
becheh (the seven younglings). As you come from the Aitdcrah side, two roads
unite below the main pass, and lead down on FcrwAn by way of the ?Seven
Younglings. This is a very difficult road." Erskine's Daher, p. I3?.
" On the skirts of the hills [of Gh?rbend] there are some districts; in the
tipper part are Mitch, Kaeheb, and PcrwAn." Idem, p. 14??.
" A city of magnitude must have existed at Perw?n, about eight miles, bearing
north nineteen west from D?gr?m. * Coins are discovered there in large
quantities. * * * The site in Perwfin is called by M?homedans Mprw?n, and by
Hindus MhV?n." Masson, vol. III., p. 166".
motto of * ^ ij V ^?i* aMI . y*o .AaJ The only other reference to

the numismatic employment of this quotation in Professor Froohn's own
voluminous works, points to the coin of Alptegin, No. 1 of this series.
These data having been disposed of, it becomes necessary to con
sider how far the direct historical, as well as the numismatically
inferential testimony accords with the conclusion, which the last coin
cidence renders obvious, that the medals under review are in some
way connected with Alptegin himself.
The undisputed coin of this Chief, No. 1, received its stamp in
347 a.h. The earliest coin of the present doubtful class was struck
in the year following; the later pieces, (B) and (C), in 365; and the
latest, (D), may, for the present, be inferred to have been coined in
366, or the first year of the rule of the Sovereign whoso name it bears.
Tho period, therefore, embraced in the issue of the various coins
under notice, corresponds almost exactly with the time intervening
between the prominent portion of the rise and the decease of Alptegin,
which last event is variously placed in 365 and 366 A.u1.
Regarding the geographical question involved in this inquiry, all
written testimony unites in affirming, that the hill country encompass
ing Alptcgin's new capital of Ghazni defied the attempts of the S?m?
n?s towards its resubjection* and that Alptegin continued in effect
absolute master of all the high ground south of the provinco of Balkh3,
from the time when his position at the Court of Bokhara first became
equivocal, on the accession of Mansiir bin Nuh in 350 A.n., up to the
i The Guz?dah does not notice the exact epoch of Alptegiu's decease, though,
in affirming that he held domini?n in Ghazni for sixteen years, it in effect accepts
the year 366. The Chronicle of Ibn Haidar (quoted by Wilken, " Mirchond Hist.
Gaz.'*) also adopts sixteen years as the duration of this Chieftain's independent
sway. The Rauzat al Saf? docs not give the date of the death of Alptegin with any
prccisiou, merely reporting that event as taking place shortly after tho accession of
N?h bin Mans?r, in Raj ab 365 a.h. It will be seen, however, that there is reason
to question this last date, as Ab?l Faraj and Ab?l Fed? assign the decease of Mans?r
bin N?h I. to the year 366, instead of to 305, though Mirkhond's statement as
regards the survival of Alptegin, and his consequent contemporaneous existenco
with N?h bin Mans?r, which is at present the real point at issue, tallies well with
the other evidence. Jen?b? most erroneously places eveu the first assumption of
independent power by Alptegin so late as 306 (Dorn, Hist. Afghans, Notes, p. ?0).
And Ferishtah, though he boldly affirms that this Chieftain died in 305, yet, in the
very context of his narrative (351 Revolt -f- 15 years* reign = 366, and not 305;
Briggs, vol. I. p. 13,) he conveys a palpable doubt as to the accuracy of his own
den ni te assertion.
' Rauzat al Safa, History of S?m?n?s; Elphiustone, vol. I., p. 525.
8 Alptegin would appear to have been unable to retain Ander?bch. See coins,
No. 315, Fnehn Recensio; No. 39, Nov. Symb.; and No. 44, Num. Kuf.
KINGS OF GHAZNI. 2.99
date of his own death. Accepting the above statements as to tho terri
torial possessions of Alptegin, they necessitate a conclusion, that in the
year 365 A.n., when coins (B) and (C) were fabricated, Ferwan was in
the hands of that chief. Such being the case, and adverting both to
the mint customs in like cases, and tho avowed attitude of defensive
hostility assumed by Alptegin towards his quondam masters, it would
be highly improbable, that the produce of the Ferwan Mint should be
put forth unmarked by some record of tho successful general, who
then swayed the destinies of the rising empire of Ghazni.
In this point of view therefore, the appearance of the superscrip
tion of <_KjtJs fs?S} ?HI , . *-? r*3?> ?l8 denoting a reference to
Alptegin, merely tallies with what is demanded by the probabilities
of tho case1.
Having thus far brought under one view the earlier and the later
coins bearing the motto of <_KJ J jÔCi* ?ill ,. wo -xai, it is requi
site to discriminate tho alteration in Alptcgin's position at the dif
ferent epochs when these numismatic monuments were fabricated.
At the time of the issue of the coin (A), Alptegin was the honoured
and obedient vassal of his S?imin? lord; as such, any mention of, or
reference to, him on the money of the day must have been due to the
sanction of his Suzerain, and tho money disclosing such allusion
would bo expected to partake of the general characteristics of tho
current mintages; hence it is seen that these coins, though ofTering a
most novel de vico in tho reverse area, preserve on that side the usual
marginal legend of ^\ ?JJ &c*. At the period of the coinage of
1 It is pertinent to the matter in hand to observe, with reference to the pecu

liarly local characteristics of Mr. Masson's collection, already referred to, that in
an accumulation of mednlR, numbering thousand?, there arc not ten proper coins of
the S?m?n? Emperors?a race, occupying territory, the boundaries of which were
immediately proximate to the country whence the present monuments were culled,
and whose money is in other places so plentiful that the published notices alone of
the partial contents of different European cabinets, admit of the possibility of the
citation of a coin corresponding with nearly every single year of the domination of
the family. Thin fact, though remarkable, i? strictly in accordance with the
inductions which should result from the testimony of written history, viz., that the
pure Bokhara Imperial money obtained but little currency in the hill country of
Z?bulist?u prior to the conquest by Alptegin, and that after the fall of Ghazni to
the arms of that Commander, the circulating medium was supplied from sources
other than the mints of the S?m?n? dominions.
* Assuming that Professor Frouhn has not fallen into the very facile error of
reading from a possibly worn coin the legend ^?\)l ?JJ &c, (Koran, surah xxx,
ver. 4, 5,) in place of ?j ^\ [f, &c, of Coins (B), (C), and (D).
the later examples of this money, Alptegin was in the anomalous con
dition of a revolted Governor, who had actually conquered a new
kingdom for himself, simultaneously retaining part of the territories
of his late masters; and while he showed himself able and prepared to
defend his appropriations, still rendered a nominal homage to the race
of his ancient benefactors. Whether the altered record on tho reverse
margin of coins (B), (C), and (D), about to be noticed, is any indica
tion of such a stato of things, is perhaps not altogether beyond a
doubt; but there appears on these later coins, a curiously dubious
marginal legend', which might well be expected to emanate from a
scnii-recusant governor, who, although he acknowledges, in a way,
the feudal supremacy of the successors of Abdal Malik, cither cannot
claim the permission of his legal Suzerain to coin, or will not compro
mise the dignity of his partially-perfected independence, by admitting
that, the money bearing his own mark, and struck iu one of his capital
cities, was fabricated by order of the reigning Emperor; but who reverts
to Nasr bin Ahmed for his authority to issue money; alluding probably
to the first of the name, the prominent founder of the family to which
his own allegiance was due, or, possibly referring to the fourth of the
line of the same designation, the Nasr bin Ahmed under whose early
patronage he himself must have been advanced the first step on tho
road to power*.
If the proposed explanation of the meaning of the Toghrd} which
forms the central ornament in the reverse area of these curious coins,
is correct, the namo of -A Null, may also bo understood as expres
sive of a design to refer to another member of the Sam?n? family, the
N?h bin Nasr, from whom Alptegin received the distinguished honour
of the nomination to the command of the army.
1 It is right to notice, though it is difficult to explain, the iippcaruiico of a

seemingly similar incomplete marginal legend on a coin of Mans?r bin N?h,
struck at Bokhara 35H A.n. The inscription reads?
/ .?AJLajJll j*^fi\ t?y* ?X^.1 try-i * * * /k*^ ?u^l \.c

Fnehn, Die M?nzen, &c, p. 51, pi. xiv., fig. 22.
* The notices of Alptegin's early history are naturally somewhat scanty; it
seems to be admitted, however, that in his youth he was the slave of Ahmed bin
Ismail, the third S?m?n? monarch. It is stated in the T?r?kh Guz?dah that, during
the reign of N?h bin Nasr, he was promoted to the command of the Imperial Army :
(v-HoL ?zl dÛt ?V 3? ?)U/ f? ej.^50

Under Abdul Malik, he rose to be Governor of Khor?s?n, and on the elevation
of Mans?r bin N?h I. to the throne of Bokhara, in 350 a.h. he revolted, and
erected a quasi-independent chieftainship at Ghazni.
ADD-UL-MELIK I. FILIUS NU'H I.
[A.] No. *2C?). N. ccr. rariss. et notabilissim. cus. ibidem [Bocharte] anno
eodem [348] XjI&XSj (?j?*->^3 ^_ _

In supr. A. I. ?t infra autem .ju?=iU3
A. II'r- inscriptioartificiosiusdisposita. In medio denuo occurrit . .i.g,n
cinctum a A (ecu *j fort. ? A) quater repctito, extra quod
tÂ?/5 tf** ^ er4 j**'J

Auxilium a Deo (venit) et victoria instant, in orbem disposita sunk
Marg. r^\ ?M &c
[B.] Copper. Weight, gr. Ferw?n. 3fl? a.h.
The name of N?h -. A four times a\J
repeated, radiating from the centre of

the area, and forming a circle by a
curious distribution of the final ?
together with the motto
T-V ?> 3} ?Ml ijj^

disposed in the shape of a square in tho
four compartments.
Marg. *aj -A^yi ???o? U" Marg. ^JLJl ^ w.?anf, fw--*
<X?9?-l / . *?j
A second coin, weight 3/1 gr., apparently the produce of the same dies, exhibits
the words , # .L ?^ quite distinctly.
1 This reading is confirmed by the marginal legends of four specimens of coins

similar to the above.
[C.l Copper. Weight, 46*7 gr. Ferw?n. 306 a.h. British Museum.
Area as above [B.] Area as above [B.]

But without the word
Marg. >?? r**M *?r*' ^C

Marg. \&J>
V* ?111
?**i
-ft? ' 1^3-^? *?? ' Qj ti?V* u^*"
(Jj-ft ^11 3 ??y*k~3
The name of the mint city is nearly obliterated.
?D.) Copper. Weight, 36 gr. Unique.
Area. Area.
As above [B.]
|| M ?V-V || A*:sv? || -
Marg.
1?J* /** 4*>
91 J? Marg. Illegible.
Jv^l
KINGS OF GHAZNL 303
SABAKTAGIN*.
No. II.
Silver. Weight, 60 gr. Ferw?n. 380 a.m. C.

Rbv. Obv.
. All
_)!>"/ yi *_Il V
Z3-> m K?X -^ *M1
/>
il_U. Ji
/ /
Marg. l?x?>
J/" d? (<^
^âjU &M* (_-_>lty*? rf
* The subjoined account of the succession to Alptegin's Chief

entire from the Tabak?t N?siri, as offering a version of the qu
refers, widely differing from that to he found in the writings of t
known Authors; and although there are many objections to the
sion of its verity, yet the N?sirfs undoubted antiquity and UBua
the statement to full consideration.
?Iaj^^j.} i_*S?> ?2k^*.jJ jIa* ?2kj?& \\ *SXj . -aX?A)
C1k+j\& 2 ?y? 0\>AO** wJ^jU j ?Aa*??Aj itXi <^l-
VOL. IX, Y
j? oL?^l ?UXi y\ <yxj 3 tj^Sjfj &^J* 3 ^c' JW ^ **3*J*
y 3 A?j?LaJo ctjLoi* ?y> ^y ya^ "t^x&ilL) -^^?yf
?y*. ?j3\ ?y+j ij^jir *i? j^j ?ys ?c î *>j*^r U?XxamI
vAawI _j L^-v?Xj )j}IjumJ IjjW?^^ V^XAOk. ^ C*-**?* ?*? I^JU<"o) 3 ?j
kj*? ej*% ?3* 3 ?J3S ?j^>*? J e-SjL Jî V ^ i*/

???y? KtX-cl ÂAM tf w ?Lwi jl y&+&> ?Xol^J ^l U^vw^J
Persian MS. Tabakat N?sir?, E. I. House Library, No. 1952.
This MS. is "said to have been copied by the Author" Vide Stewart's Catalogue.
A second more modern copy of this work, in the possession of the Rev. W. Cureton,
has the following deviations from the above reading: ? No. l ??i)A wuo|
No.'jJ^T Sx*. X^L No. ? \Ji?s?ASL and ? â&UL

No- ?3? No' * ?j*. No- 7 ?3o^?y ?j*?- ^3*
No. c^ No. * j No. "? jîib L*^^
No. 3.
Silver. Weight, 51 gr. 3?2 A.n.
Legends in Areas similar to No. II. Mint marks, Obv. _ and Rev,
Obv. Marg.
A nearly analogous Coin has on the Obv. Marg.
_ jUSl or yj?l XJU (?JjjX* ÔJI I?JS
No. 4.
Silver. Weight, 43*5 gr. Forw?n. 303 a.h. British Museum.
Areas similar to No. II. Mint marks - <_3.
Obv. Marg. *jl?15 j <j^* 3 <-^ **~ Cl^/*
No. 5.
Silver, Weight, 45 gr. (3)04 a.h.
Areas similar to No. II. Mint marks at the foot of the legends f
Obv. Marg. -^ (?J&l* 3 #/' **" -

A corresponding Coin has-^ ^\ ?j^ (jjUJu Jfy _
In Coins of the three last classes the Rev. Marginal legend usually
ends with x aJ?aJ.
No. 6.
Silver. Weight, 40 gr.
Rev. Obv.
All o
yi A_Jl y
*ui S*X -^>% ?Ml
J3-* -;
Cl^
/
Margins Illegible.
ISMAIL.
No. VII.
Obv.
_ll V
?, ?Ml
jd- ?L
?M ?.?I_L?_Il
Marg. Illegible. Marg. Worn, illegible.
On the Rev. Marg. of one of Ismail's Coins is to be seen tho commencement of
the usual symbol ?JH _Jj*y *X*=sA^ &c.
MAHMUD.
No. VIII.
Gold. Weight, 7?? gr. N?sh?pur. 385 a.h. British Museum.
Rev.
il_k_II 1
Mnrg. ?Ml _J^_?.y. .X_*_=sS~<i Marg. int. \&J> i^y? ?M! ^

/,. H?? ^f^Nr'W *^"r'
*lib ej^' 45-^ V*IrLJ
Mohammed, tho Apostle of God,
Marg. ext.
<zj" r$\ *U
whom he sent with instruction and the
true faith, that he might exalt it above
C/-*-J <X/w*
?^?.J+J ? *SKi
all other creeds, even though Unbe Mf**. (?jy*^

lievers be adverse thereto. ? Koran,
surah ix. 33, and lxi. 9. Dominion, both past and future, is of
God, and in that day the Faithful shall
rejoice in the aid of the Lord.?Koran,
surah xxx. 4, 5.
I -? an Apylum.
No. IX.
Gold. Weight, 57'3 gr. N?sh?p?r. 390 a.h. British Museum.
Obv.
?Ml SI *_11 y
?Ul_j j?l??_51
Marg. Surah ix. 33, aud lxi. 0. Marg. int. |Sjb ?Ml i^M
Marg. ext Surah xxx. 4, 6.
No. 10.
There is a second Gold Coin in the British Museum, in weight 77*4 grains,
similar in every respect to the above, with the exception of tho c on the Obverse,
which is placed on tho right of tho field, instead of being at tho foot of tho legend,
as in tho specimen just described.
No. 11.
Gold. N?sh?p?r. 400 a.ii. Fr hn's Rcccnsio, p. 142.

