ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SIKH COINS</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SIKH,COINS"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SIKH COINS or NUMISMATICS. Sikh coins like coins anywhere else were both a commercial necessity and a symbol of sovereignty. Coin, derived from the Latin <i>cuneus</i>, a wedge, through Old French <i>coing</i> and <i>cuigne</i>, "is properly the term for a wedge-shaped die used for stamping money, and so transferred to the money so stamped : hence a piece of money." The Punjabi word for coin, <i>sikk&#257</i>, is borrowed from Persian where it means both "a die for coining" and "rule, law, regulation" (implying sovereignty).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Traditionally, coins struck under the orders of various sovereigns had embossed or inscribed on them the name and/or bust of the ruler and the year of that ruler's reign. Sikh coins, however, were dedicated to their Gur&#363s and the year of issue they carried was of the Bikram&#299 era, although the script and language used continued to be Persian as was the vogue under the Mu<u>gh</u>al rulers. The first sovereign Sikh state, however short-lived, was established by Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur with the conquest of Sirhind early in 1710, and the first Sikh coin issued by him from his bastion, Mu<u>kh</u>lisga&#7771h in the &#346iv&#257lik foothills, carried on one side the following inscription : <i>sikk&#257 b&#257r har do'&#257lam te<u>gh</u>-i-n&#257nak w&#257hab ast fatah gobind si&#7749gh sh&#257h-i-sh&#257h&#257&#7749 fazal sacheh&#257 S&#257hib ast</i> (the coin is struck in the two worlds, its bestower being the sword of N&#257nak. Victory is of Gobind Si&#7749gh, the king of kings, by the grace of the True Master); on the other side were the words : <i>zarb ba am&#257n ud-dahr musawarat shahr z&#299nat al ta<u>kh</u>t mub&#257rak ba<u>kh</u>t</i> (struck for the security and peace of the world and the walled town of the elegant throne and blessed fortune).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Half a century later, when the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, the confederated Sikh force under the overall leadership of Sard&#257r Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257, whom the Sikhs fondly gave the epithet <i>Sult&#257n ul-qaum</i> (the nation's king), temporarily occupied Lahore in November 1761, a coin was issued bearing the inscription, <i>sikk&#257 zad dar jah&#257&#7749 bafazl i-ak&#257l, mulki-ahmad sh&#257h griftah jass&#257 kal&#257l</i> (the coin struck in the world (when) by the grace of God, Jass&#257 Kal&#257l (Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257) occupied the territory of Ahmad Sh&#257h (Durr&#257n&#299). This coin was soon withdrawn because it bore the name not of the Gur&#363 but of a Sikh and that too in a truncated form. It is also considered that this coin was not issued by the Sikhs but was arranged to be struck by some religious leaders of Lahore for despatching it to Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 with the intention of rousing his ire and early suppression of the Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another coin struck soon after the conquest of Sirhind by the Sikhs in 1764 came to be known as <i>Gobindsh&#257h&#299 sikk&#257</i> (coin of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh). It was a silver coin and it continued to be issued from the Lahore mint up to 1777. Inscriptions on it were : on one side, <i>deg te<u>gh</u> fatah-o-nusrat bedra&#7749g, y&#257ft az n&#257nak gur&#363 gobind si&#7749gh</i> (kettle [signifying munificence], sword [symbol of power], success and unhindered victory Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh inherited from [Gur&#363] N&#257nak. This was the couplet earlier used by Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur on his seal. The other side of the Gobindsh&#257h&#299 coin bore <i>zarb d&#257r ul-saltanat l&#257haur sammat 1822 maimnat m&#257n&#363s</i> (struck at the capital Lahore in the year 1822 [AD 1765] of intimate prosperity).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gold and silver coins issued from Amritsar from 1777 onwards were called <i>N&#257naksh&#257h&#299 sikk&#257</i>. They had on one side <i>ak&#257l sah&#257i gur&#363 n&#257nak j&#299</i> in Gurmukh&#299 letters, and <i>sikk&#257 zad bar s&#299m o-zar te<u>gh</u> n&#257nak w&#257hab ast fatah-i-gobind sh&#257h-i-sh&#257h&#257&#7749 fazal sacheh&#257 s&#257hib ast in Persian</i> (coin struck in silver and gold; N&#257nak&#8217s sword is the bestower : victory by the grace of the True Lord is of Gobind (Si&#7749gh), the king of kings). The inscription closely resembles that on the earliest Sikh coin issued by Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur. The coin bore on the other side the words <i>zarb sr&#299 amritsar jal&#363s ak&#257l ta<u>kh</u>t sammat 1837</i> (struck at Sr&#299 Amritsar (during) the reign of Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t (in) the year 1837 (AD 1780).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 had during the eighteenth century carried the Sikh flag far into the heart of India. Therefore, as writes Charles J. Rodgers, <i>Coin Collection in Northern India</i> (1894). "It is not astonishing then that there are coins in existence on one side of which is the old Sikh coin distich and on the other the Najibabad mint name and mark. One coin of this kind is known with the Jaipur mint name and mark....I remember seeing years ago a coin struck at Surat with the Sikh coin couplet on it... "</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh occupied Lahore in 1799 and proclaimed himself Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 in 1801. His coins issued from Lahore from 1801 onwards, from Amritsar since1805-06, from Mult&#257n since 1818 and from Kashm&#299r (Sr&#299nagar) since 1819 bore the same inscription as had appeared earlier on the Gobindsh&#257h&#299 coins, but Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's coins were called N&#257naksh&#257h&#299. Their distinguishing mark was a tree leaf and later a peacock's feather. Coins were also struck during his reign at Pi&#7751&#7693 D&#257dan <