Rbv. Obv.
aU
?X zsv * SI A. Jl V
M _3, m
X_1?>\_JI ,.
? ML., /il_?_1
Marg. Surali ix. 33, and lxi. 9. Marg. int. As No. IX.,
XjL? ?Jr\
Marg. ext. Surah xxx. 4
No. XII.
Gold. Weight, 623 gr. N?sh?p?r. 401 a.h. British Museum.

Rev. Onv.
aU
<X,.4_3CV- m*
_J<Xc
- M _J,-mj.
S
__ ??Ml ill *_Il y
sf aJJb ,al_?_It nry **X^ vr

? ?-8-* LT-^ ^li?l ^jl
Mi c_JbUI
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and lxi. 9.
Marg. int, l?x?b *?>/*> *Ml f?wo
/>-* r
*^/^
Marg. ext. Surah xxx
No. 13.
A second Gold Coin, of the like dato and place of mintage, varies in the dis
position of the inscription : the usual short symbol occupying the whole of the
Obverse area, the Reverse area containing the acknowledgment of the mission of
Mohammed, the designation of the Khalif and his successor elect (excluding the
words B^X/ix J*)> as well as the three titles of Mahm?d himself, the ( # ?g
XLtXlt a"** too &11I f . t+*\ being placed one on each side of the rest of the
legend. The word ?uLo a wanting in the record of the date.
No. 14.
Gold. Weight, GO gr. Herat. 396 a.h

Rev. Onv.
" All '*
?Ml ?Jvwy iX^JSXô Ml *_il y
sJ^. ?Ml
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and lxi. 9. Marg. int. Ijsjfc

^S? mP*i
IjM??. X?I??x* x\,?g?i rUjtXll
i .*. \ * ?
joUvaj 3 ^ . y****** 3
Marg. ext. Surah xxx. 4, 6.
No. ir>.
Gold. Weight, b*5 gr. Herat. 401 a.h. Masson.

Gold. Weight, 50 gr. Herat 401 a.h. llritish Museum.
Similar to Coin No. 14, but imperfect in the exterior Margin of Obverse,
the word A^> A\ wanting the final / . ^.
KINGS OP GHAZNI. 311
No. 16.
Gold. Weight, 56 gr. Herat. 411 A.n. Lady Macnaghien.
Differs slightly from No. 14, in the absence of _jj?^ in the Obverse,
and in tho initial ?X^^s^ in the Reverse standing in a line by itself ;
the concluding ^vaJ?I ?j\ being reduced in size to meet the thus
increased demand for space.
No. 17.
Gold. Weight, 65 gr. Herat. 413 a.h.
As No. 14; but the exterior Margin of the Obverse is perfect.
No. I?.
Gold. Weight, 63 gr. Herat. 414 a.m.
Ornamental Kufic; otherwise similar to No. 14.
No. 19.
Gold. Weight, 77 gr. N?sh?p?r. 407 a.m.
Rev. Obv.
a)J
?Ml Jfc*K/. 1X4JSX?

m Jl M
?ML^ r*\ V W ? 4 *>
^3 I
o
xk KiX
=^ ?Ml ^
-4
?ML-, c?JLJLJI *?1 ?L_^_a y
XlyxJI
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and Ixi. 9.

Marg. int. \??> v_>,? ?Ml ^
X,_k ?m ??am r*.)Lg*A.?J rl?-JtXJI
xAjiJr\)
Marg. ext. Sumh xxx. 4, ft.
VOL. IX, Z
No. 20.
Gold. Weight, 67 gr. N?sh?p?r. 409 a.h. Dr. Swiney.
Similar to No. 19, except that in the Obverse rw*H *jI a,,d ?*?*
are wanting.
No. XXI.
Gold. Weight, 59 gr. 4*- A.n. British Museum.
Rkv. Odv.
All
-JS\
M _3.
XJJLl /^?-?l 3 21?1
aML-? jJL-JL?II rÎ_?_11 ^l

JkiÛ
IM arg. Surah ix. 33, nnd Ixi. U. Marg. int. l?ub

-^/? m ,?*xJ
Aju*
A Coin apparently struck by Masn?d, while acting as a local Sovereign, during tlio
lifetime of his Father, Mahmiid.
a.h. 407. "Returning to ?ulkh, Mahmood gave the government of Hirat to

his son, the Prince Ameer Musaood."
a.h. 4If). " He conferred the Government of ilye and Isfahan on his son, the
Prince Musaood.**
Briggs's Ferishtah, Vol. I.
No. XXII.
Rev. Onv.
aU . o ? o
3H ?_Il M
K*X ?Ml
XJjtK?I ?M ?_J_b_Il
(3^fSX?
Margins. Worn, illegible.
On one specimen is seen ?$\ ^JLaw*. cX^^rU)
This Coin must be inferred to have been struck in or after the year 307 A.n.,
or the year in which Munsur bin Null II. ascended the throne of Bokhara.
No. 23.

Rev. Odv.
All
*X-#-=? yi ? Ji y
?Ml _V ?Ml
xJ A.
?ML-j j?\-??11
Margins. Illegible.
No. 24.
Rbv. Obv.
?Ul J*.-w? iXi^^vo
?HI s>i ?_11 ?
\3 SLJîXJl ^^
X-J ?J^? y Ki\?*3
LIT*,^-iV^ e^
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. Imperfect.
9> JL? *>/yo*.J a 4>JU

f$/4Xll \?& ^jyb ?Ml ^w
No. 26.
Silver. Weight, 42 gr. (3)95 a.u. C.
Ret. Obv.
* AU *
?I A_Il y
* *Nl KiX. ^ ?All
XUI C_J-V*'
I .3S_J A-J ?L ?? y
??L-? /t3l_?i_11
<!**&
Marg. Illegible. Marg. ir*_$. x

.*(jj**~-^
The Obverse Margins of two similar Coins exhibit the words ?"JU* ?.J ;xj $r?^ll
Different specimens have respectively the letters c ?1 m? below tho Lvc

on Obverse.
No. XXVI.
Silver. Weight, 70 gr. N?sh?p?r? 3?)0 a.h. Large Coin.
Rev. Obv.
e#
?Ml ?JyMr ?XfrJSX* ?Ml yi ?_Il y
X-JîX
?L_J^t\_J\ / . jK.
XJU.I *\
^ ?ml. /jiai
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Legible. Marg. |?_A 7"^ ?111 ,<v*?

/*L ftxJl
?Ml fJ&?J (ji33*0*3^*
No. XXVII.
Silver. Weight, 50 gr. C.
Rev. Onv.
* o *
?Ml _Jâ ?X#.:sxô 5? A.
?ML-, /4M_?_51 ?HI

*J ?L
J (JO
Marg. yi ?h
/? Marg. ?^
d.^^' C/*? "^^s J> (jâXam
(?Ml) ^
Another Coin discloses on its Obverse Margin the words
jjm^- ?xa* ?Jixj j?r^l l?X^ l-r-V^
No. 2tf.
Similar legends to No. XXVII., with monogram ,_>Li>J| at the top ;
and
v??at the bottom of Obverse; and
Monogram < > at the top of the Reverse Area.
No. 29.
Rbv. Obv.
o a? o
?Ut r>"V ?X4-3?U0
m A_11 y
?dlt_? /fc>\ i \\ SiX. -s?, dit
5U^\J1 (?j*-4l *J a -w y
Marg. Composed of thin straggling

letters, utterly illegible.
Marg.
cjA
^ ir*
W?l?n laLJbJ ^t,

y\ f? (jjr^**y? (^ ^ ?f-*W (jj-** Il ?f**W cjl)4^0 d>liL*~
Istakhri (M ller), p. 112.

Sco also Map (Idem) No. XVIII. /. ^L*!^ 3r>**
^ |^ /' 3 */V J* A^ ^ ??* /' Il ??* /?A iTjIsU*
Persian Mem?lik wa Mes?lik, p. nu. See also Map, p. qu*
"From Balkh to Khulum, two days' journey; from Khulum

Valeiu f^yxl^t two days'journey." Ouseley's Orient. Goog., p. 230.
"Ou compte au nombre ?les d?pendances de cette derni?re pro
vince (le Badakclian # ^LiîXj) les villes do Ai f.wJl*/j> &c.
De Balkh ? Warwaliu, ville agr?able et commer?ante, dont d?pendent
divers villages, 2 journ?es. De Warwalin ? Talecan (,, ?Ullis)?
2 journ?es. Do Balkh ? Houlm, ville situ?e ? 2 journ?es a Tonest de
Warwalin, on a 2 journ?es de chemin ? faire." Edrisi (Jaubcrt), pp.
474, 475.
TIio above identification is proposed without any great amount of
confidence, as the orthography of the name of the city whose position
is here indicated, varies to a more than usual degree of uncertainty, in
asmuch as the facsimile MS. of Istakhri, in four repeated references to
tho town in question, gives no loss than the same number of discordant
readings, viz., p. 109, ^^1^* Mem, (jj^^J i>- n2> ^j^V^ aml
Map No. XVIII. ^Lll^, or possibly ÛIU.
Tho East India House Persian MS. Mcs?lik wa Mema]ik also
exhibits discrepancies in the mode in which the namo is written,
having in one place /.wJLr? a"d on two subsequent occasions
t t*l'? ^no salno may oe sa*(l ?f Ouselcy's translation, which is
made from other MSS. of the same work, and which afFords the several
examples of . ^J|^ ;, p. 223 and 224; and ,9j*i\y P- 230. Ibn

Haukal1 openly avows a diiliculty as to the correct mode of expressing
tho namo, writing .. *?JL#* or t . r^Wv ^n^ """^ty? as W'N oe

seen from tho above extract, the French Translation of Edrisi gives
the word as . v/JLr* A bul Fed? has no notice of the place.
A more serious objection, however, presents itself to the admis
sion of tho correctness of the locality suggested, in the fact of tho
dissimilarity observable between the form and fabric of the Coin itself,
and tho general characteristics displayed by the Balkh money, which
last is seen to bo uniformly a thin broad piece, whereas the two Coins,
Nos. 29 and 04, upon which the whole, or the major portion, of tho
doubtful namo is found, partake of the character of the more common
types of the narrow Ghazni currency, and if any faith is to be placed
in such indications, would necessitate a search for their place of coin
ago somewhat nearer the capital, or, at all events, in a province
whose monetary types assimilated more closely to the produce of tho
1 MS. Bibl. Bodl., No. 530. Hunt.
metropolitan mint. As such, the name of Malin ^.^jJLo might

claim consideration, as corresponding in its component letters with
what remains of the Kufic word on tho margin of No. 29. There are,
however, no recognized Herat silver coins, whence a judgment might
be formed as to the identity of style; so that no valid argument could
be raised on that ground. Moreover, the orthography of Mal in, like
that of W?U?n, is open to much question, as, ?u addition to tho two
d i li?rent modes of pronunciation to which tho naino is liahlo, as
noticed by A bul Fed?, it is written by both ?stakhr? and Edrisi
. JLo. However, whatever might be said regarding the admis
sibility of the adoption of Miilin as the place of fabrication of tho ono
Coin, No. 29, the same can by no means be extended to the piece No.
64, the initial letter of the monetary city of which, can never bo read
as a Mini +, or other than one of the three letters (_J (_3 or + .
An identification which seems to meet more satisfactorily the
various numismatic requirements, though it is opposed by the demands
of absolute exactitude of literal uniformity, is suggested by some
casual references made by more modern writers, which tend to show
that there must have been a town, or certainly a fort, of a very similar
denomination to that to bo found on the Coins, cither in or near tho
Hills, somewhere proximatcly northward of Fcrwjin. An indication
of this locality is furnished by Mirkhond, who mentions tho siege of
tho fortress of Walian ,. yUH* by tho generals of Jcngiz Khiin*,
which castle appears from the context to bo identifiable with tho placo
alluded to by B.iber in the following sentence:?"There are besides
three roads in Ghiirbend ; that which is nearest to Perwa.11 is the pass
of the Yangi-yuli (the new road), which descends by Walian and
KhinjanV This last position is marked in many of tho later maps;
and one of tho neighbouring* pusses to this d:iy retains its naino of
AVdl??n, though in tho hands of modern geographers it would seem to
have been corrupted into Gwalian.
^^L? ^j^JyLi ?\J> _U>l?-21J> _V-?l ^j~* (jj^lLo

Ab?l Fed?, p. 45?.
? Sec Rauzat al Snf?, History of Jell?l al din Khw?rizm?; also Price, from
Khnl?sat al Akhh?r, Vol. II. p. 410.
8 Erskine's B?ber, p. 130.
KINOS OF GIIAZNI. 319
No. 30".
Area as in No. XXVII.
Monograms t
Area as No. XXVII., with r^J?\ ^\
at the top.
U?fi
Margins. Illegible.
No. 31 .
Silver, Weight, 40 gr.
Rkv. Onv.
O 0 o
?Ml -_3ywr tS+?S\~4 y? A_Il y
8<X_ ?Ml
g *ML. ^L-JL-ll t
V
JjâCU*
Margins. Illegible.
No. 32*
A similar Coin, with the monogram , # \U?i inserted between the ^Jjsx an<*
?J) at the top of the Obverse, as in No. 29.
No. 33.
Legend as in Reverse, No. 31 ; but theLegend as in Obverse, No. 31, wilh

the addition of the word Ju , possibly
*m . tA-?l ?? to the left of the rest
of the inscription. jsju, on tho right of the field.
Monogram, supra, ?$ ; infra, ?J.
VOL. IX. 2 A
No. 31.
Silver. Weight, 46* gr.
Reverse, three lines, as in No. 31; but , Obverse as No. 31.

the second title is placed thus?
^ e/" ?y+^\sO
Monograms, supra, ?\J < > <oj
No. 35*.
Silver. Wright, 17 gr.
Reverse. The same inscription as in Obverse. The same as No. 31.
No. XXVII.; but with the J^jsA-o

at the top of the held, and . . rj^?\
X.VJLI *?t the bottom.
No. XXXVI.
Silver. Weight, 45 gr. t?ha/.n?. 401 A.n.
lUv. Onv.
*X-+-SA--<o yi *_11 V
?031 _J*_**r ?*X ?^ m
aML_, fA_SL
Marg.
Marg. Composed of Bosses ?nd x\]X?Uxj ->l?0 ?Ml {?\xxJ
alternating.
&A*iuA 3 <i?*y=>\ x.iXXAM
Many of these several classes of small silver ('??ins have men; careless imita
tions of the usual marginal inscriptions, tmeh as obviously could never have bet.n
intended to be legible, the scroll between the parallel circles being at times made
up solely by the repetition of certain characters that may be taken to represent
the word *?>a* > mid in other instances filled in with a confused jumble of con
secutive masses of the common form of -1- interspersed with an occasional
a or
,rr
KINGS OF (?IIAZNI. ?J21
No. 37.
Silver. Weight, 7?r? ?r.
lloverse. Broad Area, with the legend Obverse. Small Area, legend as in No.
XXXVI.
?ML ^?UH ?Ml ??y"f tX4^Xo
XUl ^jA^j ?JîXll
Marg. Narrow; inscription illegible. Marg. As the Iteverse Margin ol Nu
XXXVI.
No. 3?.

A Coin similar to No. XXXVI., having both Margins composed of hoses and
A\j alternating.
No. 30.

In this Coin the accustomed marginal legends are disposed around the fnld,
and are not separated from the body of the inscription by the usual lines.
ltBV. O ?v.
-ji> ?Ml f{\*_J

<*+*.
Ji y
'3- *<y_ ?JJI
1
JuJ A-j
-U?I
>-i? / I, *Ml_. y ?I-?-II
...<
No. 4?.
Silver. Weight, 42 gr. Balkh. 411 a.u. Broad Coin (ornamental Kutte).
Rev. Onv.
AX3
*Hl _5*_*?r
?tX. m
M-* rA_?_11
X-VvJl *_1 ?L-j?? y
Marg. ,N>I *U Marg. li^jb i_v->? ?031 f<w?>
?x iS-*l ?L_>?** ?f^? f*?/4^

?HA jJ^lxj Cr>3**i^ ?V ^
A->>L? JOrl
No. 41.
Silver. Weight, ?fi gr. N?shap?r. 414 A.n. Broad Coin. Dr. Swiiiey.
lvKV. OliV.
Ail
^Ml _*3*?j> iX^^xo
xML^ /4>\_S_11
The usual Symbol in three lines?
SL-X-JLI ^%jv??I ^
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. J^_?, ^_,-? ?&\ ~^

?*?. f~>A ***** r^jL^xij f^/4^
**S*i^3
KINGS OF GlIAZNl. 323
No. XLII.
Silver. Weight, 454 gr. Unique
Rev. Oiiv.
?Mb
?Ml !il x_)| y
-?| ?Ml JkA*)f ?X^JSXo Â H?^ ^ MRAIIAMRIO ?
If^X ?J"*f maiiarXnriva
TTH^f? MAIIAM?I)
t3^+?SXo
XUl a**}3
Marg. ?Ml
^ ffW?J M??*g- *Ntt 8?^ with R^gf
sXmvXt 412 ?yatan mXiiXm?ij
'/* 37JJl l?X?>
Analysis of tub Sanskrit Lbtters.
No. 1, ygft Sri; possibly ^f a. 2, H Fri of the seventh century; or XI

pri of tho ninth. 3, cR Art/ of the fifth century (Allahabad Inscription); the
Kashmiri feu of the present day differs but little from this form. 4, ^ se of the
fifth century; or ?| me of tho seventh. 5, 7f n of the ninth century (see Kutila
Inscription) ; possibly cither H ?A or off & of the same century. 0, ^ Mr. 1,
\ h of the fifth century; possibly ^ d of the ninth. 0, J{ mri; or If mu? in
this latter the "3" ? might be objected to, but it is the form in use on the Gupta
Coins, and there is no saying how long it may have remained in partial use (see
r?ate XIX., Vol. VIL, Journ. As. Soc., Bengal). 9, ^ </. jn, ^ a. II,
If ?1? 12, ^f h; or "5f Fi, fifth century : the letter corresponding to the modern
palatal Tf has not been identified in the Kutila Inscription. 13, "^ r. II,
7T ?iri; or *f ?u. 15, *J v. 10, If 71/? 17, ^ A. 10, H m?. 10, ?r d.
Margin. No. 20, ^f S; or v{ J\f. 21, cf v. 22, ^ u, ninth century: a
letter of the same shape answers at the present day for a If t in the Punjabi
alphabet (vide Carey's Grammar); accepting this last rendering, the first three
marginal letters might be taken us intended to represent the word If "^"rT Samval.
23, ^ 4. 24, <\ 1 : the character to be seen on the Coin assimilates closely to the
form of an ancient Kashmiri 1, given in Plate XX., Vol. VII., Journ. As. Soc,
Bengal; and the modern form of the numeral varies only from these in the june
tion of the ends of the figure. 25, ^2; the Oevanagari 2 of the tenth century
is but little dissimilar to the unit figure on the Coin, which latter might, however,
be read as an X r, but that it differs so much from the r in the body of the
Inscription. 20, ^ a; or ^f\ sri. 27, IT y. 28, Z ? ?f fifth century. 211,
7T n; or off I: 30, J{ M. 31, f h. 32, If m?. 33, *^ d.
No. XLI1?.
Silver. Weight, 45 gr. Clutzni. 411 A.n.
Rkv.
aVJ
<\\)l JyMj *X*sSAô
*JJt ?La
ML-J /t)L
t^ffi C *> c) k.^^?^V.^5 (J**
*?i"-g. Si3M (jjtfi

Marg. l?v_J> ? aMI
"V^ jfw?V
XUl (jj-i-*' s
A Coin, in the possession of Lady Macuaghten, exhibiting generally similar

characteristics to the above, has the Obverse Margin occupied by tho words
JU*w XJiXj $rtXll (expressed in most accurately formed letters) fivo times
repeated. The Reverse Margin is filled up with a like reiteration of the words
?U^l U?
No. XLIV.
Silver. Weight, 30 gr. Ghazni. 411 A.n. Lady Macuaghten.
Similar in shape and legend to No. XL! II., with the exception of the name
of Mahntud, the letters of which are curiously impressed in intaglio,
instead of being raised like the rest of the inscription.
The Reverse Monogram Xx^t is correctly formed on this specinteu; but

the Mint marks on the Obverse are altogether omitted.
Much of the Obverse marginal legend, given at length under No. 35, is
traceable, and the Reverse Margin displays the outline of the following
words?
_, XJ,oJ\ (^t ?All ?UJ.I ?u^\ U>
KINOS OF OIIAZNI.
No. 45.
Silver. Weight, gr. Balkh. 4)2 A.n.
ItKV. Ofiv.
aU
?Ml ^)y*Nj cK^jS^wO 5? * Jl y

-?-3 ?Ml
^WJUI yj\ (^jjjJI
?MU /oli?l
Marg. Marg.
?^ ft
**y*&^ 3 /^ c^^'1
-(?J3**3^
No. XLVI.
Silver. Weight, r,0 gr. 414 A.n.
Legends in both Areas as in No. 4."?.
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, r?. | Marg.
No. 47.
Silver. Weight, 47 gr. 410 A.n. Unique.
Rev. Onv.
?Ml -^JyMij tS+S?\?C m iii *_11 y

ja ?Ml ^^Jfc.AA./? ?X?.S?V^Q
?Ml?, j?\_*_11
o ?3+*=*-* o f^w?ll j.jl
Marg. Illegible. Marg. ?JUw jyS I f(WJ
?ul^l^ ,?s ?a~j
No. XLVIII.
Silver. Weight, 63 gr. Sejist?n'. Broad Coin.
Rev. Ouv.
AjJ _5iXc
?Ml _J>^/ *>^**S^-0 M yi JL. Ji y
*1 ?L.J--J? y K?>0^
-lus xm (jj^w?i 3 aUL-j j?\_?_11

^1X11 yj\ (jJ^.i>Jl i^tf
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. l?X_il> ^jpi ?Oil rC**??
.fr
C?> .*WS??TW~>
^jJI
^tfft?
1 Zarauj; called also Sejist?n, as capital of the province of that name; the
Dooshak or Jellalabad of the modern maps.?See Edrisi, p. 431 and 432. Abul
Feda has the following :?
***** &f3 ?^V* CJ^ ??l? (?J^*? ***** ??//
(^^?
Texte Arabe, p. laj^û .
" Zarauj, Capital of Sejist?n. Ibn Ilaukul said Zaranj is a la
Sejist?n; and it is further said that (the name of) Sejistatu is appl
itself.**
For examples of the numismatic use of the name in this sense seo Coins of
Har?n al Rash id, Nos. 135", 136*, p. 11^ ami 145*, p. 13**, Frivhn'a Recensio.
The T?r?kh Masa?d? quotes the following authorized detail of Mahni?d's

titles in a copy of a Missive from the Khalif Al K?im be amerillah to Masa?d, in
which the recognized designations of the latter*? father aro thus given at full
length?
^jaa^^?i jKso\ y3 .tfwi?ii ^ji xm (jj-î^

With the single exception of the .ûJU^ -^^1 |_*?."=> ?II
these several titles are to be found on the Coins above described.
KINOS OF OHAZNI. 327
No. 40.
Silver. Weight, 20 gr. SmairCoiu.
Hbv. Onv.
A.
?), Jll *UI _J,
?mJa?X^J) / . frA_l}
Marg. int. Marg. ?UUU ?MAI

-*Jj?Xll (^^ytfi ?UU.
Marg. ext Illegible.
No. 60.
Silver. Weight, 45 gr. (Apparently of the Balkh fabric.) 421 A.n. ; Broad
Coin.
Rev. Onv.
aU
<X , ?-sX 5)1 ?_11 V

*?X
?HI -)> ?Ml
? ?AM_11 X-A?X
?MU ÛUl
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 6.

Marg. 1,3s_?> u-j,?** ?Ml _
?]3^ ?~f qr? ?,^1
?L?Lfj>rl^ CvT^.r^^ ^ ?Xs?! ****
Hab? al Awal Ja.YI*HJ _)^l *Ajy.
VOL. IX. 2B
No. 51.
Silver. Weight, 53*5 gr. Balkh. 421 a.u. Large Coin. British Museum.
Areas as in No. 50.

Marg. <Qf?\\ \?jt> ,_,^?
*?*it]3 i?rtr*3 e^
Dirhem, at Balkh, in Jum?d al Awal, the year
iu~ _J^y\ ?1*4- ??fi f$
No. 52.
Silver. Weight, CO gr. Small Coin.
Rbv. Obv.
aU _J*Xc
?mi yi ?_il y
?Ml _J._~r
ft- 4M-, 11 ??A ?ML jdLJUl ?-J
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. t^Jv^l ,

?Cî
XHL^/' J lUV^* *
KINOS OF OIIAZNI. 329
No. 53.
Silver. Weight, 42 gr. Small Coin.
Rbv. Ouv.
aAJ
K<X_ m
*_1 ?_>,
Marg. int. Marg.

1 X?a* **!**>
_U.3 ^j.o -?^l ?OJ
Marg. ext. Dots?
The above Coins present too many novel peculiarities to admit of

their being passed over in silence, though the mutilated state of the
inoro important portions of each, as well as a corresponding deficiency
of uiupiestioned historical data, may render any deductions on the sub
jects embraced somewhat inconclusive. Still, whatever may be the
correct reading of the abraded parts of the several legends, two points
at least evidence a departure from the uniform practice prevailing in
previous mintages :?Firstly, the inscription of Mahrniid's sole vnti
tied name; and, secondly, the insertion of an unusual additional detail,
intimating what would seem to bo the name of the month, us well as
the accustomed record of the year of issue.
These two remarkable indications are found in concurrence (in the
thrco most legible Coins) with a notification, purporting that tho
medals themselves were struck in the year 421 A.n., the early part of
which witnessed the decease of tho Monarch whoso name they bear.
There are but two of the four specimens (Nos. 50, 51) that retain a
sulHciently clear impression of those portions of the legends it is
sought to decipher, to permit an approach to a satisfactory conjecture
as to their original intent and purport; and these severally disci >se
the worn and imperfect outline of the characters which represent
the names of the Arabic months of Rab? al Awal aud Jiunml al
A irai1, or tho third and fifth months of the Mohammedan year, located
on the margins of the Coins immediately preceding the annual date.
The two smaller Coins (Nos. 52, 53) display on their Ohverso
surfaces, in the spaces generally devoted to the reception of mo
nograms, the same concluding and distinguishing word _3*^1,
together with traces of what probahly once stood for ?m, .
Whatever may have become the custom in after times among
Mohammedan nations in regard to the inscription of the months of
the year in which Coins were fabricated, their unprecedented appear
ance on the pieces under notice, as well as their immediate subsequent
disuse, taken as isolated facts, can only bo supposed to point to an
intention of fixing, with more than usual precision, tho montent of tho
issue of the Coins thus marked, and, as such, to advert to sonic pro
minent epoch in the history of the race by whom they were put forth.
Now, as the periods inscribed closely coincide with the supposed date
of Mahm?d's death, the question naturally suggests itself, Were not
these moneys in some way connected with this event?
In addition to the default of sufficient numismatic data, the diffi
culty of arriving at any correct estimate of the design attending tho
production of these medals, is much enhanced by a co-existent doubt
as to the precise mouth in which Mahnuul died; and, consequently,
as to whether these pieces arc to be recognised as the latest record of
his life, commemorative- medals struck in his honour after his deceaso,
or the mere mechanical continuance of the use of his name by the mint
officials.
This last suggestion 6eems to bo at once negatived by the appear
ance of purpose to be detected in the singular changes already noticed;
the question is therefore narrowed to the consideration of the two re
maining possible explanations.
1 In concluding that the doubtful letters on the Margin of Coin No. 51 repre
sent the namo of a mouth?and looking to their position immediately following tho
record of the mint city, and preceding the year of the date, they cannot well bo
taken to import anything else?it is to bo conceded that, setting aside the worn
state of tho writing, the expression of the words is by no moans perfect, the i
being abbreviated to --3 (which, however, is not unusual in MS.), and the J of
t^L**? in its present shape would more accurately perform the function of an (j
or any other of tho convertible letters for which tho Kuiic medial -1- stands
sponsor, rather than the |, which the context seems to require.
KINGS OF GHAZNl. 331
Tho balanco of written testimony greatly preponderates in favour

of tho assignment of the 23rd of Rab? al A'kh?r1 as the date of the
death of Mahmud; at the same time, the event is variously reported
by diiFercnt authors as having taken place on one of the three follow
ing dates?11th Safar*, 13th Rab? al Awal3, or even so late as Jum?d
al Awal4.
The second and third of these four epochs are the only periods that
aro not at variance with the idea of a posthumous character attaching
to the Coins under review; and there is clearly too little reliance
to be placed upon tho authorities citing these dates, to justify a re
jection in their favour of the statements of more esteemed writers, to
meet tho wants of a theory so incomplete in numismatic proofs as the
oue now discussed. Indeed, if the apparently conclusive testimony
*Na^j ^^ xÛ X-iI^j^? 3 ^j^s. ^ cftX^.1 3u*w J^yi cf^l^ jl

?3j\.j ijAÛs. 3 <sjit ??xi?xT *?? ?Ml ??ibj Jy*:s? *a-?1 u~j?^ ?T
?axv, ?^-r**-? ubi*4* ?-^-^ J* 3 ^-^j^ t?*? j* VrLr-* ?^
^llaX** Lo *x3jl?X=i ?J Syj &'??y> ?5^^ ?*?* ^?j cA^4r k-**
f^.yi ?Viî jl ?j-y ?i>JLo j^> LH^xifc aa>^c?j ja, ?Lijlr ?^ -^

<X?m <*4a?*i*KJ
MS. tfJ^XAw^ ?5=1 .Li' Bib. du Roi, Paris.

Tho following authorities also cite Rab? al A'khir as the period of Mahnnid's
decease:?Ab?l Fed?, Annales Muslemici(lleisk), Vol. III. p. 70; Rauzat al Safa
(WSlkcn), p. 231; Habib al Sair, MS., No. 17, East India House; Akberi, MS.,
East India House; Ferishtah (Briggs), Vol. I. p. 84.
* Ihn Haidar, quoted by Willccn, Hist. Gaz., p. 227.
cf*x^.i XA** ?3y\ ?*& p^^y^*" ^y**2?1!. j3j j** ??^?x* &xs\3
?3* <?3J *?*>J 3 (j*ir^c 3

j^l?^jfeo ^.jIj? Lithographed at Bombay, in 11129.
* Quoted by De Guignes, Vol. I. p. 240, and Vol. II. p. 170.
The N?sir?, Ab?l Faraj, and the Guzidah fail in mentioning the mouth in
which Mahmud died.
of the Ti?r?kh M asa i ul ? is entitled to the credit its circumstantial

detail and high antiquity seem to demand, this class of Coins can only
be taken to have originated with Mahmud himself, though, in all
likelihood, only late in his career; and that having been thus intro
duced into use, the Balkh mint continued to fabricate the like species
of money?with altered monthly dates to meet the progress of time?
up to the period of the receipt of the intelligence of tho decease of
Mahmiid at Ghazni, or possibly until tho full inauguration of his suc
cessor'. In arriving at this conclusion, it is necessary to consider tho
causes of tho subsequent discontinuance of the insertion of monthly
dates. This may be explained by the supposition?fully justified by
their respective medals?that M ah mud interested himself in the mint
arrangements of his dominions, thereby insuring an advanced state
of excellence in tho details of his coinage, whereas Masaiid*, to judge
by the results, paid but little attention to the fashion of his money,
and disregarded the omission of tho moro exact record of tho date
introduced by his father.
It is less easy to account satisfactorily for the motives which led
to the first monetary change already described. That Mahmiid may
at tho last moment have affected humility, and refrained from the
employment of all titular distinctions, is just possible, but by no means
probable, considering his admitted and proved partiality to the uso of
titles of honour, and tho fact that tho closing acts of his life?tho
contemplation of his boundless treasures, and the reviow of the
splendid equipments of his powerful army?savour strongly of still
surviving vanity. It may be doubted whether the seeming humility
implied in the disuse of honorary titles, may not havo been in reality
the result of an increased degree of pride, which imagined, and with
fair reason, that so great a name as that of the Conqueror of India
required no titular adjuncts.
1 It may assist in the due determination of the value of the above suggestion to
note that, at Mahm?d's death, there was not only a disputed succession, but that
at the moment, both Mohammed and his brother Masa?d were absent from the
capital?and equally so from Balkh, the mint city wherein the Coin No. 50, if not
51, was struck?the one brother being in Jurjan, the other near Ilamad?n; and that
it was not until a certain interval after the decease of Mahmud that Mohammed
was elevated to the throne at Gliazui: the exact duration of this interval is not
stated. Vide Ferishtah (Briggs), Vol. I. p. 03.
* It would be useless to speculate on the almost unique Coin of Mohammed
(No. LV1I.)
KINOS OF ?HAZNI. 333
No. LIV.
Brass. Weight, 50 gr. GhaEui. 405 a. h.
in *. ji v
"V.
?iX_ ?Ml
VA <J
? < %> "7
*
^V
? ?Ml r?W
?>wi
# Marg. l?X_4_j ||
*. /\y ^
U^ H ?LU ?_3y. -llu^?
/ ^ff/k
The above arrangement of the legend of the Reverse is merely intended to
show the contents of each compartment. It docs not in any way carry out the
intricate cross-reading to be seen on the Coin itself.
No. 55.
Copper. Weight, 40 gr.
Areas. Legends as in No. 27, Silver Coin.
Monograms. Obverse, infra ??aC, - Reverse, supra ?M .
Margins. Illegible.
No. 50.
Brass. Weight, 30 gr.
Rev, Obv.
all
?Ml ^-Jy**r tS+C&?*? Ml *
*_J A.
?ML ÛUt
Margins. Illegible.
MOHAMMED.
No. LVII.
Silver. Weight, 40 gr. Very scarce.
Rbv. Obv.
?*\y ? Mo
yi & ji y
?ill _5y?f ***^-*
?-4,<X_il _J^L.^ -^ AMI

xJULl xJ ?L ? y
**** LU',J Os^si ?AIL ôl?H
Margins. Illegible.
The issue of this Coiu is to bo referred to tho first reign of Mohammed, as

Al Kadir, whose name is here inscribed, died ten or eleven years before this
Ghaznavi Monarch's second accession.
KINOS OF OMAZNl. 335
M ASA ?l).
No. LVIII.
Gold. Weight, 75*7 gr*. N?sb?p?r. 422 a.h. British Museum.

Rev. Obv.
?Ml
?Ml $\ *_ J? S
?ML, ??l _?_si *^_
\sÂ
-*., 411
k*X-a?
13
AM^b {c:
m
<?j#> /*u
Marg. int. |?^ c_y? ?Ml ^j
*?=> y\3 *Xj?= ,. *j,X_lt , Jle
Marg. cxt. _UJ ^^ ^ J)j ?J]

?/-*-? ?>*-*>^ Os-x-j ^-?j
?Ml jAOl?j ( \^*-*>LI
1 Weights of other analogous specimens?73*0 gr., 57*0 gr., 52*/igr.

* -?*c iu original. The J^s. (10) is assumed to be a mistake for . m yj^?r
(20), for various reasons, notwithstanding that Masaud is known to have been
Governor (on the part of his father) of the province of Herat, and possibly Nfch?p?r
itself, so early as 407. In the first place, it is highly improbable that the use of
Mahm?d'fl name should have been discontinued on the provincial Coins during his
lifetime; indeed, the binominal medal, No. XXI., seems to prove a contrary
practice to have prevailed. Tn the second place, it is known that Al K??irn be
amcrillah, whose titles are to be seen on the Coin immediately in question, was
not appointed Wall Ah\l till 410. (Mirkhond.) And, lastly, the very existence
of the ? wau after the J?'| would in itself evidence an error, taking the sentence
as it now stands, as this conjunction is not usually employed to join the two Arabic
words forming any given number between 10 and 20 !
VOL. IX. 2C
No. 59.
Gold. Weight, 56*4 gr. N?sh?p?r. 431 A.n. British Museum.
Rev. Obv.
All
dll^L-f f^LJUI
XtK. -=?, M
?Ml ^jjJ y-^L-i s 5>
AMI Û f? il ^ O^Xaaaô
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and Ixi. 9.

Marg. int. |?jfr i_y? ?Ml ff\*o
tf<X=*l 3L ? am ry>L*+xxj yUjtXll
Marg. ext Surah xxx. 4, 5.
rL? ft mark or symbol used to distinguish the votaries of any particular creed.
The legends of the two following Coins of Toghral Beg have been inserted,
both in advertence to what has already been stated regarding the first adoption of
the title of Sult?n (p. 271), as also with a view of showing, by the earliest available
numismatic evidence, the actual loss by the Ghaznavis of the city of N?sh?p?r,
which was finally taken from Masa?d by the Selj?ks in 431 A.n.
Gold. Weight, C2*5 gr. N?sh?p?r. 433 A.n. British Museum.
Rev. Onv.
m J3"f&+?S3*4
aMIôL-j ^jl
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and lxi. 9 ; which

Marg. ?nt. Jj^ <_y? ?Ml <wj
is, however, incomplete, ending thus?
*?Wj (?J$?3
No. LX
Silver. Weight, 54 gr. 422 a.h. Broad Coin.

Rev. Oav.
Ail
?Ml ?Ay*r ?X#m2*X? yi * Ji 3

?Ml (jjJ>> r-^L-^ ?in
?Ml fl_K?? l?iU* *_J ?i_.v

Marg. int. \&J> ?__y? ?Ml ?w*
?H1**/-'.*
Gold. Weight, GO gr. N?sh?p?r. 439 A.n. My Cabinet.

On v.
yi ?_II if
*?X -^ ?Ml
*J ?L ? y
U^J ?L-, .J^L
?Ml^cb
Marg. int. )&J> v_y? ?Ml j?>j
33S ON THE COINS OF THE
No. 01.
Silver. Weight, 47 gr. Broad Coin. British Museum.
Rbv. Obv.
?U
5)1 it_Il y
*M1 -J, VtX_
x-1 ?L -? y
?mu ??m
Marg. Siu*ah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. |?x_jt>
JJ-^ ?Ml f?UM
^
XHL^/V
No. 02.
Silver. Weight, 50 gr. 425 A.n. Broad Coiu. My Cabinet.
He v. Onv.
All
y ?_ii y
?Ml _Jj-wf *?x_ ?Ml
?MlÛa ÛLJl v
Marg. l?x_jfr
j^? ?Ml (<fiW^
e^V^* u"*" _rtxll
No. 02 a.
A fragment of au analogous Coin bears ou its Obverse Margin the words
mir** &~ **~ (4)27
No. 03.
Silver. Weight, 45 gr. Balkh. (42)0 A.n. Broad Coin.
Similar in legends to No. 02 ; but the characters are coarsely executed.
Obverse Margin. _? ?j^ ?&Xxj ffy?Ml l?sA ujj? _
8, ?>>. oi.
Silver. Weight, 47 gr. W?l?n. Small size. Very scarce.
Legends on Areas the same as No. 01.
Marg. Marg.
3i9 <Xju yi mi
<?y r* .?Sm , . ...
Jl l?v_it> ^??
XJU? (\yt)\yi
W?l?ll ?J..A?KI? '?Xms (^jfSSyi f N
No. G5.
Rev. Obv.
aU
rk (cS31\
-*_25X_--0
yi A. ji y
i
M-). Mil I
I
*_J ?L
Margins. Illegible.
A second Coin has the Obverse monogram formed thus ^ I-. .
No. CO.
Silver. Weight, 50 gr. Small size.
Same as Ko. 65, with ?:(jill at the top, and ?JH^cLi at the bottom of
Obverse Area.
No. 67.
Rev. Otiv.
_J*Xc
?Ml ~J>**r *X*.s?S-?
SI ?_!1 S>
?<X
?Ml^b ÛUI _>3 ?Ml
?Ml (-j^ j?*=>'?> ?_1 ?L
Margins. Illegible.
Some specimens of this class of Coins have their Margins quite plain, the parallel
lines being separated by four small circles.
No. LXVIII.
Areas as in No. 67, with the monogram l_Ar??\ ttt *"e *?P ?f 01>vers<*>
and AlJ at the top of the Reverse legend.
No. 69.
O11V.
yi A Jl *
-*> ?Ml
?-J ?L -? ?
?J^Xaa^?
Margins composed of circular lines -.?Obverse, quite plain j Reverse, lines

separated by bosses.
No. LXX.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml yi *_._Jl S
?Ml <3 _.xa\_} x<X_ ?Ml
iX , h X M? ,1 ?_J ?L r ? 5?
Marg.
- ^_>? ?Ml f?W Marg. Illegible.
S?*it*3
No. 71.
The same as No, LXX., but with /rUUl at the top and ?Ml-?b at tne
bottom of the Obverse legend, in the place of ^J^X? and .^; and
cXfrjSXo occupying an entire line, in lieu of the aU on tho Reverse,
No. 72.
Rev. Obv.
_J?Xc
?Ml _)y?f *y^ssô y\ ?_? y
K*\ -*>, ?Ml
?Ml ej^> LJ ?J ?L ? y
Margins. Illegible.
No. 73.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml _Jâ?y <X*jsvô

s*X ?Ml
?Ml (jj^^ ~-*?LJ *_1 ?L

?SaXam yj\
Margins. Illegible.
No. LXXIV.
Silver. Weight, 5*5 gr.
Rkv. Obv.
C a3+&S* e^
No. 75.
Same as Silver Coin No. 07. Margins without legenda.
No. 76.
Rev. Obv.
Same legend as No. 01. | Usual symbol in three Hues.

Margins. Illegible.
The subjoined Coin is inserted in this place, instead of being located in its due
position in the series of the moneys of Masa?d, as there are some doubts regarding
its correct identification consequent upon the worn state of the name of tho Khalif,
and the obliteration of the Obverse marginal legend, which would have served to
fix the date and place of coinage. The piece is remarkable if it be from any of
tho mints of Masa?d of Ghazui, inasmuch as the word Sult?n appears for the first
time on the medals of this dynasty. Supposing that it really belongs to Masa?d,
the son of Mahmud, it will be necessary to conclude that it was struck in some of
the provincial governments of his extensive dominions, as the'type and the stylo
of tho legend equally differ from those of any of the recognized Coins of Ghazui.
The following is an enumeration of the various territorial possessions of Masa?d?
^1?a*^jJoj t/rl'j (jjlî^' ?Mo I?^J V?&s. A.??aXo /^jI?j
?s-sjij ^?Ji _ui ?ciii3 âi *% x^ gî* ?a**]^

Ab?l Fed?, Ann. Musi. (ed. Reisk), Vol. III. p. 114.
This summary does not appear to require any lengthened comment, the
majority of the places indicated being sufficiently well known to modern geo
graphers. It may be necessary, however, to notice that the word , m A \\
is frequently used by Ibn Haukul for , m A A (see Geographic d'Aboulf?da, note
at foot of page 387); and to explain that -pv^JI, or ;^V^J|> is the name ot
a district of tho province of Scjist?n, situated up the River Helmund (see Istakhri,
p. 101; Ousolcy's Orient. Geography, p. 207; Edrisi, p. 444; Aboulfeda, Geo
graphie, p. 342). Reisk, in his translation of tho above passage, adds the name of
Mekr?n, which, though not to be found in his Arabic printed text, may possibly
have had its place in the original MS..
Brass. Weight, 60 gr. Unique. Mr. Masson's own collection.

Rev. Obv.
*hi su a_n y
?Ml ?Jywy ?* ?
?Ml_j/t>\.
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. Illegible.
Tho annexed curious passage, relating certain unaccountable posthumous

honours paid to Masaud in the public prayers, is extracted from the T?r?kh Ma
Ba?d?, as it is by no means improbable that a similar commemorative record may
have been extended to the coinage of the day.
jlxx^j U ?X?l ?-*l?>- ?X^v*<: }3j jfj$ ??jÎ -J2J *y* eft-? xL?
îkju 3 u*?-?y\ j**\ Ûj 3 ?jyi *yy 3 ??û ??u 3 y?*
JV ?)' ***"* ^^ vy?' ^^ ??*j? "H^ $3 f ^ lH *>** * *
?s3 y><>+i y >i cF^f. ??*yf ?aL?^ Uri *3x?+* ^y ^ *f
?Xj^^j ?a-??? <Syf cHaxIAj
vol.. ix 2 1)
M?D?D.
No. 77.
Gold. Weight, 52 gr. Ghazni. 433 A.n.
Rev. Obv,
aU ???S AU
?Ml ^-Jy**r ?X?v2EX4 St *_II $
?O X?X. =^?MI ?
* S?J^tXJl i?>!(} ? *
x-J ?L
^J>^ ?Ml
r-WÛUi
Marg. ?X^l ?JJ| ^J^^ cX^cwo

Marg. int. Jjsjb
^-v?Ml f(VyJ
a^Li/J <?K??I /^%J^ ?*M"^
cUli ^ ,?LkkJI
*r=> 3~*3 *-^ ej?*? J* *?\&^3 (jJÂ^J
ii)r=>^
Marg. ext. _J^S ^^ ^y| ??J
.Xaô...?
c^r?^
?HI
^ ^û^l
No. LXXVIII.
Gold. Weight, 02 gr. Ghazn?. 435 a. h.
Rev. Obv.
A? ^slh AU
?Ml ?iy?j **+?sa*9 yi ?_il y
JLJ?<X-Jl t_>l$_? *?\_
^?Ml
?_LJLl t , s ,Vt...,.y^ xJ ?X j? y
?Ml i
Marg. int. |?JS i?y? ?Ml x\*u

kÎ?aI t?x ,<l r^tJ^ ?f?X^lb
sîb ^.J^ ?LIS (jjJ*>JI ^^
Marg. ext. __Vjj> ^ô -*yt ?M
?/-*-* ?>~^ ?X-*-J ^^

?Ml t>o?*i {?J>3***3^
No. 79.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml -~Jy?r C^+scX*

yi ?_il y
?Ml ^-ob f^LJUl x*X ?MI
*-J ?L -r Ju y
u*
Margins. Illegible.
No. 60.
Similar legends on both Areas, with the monogram , m Aj?ôt at the top,
and . at the foot of the Obverse, in place of .^.
Obverse Margin. ?j!Jb ^$rjJl.
No. 81.
Silver. Weight, 41 gr. 433 a.h.
Rev. Odv.
o ... o
o o o -^ o
?*^ ? ?
?Ml ?)y*?f <S+^S~o
?MI ?\ ?_Jt y
?x?lx ?Ml Cf. i c
xJ^Jv-JI i_>l^?? ?MIÎ-j ÛUt

?3?yA C
Marg. Illegible. Marg. |?x_it>
-?>r" ?MI t*?*>
LaXj ??A_4?
No. LXXXII.
Silver. Weight, 51 gr. Ghazn?. 434 a.h. Common.
Rev. Obv.
o f& o | o ?**>^ o
?MI ?J^wy -^s^* SM ?_It y
3A_ ?MI
**S-J_Jl ?_,1 *_J ?L
*M? ^>L f<:UH
Marg. ]&_& u-Jj-^ *MI f*w Marg. 2LJ i_i_j ^_

?-<f l X ^?ll -* > ??<f1 31
There aro two thick specimens of this type of Coiu, each of which weighs 63 gr.
No. 03.
Silver. Weight, 55 gr. Ghazni. 4?? a.h.

Rev. Obv.
AU *?IA? All
?Ml ?Jy?r tXfJSX* yi ?_11 y
x<X_
3L-LJLl < m hVi V3

*J ?L _? y
Marg. Surah xxx. 4, 5. Marg. |?^(h

?pj? ?Ml (?s^j
XJuv SLJy y 1 ^?X?l
No. LXXXIV.
Similar to No. 03, with the word J^sX^q Muharrim over the l.Vt^
in Obverse. Mint mark U"
No. 05.
Silver (impure). Weight, 40 gr.
Rajab
Similar to No. 03, with the wordover the l.V
in Obverse. Mint* marks ? u*
No. 80.
Similar to No. 03, with the word _5L? Shaw?
in Obverse. Mint marks
t U"'
No. 87.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml ?X+JSX* NI ?_Jl if

?4>C ->j ?Ml
JUJ ?L
'*_L-^^l
?Ml ^L f^l?ll
Marg. Illegible.
Marg. Worn. J?^Jb f$/*>J'
?JL*1 Hope (faith).
No. 88.
Rev. Obv.
o V
SI x.
X-JîX-Jl t_>lfl?? _ll S
X?L-?5)l ._=L ^?Ml

xJ ?L
Jl A
?Ml ^b ÛB?
?3?y^
Broad Margins, with bosses and a\) alternating.
No. 89.
Legends in Areas as in No. 87, Silver Coin. The Obverse is wanting in
the usual ^Jj^r, and has the mint mark ^ on the left of the legend.
Marg. As usual. ^^ ^*$\ ?JJ | Marg. XjIÎ ?Ml ?**i
No. 90.
Areas as in No. LXXXII., Silver Coin.
Marg. Illegible* I Marg. ____ 13^ <
V*
No. XCI.
Copper and Silver, mixed. Weight, 44 gr. My Cabinet.
Rev. Obv.
k?l*tX?11 ? ?I? ??
3UUL1 ??a-.U..:?3
Figure of Nand?.
?3C3^
Marg. Illegible.
No. 92.
Copper and Silver. Weight, 45*5 gr. My Cabinet.
Similar to No. XCI.
Reverse Margin.
/VA ftM Wi^ ?
The earliest Mohammedan notice of Lahor is to be found in Alb?r?n? ; it is to
the following effect:?
w o- o -*?
âa? ^11^ '?xjmJ ry&CLj?\ ?yll ?JU?Jlj u_j.AU

03 O^ 3 O-.
Xa?? *^'n?l r<P ( 1y? ^

"Si de l? [Canogel on se por
la distance de neuf parasan
sanges; puis Maydahoukour
du Iradha (lo Ravi), ? la dis
Fragments Arabe
i^l^l Uflbl lfl

G?ographie d'
" It is stated in the Lubab,
ing many advantages. It is
1 The Lub?b of Ihn Alat?r

Pr?face. Idem, p. 37
ABDAL RASHID.
No. XCIII
Gold. Weight, 74 gr. Ghazui. 440 A.n.

Rev. Obv.
aU
?Ml ^Jy*r ?^=^ô

yi ?_Ji v
X_)3<S_Jl f-c
| a?X -^ ?Ml
^ X-\-11 (?J?f3
?Ml ? ?U ?L >r j& y
J
Joy?jJI *XaX ?mi ^l îai
Marg. int. |?^

Marg. ?OJJ
J3?AiV -V* ?Ml f(wj
J??l ?^j?j?3 iSiSîlj *l*?y ClJ^x</l XX*? *-y-*-j /UjjJI
4*d?a /^vX-JI t5?1-C *A^t

?J -^?^/b
<^3?=>y&? ^3*3
Marg. ext. L^* /y? *u
?/ ?Xaô^j*
?Ml *A??j (?.A**-*^'
No. XCIV.
Gold. Ghazn?. 441 A.n. M. B. Allard.
Rev. Obv.
AU
?Hl ^-JyMir ?\+?SX? yi ?_il y

^ X_)^>_Il y_C 8?\ ^ ?Ml
XJLil ,. +f3
?Ml
?_1 ?L
" / ?Ml^b ^.l?ll
Marg. ?Ml _J^_^ i\ -srvo

Marg. int. \?J> i_y? ?Ml jfv^
?fi\.r*?l XJu* X-J;-JL-j *Uj?>Jl
<_x?.\ ^^j.-^)^ <f?HlW ?J^/l
Marg. ext. (jj-* /yi *m

Cf^î -i <j_r?.>
?Ml /alj (_^jy^?^Ll
No. XCV.
Sliver. Weight, 4? gr. Gliazni. (4)42 a.h. Hare.
Rbv. Obt.
??Ml 7~
?
M -">*"/
31 A Jl y
*, ?Ml
*_J ?L _? y
Mf.1, Ûill
Marg. Marg.
-*<r!* c5i5i **~ *y** ?I ?ju? XJ;xj f?/?^'
? second specimen of this description of Coin has the words " At Glinzni,
VOL. IX. 2 E
year (4)42" # t^fU is*^^ *^" ***r*? clearly developed ou the Obverse
Margin ; and a third similar piece discloses on both Margins the more important
confirmative unit of A (SS?s>\ X?am (44)1*
No. 9G.
Other Coins, of a nearly analogous character, have the word / ,jj> /

written in a manner differing from the form observable in the Engraving
of Coin XCV., the Kufic / , ^ being projected above the line of tho
word, as is usual in the old stylo of tho letter. They also vary from No.
XCV. in the Obverse monograms, which are occasionally seen to be
and
On the Obverse of ono specimen is likewise to be detected the imperfect
marginal date of 441 Tlf^ _*fl ^?^l
The examination of the mutilated marginal legends of the concluding examples

of the Coins of Abdal Rashid has been followed out in more than usual detail,
with a view to determine, by satisfactory corroborative evidence, the credibility
of the date of 440 a.h., to be seen on medal No. XC1II. This has been under
taken, not so much on account of the existence of any doubt as to the correct
decipherment of the inscription on the Coin itself, as to meet any objection
arising from the possibility of an omission?on the part of the die-engraver?of
the word which should express the unit number in the date. Had the remaining
Coins of Abdal Rashid indicated no dates but such as would maintain the state
ment of those writers who assign this Monarch's accession to the year 443, and
thereby negatively have justified the iuference of an error in the preparation of
the die of No. XCIII., some difficulty might havo been experienced iu accepting
the historically unsupported testimony of an isolated Coin; but, the specimens
now cited, though they unquestionably do not directly ailirm the doubtful date,
uphold it so sufficiently with immediately consecutive annual dates, that the value
of the initial numismatic record may fairly be relieved from all suspicion.
FEROKHZAD.
No. XCVII.
Gold. Biblioth?que du Roi, Paris. Kufic letters.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml ^}y**r tX^s^wo yi a. Ji y

?_J,*\-Jl ^JL.^ *?x_ -^ ?Ml
3UULI _Jl_??dj
*J ?L
?MlÛ ^.Ull
Marg. Surah ix. 33, and Ixi. 9. Marg. int. l?x? ,_, Jj ?Ml xv+j
No. XCVIII.
Gold. Weight, 72 gr. Persian letters?single Margins. Unique.
Rbv. Obv.
aU
?Ml ?mi yi ?_
?Jy**r ji y
?X*.^5E^0
?! ?\_?,_? y XiX-**
t, MÂ-* fisLJ
?_J,?x_Jl ?3*~* &_11_5?
?]s?A
Marg. |?x_j?> .>,??? ?Ml .?â

rUjv\ll
X->Lfjrl_j
Ll>3?/^] V^
This Coin is noticeable, as offering the only instance in the prcscut series of
the use of Persian letters, in lieu of the accustomed Kufic. It is known that
Mahm?d's Vizir, Ab?l Abb?s Fazil, introduced for the first time, at the Court of
Ghazni, the practice of writing public papers in the Persian language; and that
Khw?jah Ahmad, the son of Hasan Mcimendi, who subsequently became

Minister, reverted to the Arabic for all permanent official documents (Ferishtah,
Briggs, ?., 88). It is possible that the altered style of the legend of the above
medal may indicate a similar attempt at the re-introduction of the Persian lan
guage, as shown in the adoption of its characters on the coinage of the day. A
more probable explanation of the origin of the change in the form of the letters is,
however, to be found in the supposition that it may have been designed to convey
an allusion to the temporary success of Ferokhz?d over the armies of the Selj?ks in
Khor?s?n; or, indeed, it is by no means unlikely that the medal itself may actually
have been struck in some of the Persian cities during their brief occupation by the
troops of the Ghaznavi Monarch.
No. 99.
Rev. Onv.
?Ml ~Jy*Y *X*?sx?

5H ?_Il y
s?X_
o
*_1 ?L
i?\*V?r?>
jMI^L (c\Jti\
Marg. Marg. Illegible.
I Xa~ X^-? jfyxll
No. 100.
Silver. Weight, 46 gr. (4)4? a.ii. Broad Margins.
Onv.
?Mi yi ?_Jl y
?i ?v_j._? y XiS2*3
?Ml foL-j fc\JU\

??s:
Marg. Illegible. Ma'B- l*X-jt>4

,_%rJo ?Ml ,(
I
(?jwj
KINGS OF 01IAZNI. 355
No. 101.
Silver. Weight, 42 gr. 450 A.n. Broad Margins.

Rkv. Obv.
aU -31**
?Ml ~-5y?*r *X*SV? ?mi yi ?_il y
A?a?X_?. ?Ml Jaao a1 ?X?j/_? y x?xs*j
?MI^L, ^?UUI
Marg. J?U ?JJXj f$ Marg. -k ^JJI l_

*&*it*3 CLT^#
No. CIL
Rbv. Obv.
o
?Ml ?^y"f *X#.^S^ô

yi ji y
0 x?X -a.. ?Ml ?
xJULl -Jl_*?% *_1 ?1_j,_? y
aMI^L; {<:U?1
No Margins.
Others have monograms JAc and ?JJ. Weights, up to 47 gr.
35? ON THE COINS OF THE
No. CIII.
Silver. Weight, 6'6 gr.
Rrv. Ouv.
All
Js ?_S^-* yi jl ji y
?Ml_5%-wr
?\__K_Jl ?Ml
?Ml^cL
Average weight of four other specimens, 5*25 gr
No. CIV.
Mixed Silver and Copper. Weight, 50 gr.

Rev. Obv.
_J*Xc
X-J^XJI
?- * y Figure of Nandi.
?S/tf
No. 105.
Mixed Silver and Copper. Weight, 44 gr. Unique.
Rev. Ouv.
Figure of
KINOS OF OIIAZNI. 357
No. IOC.
Rev. Onv.
?Ml _)y^ Os*?* ?mi yi ?_jj y

?_A_x_x ?mi y.*? ?j ?v_J--?C y k?x??*
XJ^cKJI _j\_;*.
?Sstf e_r?
Margins. Illegible.
No. 107.
Same as No. CIL, Silver Coin.
$58 ON THE COINS OF THE
IBRAHIM.
No. CVIII.
Silver. Weight, 42 gr. Rare.

Rkv. Obv.
yi *_11 s
*M1_3, K.\_ ?Ml
?M1/_<L ^LJUl
A_l ?L
XJ,.xJl
Broad Margins. Bosses and All alternating.
No. CIX.
Silver. Weight, 44 gr. Unique.

ItKV. Obv.
?)l *_ Jl S
>, M
ir* *
Margins. Illegible.
No. 110.
Rev. Obv.
A? ?1U
?Ml ?Ay*?r <X#sSX*J ?Miyi* Jiy
??A?X? ?Ml ?Le ?j ?X?j.?? y 8*xs?^
X-JîX-Jl j x q V> ?mi7_^ ûui

.^yi
Margins. Illegible.
Judging from the outline of what still remains of the nearly obliterated Reverse
marginal legend, the iuscription seems to have been composed of a mere repetition
of the words ?M ?ft\\ _
No. 111.
Rev. Ouv.
o -J^ o
?Ml _)Â?r ?XfrjSX?
?Ml SI *_1? S
?_*_L_r ?Ml ^ba
,- A. KJU ,?.1 aNI_?l., f?L
?rlJLJI
f*V J?Xr
Marg. Illegible. Marg.
fa?>?\ \^y?
A similar Coin has the monogram _J^Xc in the place of JLtaJll)

the former being replaced by the word ?M
Obverse Margin. &AfLjA3 ?Ml |<^
VOL. IX. a F
Ho. ?12.
Rbv. Obv.
M _J,_ yi *_il y
?_J,.X_11 , ? ?n *> O x*X j*3 ?Ml

2LJlJ.I 4 *. QJ?.
"3 ?-J ?i_jj ? y
?Ml^b
Marg. Illegible. Marg. ?M?U?Ll.
No. 113.
A Coin similar to No. 112, having the Khalifa name in the third line of the
Obverse, the two first lines being lengthened accordingly to contain the
usual legend. Monograms

?&z
Reverse legend as in No. 112. Monogram , m %IJ>.
No. 114.
Rbv. Obv.
?Ml _Jj^*r 4X*2SA.<a

Similar to No. 113.
JjiK
rtV
KINOS OF OllAZNI. 361
No. 115.
Rbv. {Circular Area.)
Al! u A1?
?Ml ^y*r ?X*2?l?
??J^tX-Jl |???aGJ
?_LJLl .?* ft \bj

f<?V
Maig. I Ilegible. ?MAI
Tho title ?MJÎ at the foot of the Obverse surface is occasionally replaced
by the word ?iXc
No. 110.
Rev. Onv.
,?1*11
?Ml _J?_ ?1 ?_11 y
?_JîX?11 ._A?4-1?
JU? r
1 Kjs
J ?L
?Ml
?Ml^b
>V -At)
No. CXVII.
Rbv. Ubv.
All a\1 aU
?Ml ~-?yA?r ?X*:2CV-o ?mi yi ?_ji y
jjicyi îkJuii *1 ?3L-J--J; y 8^

?l^-J_11 ,-alj *M1,_L ,<:LJLJ1
?yi ?LJLw.
Margins. Illegible.
3l>2 ON THE COINS OF THE
No. 11 a.
Other Coins of this type bear the name of the Khalif Al Moktadi
be amerillah. Monogram on Obverse , # A 5 ,
No. CXIX.
Rev. Onv.
o *
?mi yi
ji y ?_
jj?syi îL-JUi
?Ml
?3_ULI ^L-3 J3~S ?X+jsX?
?Ml ,_?lj tf*x?3?LI
r??-ta-Il *_jI
*V ?
Margins. Illegible.
iJka
A second specimen has xjIxjaI* b ?Ml ,*w->
-V"
legible on the Obverse Margin.
No. 120.
Rev. Obv.
LL>1, U L ?dit si a_
Jiy
yi
._*M_5 *?la?c A) ?_>,_? S <4X=?.
?>, JLI ?HI _?L <f<\?'.. S,?JLI
L . yAJj^LuJI iXx-A?
?) ?1
Margins composed of minute triangular points.
KINGS OF OHAZNI. 363
No. 121.
Obverse. As No. 120; but the Khalif's name is at the top and bottom of
tfiX??ll
Obverse, thus --.
?Ml^b
Reverse. Monogram , m A J, and a legend similar to No. 120; but the
whole is comprised in four lines, instead of five.
No. 122.
Rrv. Ouv.
aU * aU ? tf^Xi?Ll ?
(Jaryi ÎLJUl
?y-X_Il j-AL-S ?)^-J_il J-*l->
(Jj*:^yuii
?HlôL
No. 123.
Rev. Obv.
aU aU aU
?Ml _)y*?r tX+JSX?

*mi yi Jiy
rfaryi ÛaJUJl *1 .?V. i ? y s^~?,
?1^-J_LI /_*>U> ri?,_M.yi?i_L_?
?Ml
Another specimen of this class of Coin has the monogram aIj

at the top of the Obverse.
No. 124.
Silv.r. Weight, 47 gr.
Uev. Obv.
ifiX?J?Ll
l_L._l.w_M yi ?_il y
<J_V
*x_*_=s\_? ?Ml
Ja_c5M
?Ml _J*_?,
*V ?Ml^L
Another Coin of this type has on the Reverse Margin
*u ?mi ?u ?mi *? ?v
No. CXXV.
Rkv. Ouv.
,Q for ?JLI
yi ?_Ji y
(?yl_k._I,,?.,,. H
iX ?_acu__* ?Ml
J?_c^l
?Ml _J?-M,r
?ML
Marg. Illegible. Marg.

*u ?wi am ?mi ?a ?iu_
No. CXXVI.
Silver. Weight, 5*5 gr.
Rev. Obv.
i<rV
Centre.
KINOS OF OHAZN?.
No. CXXVII.
Silver. Weight, 4'.r? gr.
Rev. Obv.
yi *_il y
*ui_J. I?:L Jl ?Ml
rt m
No. 120.
Silver and Copper, mixed. Weight, 27 gr.
Rev. Obv.
?Ml _JVw/> ?X*-^-? ?mi yi *_il y

J??JLI ?j ??L-j-Ji y Ktx^
?Ml^^L^ f*LJLJl
No. CXXIX.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 46 gr. Labor.
Rev. Odv.
?JiXc
Ûb_L-**Jl
JSl
Figure of Nand?.
ft u
f*V
Mar?- f?/?>Jl '?^ ?-r-y**
f3*3^
A second similar specimen has also the words _3^3^ f?f ^1 l*Nfr?/*
clearly legible on its Margin.
No. 130.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 47 gr.
Rev. Obv.
Legend commences w
As in No. CXXIX.
instead of
Some Coins have the monogram â** U1 l'eu ?f_J*\c? m^ niany have
the Margins filled with dots in the placo of legends.
No. 131.
Areas as in No. 112, Silver Coin.
No. 132.
Rev. Obv.
As in No. 121. I As in No. CXIX.
KINOS OF QIIAZNI. 367
MASA?D III
No. CXXXIII.
Silver. Weight, SO gr. Unique.

Rev. Onv.
aU * a?
?mi yi ?_il y
r?*yi (Îk-JUJI
?Ml^?ob fJ?=Jl ?Ml_5ûy ?x#?v-*
?Mb , fl f? VmAI
?Ml L-r?>? ,?1*1?
?yX*u~*
Marg. Marg.
3 Xl^xll tt* Oo^l ?MJll 3 U~^ 2LKa? AK.
No. CXXXIV.
Silver. Weight, 47 gr. 404 A.n.
Rkv. Obv.
?i ?_il y
/ . y ri \ m? 11
J?. yi ?x???=s_? ?Ml
?y.. i, ? av> i?<
?Ml _3._?,,
?ML
Marg. ?_J^\_11 &c Ju^ll ?Mil Marg. ^?^ ^

/L>Le xj?t
1 This marginal legend has been restored from the collation of different specimens.
[lm Light.
VOL. IX. 2G
No. CXXXV.
Rev. Ouv.
(Six**
m yi a. Jiy
?_\3??_11 &?E ?Ml >*.**#> ?X+jsv??
J_11 ?ML d la-JUJU
fi??ytj-fc-4.
Ji
No Margins.
A second Coin has the monogram ^ csUa* *. ?t the top of Reverse.
No. 130.
Silver. Weight, 30 gr. Common.
Rev. Ouv.
?\Xa? yil
_U*1I ÎkJUl ?mi yi ?_? y

/ .j^?jbÂ*ji yy* ?Ml ÂyX*4J ?X*h??\??
?ML a f? y.,.u
Marg. Marg. Illegible.

-;> U*^ X>u? ?J Jb
No. CXXXVII.
Silver nnd Copper. Weight, 51 gr. Major Simpson.
Rev. Onv.
e> Jl
X_\3?>_il jX_* Figure of Nandi.
KINGS OF OHAZNI. 369
No. 130.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 51 gr. Major Simpson.
? Rev. Onv.
U*_L
ilj Jl
_3u>L Jl
Figure of Nandi.
No. 130.
Similar legends, &c, to Silver Coin, No. 136.
ARSLAN.
No. 140.
Rkv. Obv.
o ? o
?Ml 5)1 ?_11
?Ml ?)y?f 4\*?sx*
?3 A_jj_? y x<S
l. yJ ?MJ^rl ?XK* ?Mb jqf? V ...
M?rg. ?a A\W ?M AU.\ ?M ??M Marg. Illegible
No. CXLI.
Copper. Weight, 42 gr. Common.
Rev. Obv.
BAHR?M SH?H.
No. CXLII.
Silver. Weight, 56 gr. Very common.
Rev.
?Ml ^Jy*if iS+>^\s9
r?*NI ÛaJuJI
kL?wcI
V*
Margins. Illegible.
A second Coin has on its Obverse, and
JL? ^r^Jl J^^ '_?r*^ on its Reverse Margin.
No. 143.
Silver. Weight, 30 gr. Small Coin.
Areas ns in No. CXLII. No Margins.
No. CXLIV.
Rbv. Obv.
aU
?Ml ?J^wf ?x*?*o ?mi yi ?_il y

?Mi^y jjulx\
X-J^xJl X-JjiX-JI i\. x? C
kU**I
V?
Margins. Illegible.
1 Sic in orig.
No. CXLV.
Rev. Obv.
Margin. Margin.
XljjJl ^^ fJoxU ÎkJUl ?mi .j^ j^sx^ ?mi yi ?Jl y

Centre. Centre.
No. 140.
Rev. Obv.
iJLji o
,t[i ?M,..<** _?IW^
This typo of Coin has no written Margins, the sp

simple dots.
No. CXLVII.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 40 gr. My Cabinet.

Rev. Obv.
(,y k \_***_It
,_b_cyi Figure of Nandi.
*\_Z I. -$
KHUSR? SHAH.
No. CXLVIII.
Gold. Weight, 60 gr. Unique.
Rbv. Onv.
?mi yi ?_il y
?Ml ?Jy*/ *>*?v~?
?i ?l-j^.-? y ??X?>^
J?z*$\ Ûa_LJt
?Mi^y Jw-?-jUli
?_lyUl
3r^
Marg. Illegible.
Marg. J 4f *X^11j aL*^ '
^jjJ! Û
No. 140.
Rev. Obv.
\j AU
?Ml t\+?s\~? ?mi yi ?_ Ji y
jj^yi îkjui ?Mi^y^

^?X-Jl i?x_*
Marg. Composed of dots. _l

Marg. l?X?> V_V?
No. CL.
Silver. Weight, 63 gr. Scarce.
Tl?s type varies from No. 140, in the rejection of the name of Sanjar, the
two last lines of the Obverse Area being superseded by the words
C^tWU ^1
Both Margins are composed of dots.
KINOS OF QllAZNI. 373
KHUSR? MALIK.
No. CLI.

Rev. Onv.
?
?mi yi ? ji y
?Ml -Jy*/ *X**sxo
?i A?j,_? y 8?\s?2
X_\3<s?! I g I?j ?Ml-?y ?^X-JLJll
if"^ /^j.A>^Xl j-*?-A

Margins filled up with dots.
No. CLII.
Silver. Weight, CG gr. Common.
Rev. Onv.
?Ml -WtX*.2?V?? ?Ml ?fl #_ Jl i)

X.-?\?$ ?Xs^?aJLI
*_\.s_Jl -J_? ^?*?<yA

?Uu*i*
Dotted Margins.
Some have marginal inscriptions; but the purport is unintelligible. Occa
sionally are to be seen the Obverse monogram, infra, o ? o> and Reverse,
supra, %y
Sic i i orig.
No. CLIll.
Rev. Obv.
^. y. \n-I?am?11
f_la_c^l
The Bull Nandi in Toghr?,
and traces of
? . , i l?v\ i, ,?)i rL-J
No. 154.
Copper. Weight, 40 gr. My Cabinet. (See also Plate XX., fig. 16, Ariana
Antiqua. )
Rev. Obv.
ClV\?u . y_m?i
In a circle
Ja_cyi
cV
j^_ii
No. 15ft.
Copper. Weight, 50 gr,
Rev. Onv.
?
?_ J^Js_?
r J5_s SI
v
TABLE II.?Abstract of Dates Icffible on (lie Coin*.
A.II. Mint City. | King's Name. Reference to Coins. Remark h .
347 (Ander?beh) Alpteg?n Fraehn.

380 Fer w?n Sahak tagin 2 specimens.
382 ?
idem
383 Ferw?n idem
(3)84
? idem
385 N?shap?r Mahmud 8
390 idem idem 9 and 10
? See also No. 25
395 Herat idem
l (Ghazn?).
399 (N?shap?r) idem 26
399 (Ghazn?) idem 27
400 N?shap?r idem 11 Fraehn.
401 idem idem 12 and 13
401 Herat idem 15 2 specimens.
401 Ghazn? idem 3G
405 idem idem 54
407 N?shap?r idem 19
409 idem idem 20
411 II cr?t idem 16
411 Balkh idem 40
411 Ghazn? idem 43 and 44
412 Balkh idem 45 See also No. 42.
413 Herat idem 17
414 Herat idem 18
414 idem 40
419 idem 47
421 idem 50 and 52
421 Balkh idem 51 4 specimens.
422 N?shap?r Mosa?d 58
422 idem 60
425 idem 62
idem 62a
(4)27 idem 63
(42)8 Balkh
433 Ghazn? M?d?d 77
433 > idem 81
434 Ghazn? idem 82
435 idem idem 78
440 idem Abdal Rashid 93
See also No. 96
441 idem idem 94 and Note to
No. 95.
idem idem 95 2 specimens.
(4)42 5
Ferokhz?d 100
(4)4? idem 101
450 Ghazn?
494 Masa?d III. 134
Mons. F. Soret, in his " Lettre sur quelques Monnaies in?dites trouv?es h
Bokhara'* (Gen?ve, 1043), describes a copper Coin similar in historic charac
teristics to No. 0, bearing the conjoint names of Al T??'h lillah, Null bin Mansur,
and Seif al Daulah (Mahm?d), struck at N?sh??p?r in 300 A.n. M. Soret also ciU s
from Fnehn's works, gold Coins of Mahm?d, N?shap?r, 413, and Ghazn?, 400.
The means of verification of these last quotations are not immediately available.
VOL. IX. 2 H
376 ON THE COINS OF THE KINOS OF OIIAZNI.
TABLE III.? Mint Cities.
Balkh Nos. 40, 45, 51, Scc.
Ferw?n / . ^\3f. ? 2, 4. See also Coins B and

C, pp. 35, 36.
Ghaznf ?_Ju ? 36, 43, 49, 53, &c, ike.
liet ?t ?\._ ? 14, 15, 10, 17, 18, ike.
Lahor
S3-^J ? 92, 129.
8, 9, 10, U, 12, tkc
Sejist?n , . \l?AA?j??r ? 48.
W?l?n / .%?a_J \3 ? 29, 64.
Andcr?beh ? Fradut, Novai Symbolic, p. 15.
10 Bokhara, 412 A.n.

r Are quoted by M llcr (De Numis.
Orientalibus, p. 134), as given
11 Ivcrnt?nta, 389 A.n. I by Ftichn (2ter Ber., p. 36).
Since (he major portion of the preceding pnges have passed Mi rough the press,
an opportunity has occurred of inspecting a second copy of the rare work of Al
Bibekt, containing the life ami history of Mnsnud of CJlinzni, in the possession of
W. II. Morley, Esq. Any lengthened notice of this MS. might be deemed out
of place at the present montent, but it is necessary to state that a more extended,
though still imperfect, examination of this IMS. in no way shakes the authenticity
of any previous quotation; and, though much might have been added, there is
nothing to alter in any of the deductions heretofore drawn from its pages, with the
single exception of a remark which suggests itself from a discovery that Masatid
bore among bis other titles that of ?Ml Jlxxl lail^., and that possibly this may
be the designation intended to be recorded in the inscription which occupies the
last line of the Reverse Areas of Coins Nos. 59, 00. This was in truth, the most
obvious and satisfactory reading, and that which presented itself at the first sight
of the Coins; but it was rejected, and is still questioned, on account of the shapo
of the final letter of the second word differing so materially from the other dais ?3
to be found on other parts of the self-same Coins.
SUPPLEMENT.
In bringing to a conclusion the foregoing description of the C

of the Gliazuavi Kings of the race of Sabaktagin, it may be ap
priate to take this opportunity of referring cursorily to any of the m
rare or remarkable medals connected with the locality, whence th
dynasty derived its name, which have found a place in the collect
of Mr. Massen.
With this single object in view, and avoiding any effort at seri
classification, the following detached notices of a few of the num
matic records of some of the early successors of the more str
so-called Gliazuavi Monarchs are here subjoined. In the expre
desire also of limiting the present observations, the reproduction
any previously fully-deciphered Coin has been carefully avoided,
the necessary introductory remark? have been confined to little m
than mere references to readily accessible historical authorities.
GII??TH AL DIN MOHAMMED BIN SAM.

Ghiath al din Mohammed bin S?m was the Suzerain of, and eve
tually the associate Sovereign with, his brother, Muaz al din (othe
wise Shahab al din) Mohammed bin S?m, better known as Mohamm
Gh?r?, the conqueror of Hindustan, and founder of the power
dynasty of the Pat'?n Monarchs of Delhi1.
The Coins of these brother Kings are not uncommon, and may be referre
in the Journ. As. Soc, Bengal, May, 1030 ; Ariaua Antiqua, pp. 435, 437,
430, Nos. 29, 35, PI. XX., and Nos. 24, 25, 20, 35, 30, PI. XIX.; and
Numismatic Chronicle, October, 1040.
No. /.
Onv. Rude figure of a Cavalier, facing to the left, with his lance at the charge.
The above Coiu is remarkable as illustrating the authenticity of an assertion in
1 Ferishtah (Oow), i., 127; Briggs, i., ICO; Price, ii., 313; Price, qu< -ig
the Khal?sat al Akhb?r, ii., 455. Dorn's Hist. Afghans, Annotations. El
phinstonCj i., 003.
Abttl Fcd?, to the effect that, after Al? al din Huss?n Jeh?ns?x* death, Gh??th
al din Mohammed bin Sam reigned over Glior and Ghazu? as Malik, that is to
say, without at first adopting the higher stylo of Sult?n.
?^ *V*J? />*" 15* ^ L~r^3

A bul Fed?, Ami. Mosl.
BAH? AL DIN SAM BIN MOHAMMED.

The Dynasty of the Gh?r?ans of B?in??n.
Dominions.?Tokk?rist?n, Balkh, Bokl?n, and Badakhshan, &c.
1. Fakhr al din Masaiid, son of Eiz al din Huss?n, A mir Il?jib of
Sult?n Ibrahim.
2. Shems al din Mohammed bin Masaiid.
3. Bah? al din S?m bin Mohammed. Fourteen years' reign. Died
ia 602 A.n.
4. Jell?l al din Ali. Seven years' reign. Conquered and put to
death by the Khw?rizin?s1.
No. 2.
Rbv. Oiiv.
si ^y u i m\\ 31 ?_Jl S
.a-? ?Ml
^. j?JiX-Jlj 1_a?? ?Ml _Jj-*y
( . ^J>XJ jxA X.. H
?Ml
Margins. Illegible.
No. 3.
Obv. The usual symbol in three lines, as in No. 2, but without the addition
of the Khalif "a name.
1 Rauzat al Safa, quoted by Dorn, ii., 01 ; see also original MS., No. 43,
Roy. As. Soc. ; and MS. Khal?sat al Akhb?r, Idem.
KINGS OF GHAZN?. 37?)
No. /,.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 52 gr. ? ,
Ouv. Rude figure of a Horseman, facing to the right, holding a lance at the
charge.
Rev. As No. 2.
TAJ AL D?N ?LDUZ.
T?j al din Ilduz, ono of the slaves of Mohammed Ghori, is first

noticed in history on the occasion of his appointment to the govern
ment of Kirm?n. Ho was subsequently elevated to the charge of
Ghazn? itsolf, in which position he revolted on Mohammed Gh?r?'s
defeat by the Allies of the King of Khwarizm; but finding his
master at the gates of the capital, with euflicient force to insure
success, he submitted, and was pardoned, being allowed to retain his
former charge. On Muaz al din's death, Ilduz becamo independent
Monarch of Ghazn?, and held possession until its capture by Moham
med Khwiirizmi, after which he returned to Kirman, and eventually
in endeavouring to conquer Hindustan, ho was taken prisoner by
Shcins al din Altemsh1.
No. 5.
Gold. Weight, 40 gr. Unique.
Onv. Area. ?031 ^.?Xl ^Lil ?Ml _V^wy ?X^?o M SJl Alt V
{?J#"3^ /***
Marg. * * ^ -?j ^j[? ??a? jyQ? * * *
Rev. Area. ^\ (j^<Xl^ [aj??\ ix*> +Skc.y(\) ÛJUJI
Marg. ^ ?f. 3f. ^jj?J\j UJiXll glj ^Ja
* Ferishtah [Dow, i., 13?; Briggs, i., 200]; D'Hcrbelot, Article "lldiz;**
ElphiiiHtouc, i., G1G.
No. 6.
Gold. Weight, Gl gr. Unique.
Obv. Area. fU ^ J^s^ ^-?--??Jt ÎkJUll

Marg. x * XJu*# f3$"* * * f* **>J^J l?Xd> * *
No. 7.
Obv. Soimr* Area. ?$\ _J^ ^ & ? ^, M $\ ?_\\ y

^jxj^yJA Â ?Ml ^^-JiXJ --j^LJLJI
Marg. - ^?x || 'iXxM jyq- II -I) J^JIi,-&
Rev. Small square Area. _*_?H /7 .v---'
J_U V *? H
Marg. y:jJL> /^jJvll^ LSiXll gD 5^.^ *Xac ÛaLJI
No. tf.
Obv. Rude figure of a Cavalier, facing to the left, with his spear at the
charge.
Rbv. Area. yjcJb ^^jiX-JI^ L-A-J4X-JI gL-J? *.f?...n, U ?1U.I

Marg. Filled in with dots.
No. Q.
Silver and Copper.
Obv. The Kirm?n style of the figure of the Bull (Naudi?)
A Coin of T?j al din Ilduz is depicted in fig. 10, PI. XX., Ariaua Antiqua.
KINGS OF GIIAZNI. 381
AL? AL DIN MOHAMMED KHWARIZM?.

{Sehander al Th?ni.)
Al? al din Mohammed, son of Tukush, the sixth of the Khw?rizm

Sh?h?s, ascended the throne of his father in 596 A.n. After the
defeat of the Kara Kb i tans, in 605', ho was entitled Sckandcr al
Th?n?9. Subsequently ho subdued B?m??n; and in 6123 he reduced
Ghazn?. He died in 617.
The gold coins of this Prince have been sufficiently noticed by Professor
Wilson, in his Ariana Antiqua, p. 437 (see also Fnehn's Rccensio, pp. 140 and
505). One clnsa of Aid nl din's broad silver coins partakes of the general charac
teristics of his gold coinage: the two specimens of this description in Mr. Masson's
collection weigh severally 07 and 102 grains. In addition also to the common
narrow silver coins, in make and weight similar to those of his son (No. 17), there
are examples of thin broad silver pieces, likewise weighing about 47 grains, which
arc curiously ornamented with a scolloped Margin, in the interstices of which are
inscribed the usual marginal legends. These coins have the monogram , , \\+r*
at the top of each Area; the place of mintage is not legible.
No. 10.
Oiiv. Horseman in outline (Toghr?)* face to the left
This Coin and No. 15 arc noticeable as evincing how completely it was the
custom with Eastern conquerors, in Central Asia at least, to adopt the types of (he
money of the countries subdued. It has been shown (Journ. Roy. As. Soo
xvii., 100) that the Khw?rizm?s, in imitation of their immediate predecessors, the
Gho*rfa, made use of the device of the Horseman, first introduced by the Brahman
Kings of Kabul ; but the present examples prove that they also appropriated, sub
ject to but slight modification, the Reverse die?the Bull of the Hind? prototype.
1 De Guignes: see also D'Hcrbelot, Article uMohammed Koth beddin."

2 Or according to the Khnlasat al Akhb?r, in G07 A.n.; Price, ii., 309.
3 Anno duodecimo, mouse Sima ba?o, potitus est Soltan Mohammed urbe
Ghazna; cum nntca ntaximam Chorasani partem et regnum Bamianie possedisset.
Ab?l Faraj [Pocock], p. 2157
4 See a somewhat similar figure on a coin of this Monarch, Plate, p. 177, fi^.
23, Jnurii. Roy. As. Soc, No. XVII.; and Journ. As. Soc, Bengal, fig. 2,
PI. XIV., Vol. VI.
No. 11.
Obv. Square Area. ^?jJlj LS*Xll &? *. W c$V ^jltr LJl

Rbv. Horseman, face to the left y~ *?* " || / \UaLwJl f?y? ?X+j^Vô
No. 12.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 53 gr. B?m??n.

Oiiv. As No. //.
Rbv. Horseman, face to the right.
< V??a-*?**?Jl / .*.?j ?X?4?SX?<

and in a line with the spear, below tho horse,
. . \Ia^?Li
v._.'
No. 13.
Obv. ?Ml _J_ ^ *mi yi A Jl ^
Rbv. Marg. 4X^5^ {^?xJl J l*^l ?ft *l?si)| ÎLJUJI

Centre. ^lUL* (^
No. 14.
Onv. As No. 13.
lUv. Marg. ^jJl 3 LSjcJl ?_x f H c5H ÎkJuJl

Centre.
No. 15.
Obv. g-JLJLJI /?\-J? <=^ ?? f_k_c^l ^ U 1 ?.. II

Rev. Bull Nandi, and the imperfectly formed letters if^r.
For an engraving of thiH Coin sec Ariana Antirma, Plate XX., fig. 4; figs.
8 atid 15, of the samo Plate, also represent Coins of Al? al din bin Mohammed.
No. 16.
Obv. ^LJLJI j?slîA? (jjJ>.^ 3 \??tt 5U ^jlk-UI

Rbv. Horseman in Toghr?, face to the right, and t?(\ C?ftrj
JELL?L AL DlN MANKBUR?N.

On the death of Al? al din, his eon, Jcll?l al din Mankbur?n,
retired to Ghazn?, and not long afterwards (b'18) retreated before
Chengiz Khan towards Hindustan, by whom he was overtaken and
totally defeated on the banks of the Indus. After this, he held tem
porary dominion in India for two years, and in G20? proceeded to
Irak, and having experienced various remarkable turns of fortune, he
was finally routed by tho Tatars in G28 A.n., from which timo he is
entirely lost sight of8.
No. 17.
Stiver. Weight, 47 gr. Unique. {Small Coin, with dotted Margins.)
Obv. i^r_x?.x--A3 U j-*-^^ ?Ml ^-J?*_5 /_asLJ;_JI
Rbv. ^jUiX*JI ,mjj ^jj x?=ixsq (jjJ?>JI ^ UjOJI ?J^>
? Fcrishtah f Briggs], iv, 415.

8 Price, from Khal?satal Akhb?r, H. 410; D'Herbelot, Article "Gellaleddin."
VOL. IX. 21
No. 18.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 44 gr. Rare. (Persian letters.)
Rbv. Horseman in Toghr?.
No. 19.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 45 gr. Rare.
Similar to No. 1$; but with square Kufic letters.
CHENGIZ KH?N.
Declared Emperor of the Moghuls 602 a.ii. = 1206l.

Died, Ramzuu, 624 a.ii.
The extensivo conquests achieved by the Moghuls under Chcngiz Khan, and
the sanguinary character of their inroads into the countries of the dilfcrent nations
of Asia, are too prominent in the general history of the world to require any
extended recapitulation in this place; it may, however, be necessary to mark the
various points of this MonarclTs connexion with the laud to which it is probable
the Coins below quoted more immediately refer. The detail of this portion of
Chcngiz Khan's career is almost wholly confined to his contests with Jcll?l al din,
the last of the Khw?rizm?s. The progressive advance of tho conqueror may bo
traced in the sieges of Balkh, T?lik?n, and B?m??n, each rendered memorable in
the record of the atrocities which were enacted on their capture. While engaged
in reducing the last named city, the forces of the Moghuls received a check in the
defeat of two several detachments by their intrepid opponent, who at this timo
held his Court at Ghazn?. Dissensions, however, arising in tho camp of Jcll?l al
din, followed by the defection of one of his most powerful supporters, induced
Chcngiz Khan to take advantage of the opportunity, and ad vaneo in person upon
Ghazui, whence, as has already been stated, Jell?l al din retreated, and was
brought to action on the Indus, where he nobly defended himself to the last ex
tremity ; and, in his equally bold passage of the river itself, when all was lost, ho
elicited the involuntary admiration of his barbarian adversary.
1 Price (Habib al Sair), ii. 48G, 510, 520, &c; D'IIorbelot, Article "Genghiz
Khan."
KINGS OP QHAZNI. 385
Beyond this spot Chcngiz Khan's Indian conquests can scarcely be said to
have extended, as he seems to have satisfied himself with the dispatch of one of
his Generals to ravage the country, which was effected in the full measure of
Moghul ferocity as far as Multan and Lahor1.
No. 20.
Silver. Weight, 47 gr. Very scarce. {Small thick Coin, with dotted Margins. )
Obv. ejr_x_JL^>_U j-*.^ ^ (jj_?*_> /-*>'_*_?
K*v. ^Li j ^ l^ r f? c^l _bl_x_ll
No. 21.
A Coin similar to the above, but having the name and title written
in the more modern form of Kufic characters as two distinct words
No. 22.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 63 gr. (Coin of a similar character and form of
letters to No. 20.)
Oov. As above, No. 20.
? * ^_Is_eSl ^_5l_? _Jjs_e

A Coin of Chcngiz Khan (Bokhara) is described by Frsehn. Die M?nzen, p. 57.
1 Price, ii. 520 ; De Guignes, ii. 270, et seq. ; Ab?l Faraj, p. 293, &c.
2I2
3SG ON TUE COINS OF THE KINOS OF OIIAZNI.
INCERTI.
No. 23.
Silver and Copper. Weight, 44 gr. (Three specimens in the Masson collection.)
Ou v. A rudely-formed figuro of a Bull, facing to the left, apparently in a

rising posture, with the tail erect: above tho back of tho animal,
expressed in Persian letters, is the word J^J Ferw?u.
Rrv. Area (in ill-formed Kufic characters).
?yxô JS?j?^V ÎkLJl _3?Xc

Marg. Illegible.
No. 24.
On v. Horseman in Toghrd, facing to tho left, and igf\ ^jflTt imperfectly

formed, the 1\ being completely reversed.
Rkv. Persian characters.
*Xâô ^j _=Ll J&U y->\ &?^ 3 W/*4^ *~*J
o'
' ~', ~,'2i ",7 '-1~ (' . z '- ~
.7_ 7)
21,
212
-'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
42 > ' 43r
s .;3 C
0)
-;c- Ir~ir~ t..oil
So~~3u
L~~~~~~
Irv,
4t; d5
57
?,Aj;"(>,;k 58 -- ?,r, -^
x'? Ty
/i';/?S:,/,//W/J?' /'/. Ill
?.'.t,
'?.H;?7\ 110 ,?**?f??*T
//'OteJB \\
l< ?atr?oo IJ

On The Coins of The Kings of Ghajni

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On The Coins of The Kings of Ghajni

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On the Coins of the Kings of Ghazní

Author(s): Edward Thomas

Aut. IX.?On the Coins of the Kings of Ghazni. By Edward

[Read Mh March, 1847.]

? Or Subuktikin, ^ ? fxXxXx^ ? a8 ?? j3 written in a carefully engrossed MS.

tions, mark most distinctly the progressive epochs of his eventful

exhibit the local modifications incident to the dialect of the country

? D'Hcrbclot, Bib. Orient., p. MX Paris, 1097. * De Guignes, ii. 1G2.

puissance, et pour l'obtenir il luy envoya un Ambassade extraordinaire. L'Imam

Lei iXxjb^T *\?c J^ *N^ ?>^ ?^ Lr)3^ 3 ^ c^ ***^

$jf L?~~L?j fli ?JuX?> *Aj^ ?J^tXll ^l^^X-Li

j^mJ y j ?yj aML ^jjlXH ?duL? $}+*? *X#? cHa^oUj^)^ ^

The distinct information afforded by the money of Mahm?d on

1 MS., No. MO, p. 120. East India House Library.

respective provincial peculiarities. The same remarks also apply

i If it were necessary to cite foreign and earlier examples of an [analogous

1 To obviato tho confusion incident to detached notices, and to present at one

otherwise have been somewhat dillicult to rectify. Minh?j al Sur?j

1 Or Xc ?J?i)Jl \.AS Bah? al daulah Ali, as he is called by the Guz?dah

of accurate knowledge possessed by the author of the T?r?kh Masa?d?,

T?r?kh Masa?d?, Bibl. du Roi, Paris.

?fi\* if?Jy2>- +*?. v3^it> \\ tSxj SyXi+t.* (-yt *3^3* I v*2**"

Mir?t al A'lem, No. 7G57, Rich Collection, British Museum.

possibly from a period still earlier, as Ferishtah asserts that M?d?d

1 Date of Ibrahim's death, according to different authors: N?sir?, 492; T?r?kh

XfJic 2)l^o1 l^JU? ?vs?.l? ^r?^ is*3^3 *Jy* y^+* S^-^3

altogether support, in respect to the mention of the recital in the Khut

?XaX^ ? v^^ (v>^ $}X"~o (?yl *\>?*o\yQx\ ?UlaLwdt yy*3

Masson's collection were gathered on the locale of their original issue

tho Moslem power in an integral portion of the Ghaznav? dominions,

1 In citing the subjoined extracts from different geographical authors, it will be

J?llr^ J?UU u^Uf or J?llrl J\ J?UJ.1. Gildemeister has, however,

well as the more modern writers who refer to its conquest by

1^x3^ 4Xs?l? uXi^k ?bi\j /^*a:?UL ?^KOy* J<X?4* 1^1 \$3

(Liber Cliraatum Auctore El Issthachri, J. II. Mouller, Gothic, p. 110.)

j tsiyo ?y^x*** j*n^p * * * ?y? (Sj??$$ y*^

have made the ?J^H ^ Jj&\ into A^aI^ jUlft.

Ibn Haukal. Bodleiau Library, No. 530, Hunt.

J^3 u>*u*?ji i^-ij vjUoU y** ?* jo^j y?y> y A ?b

^? ?aM?ji ?jb?wt^ ?i?n y&2 l?+\\ ^s ?y$\

?JVJC ?AJtX* IgAJjX ?jj ?Agit *^>} ?

the work is entitled

^3-i os**?}"0 !>

Safa', show that Kabul was completely subjugated, in the middle of

?\JUj 8^4j Jai? iyLc **jf ci~KX2>\j^ (j-jU y vy^? ^

clx?s yy?~~o jLs y ^ 3 cl?, ca^* ^i y

W ?^1 LS^]y iS* iS^S CU^l* 15^1^ *<** is* W^3

^j.?ilt (?j-* Cl*

The few passages ci

all inferences on this head must ho drawn, though numerically ample,

at random with punches," the supposed "marks of successive dynasties

The copper currency would appear, from its general characteristics,

should be read as ^JtXx Just, and not as _J*Xc J

2. Abbreviations of titles, as I^ ^^U &c.

4. The designation of various cities of the empire, such as

The single letters, which are found occupying any convenient

the punch-mark of .?la victory, which, though convertible as Sib v

may be accepted as a substantive denoting perchance the acquisitions

The_5iXc is also often conjoined in these second impressions

TABLE I.?The Ghmnam Dyna.sty, and, the cotcmporary Khalifs.

Al Miiti'h llllnh . 334

It has been usual to consider as the Obverse of pure Moham

given number of words, without much regard to tho order in which

Lei iXxjb^T \?c J^ N^ ?>^ ?^ Lr)3^ 3 ^ c^ ***^

j^mJ y j ?yj aML ^jjlXH ?duL? $}+? X#? cHa^oUj^)^ ^

?fi\* if?Jy2>- +?. v3^it> \\ tSxj SyXi+t. (-yt 3^3 I v*2**"

XfJic 2)l^o1 l^JU? ?vs?.l? ^r?^ is3^3 Jy* y^+* S^-^3

?XaX^ ? v^^ (v>^ $}X"~o (?yl \>?o\yQx\ ?UlaLwdt yy*3

1^x3^ 4Xs?l? uXi^k ?bi\j /^a:?UL ?^KOy J<X?4* 1^1 \$3

j tsiyo ?y^x*** jn^p * * ?y? (Sj??$$ y*^

J^3 u>u?ji i^-ij vjUoU y** ?* jo^j y?y> y A ?b

/ .?AJLajJll j^fi\ t?y ?X^.1 try-i * * * /k*^ ?u^l \.c

t^A?/5 tf ^ er4 j'J

Marg. aj -A^yi ???o? U" Marg. ^JLJl ^ w.?anf, fw--

Marg. >?? r**M ?r' ^C

?Iaj^^j.} i_S?> ?2k^.jJ jIa* ?2kj?& \\ *SXj . -aX?A)

j? oL?^l ?UXi y\ <yxj 3 tj^Sjfj &^J* 3 ^c' JW ^ **3J

?y. ?j3\ ?y+j ij^jir i? j^j ?ys ?c ^i >j^r U?XxamI

kj? ej% ?3* 3 ?J3S ?j^>? J e-SjL J^i V ^ i/

Obv. Marg. jl?15 j <j^ 3 <-^ **~ Cl^/*

the usual symbol ?JH _Jjy X*=sA^ &c.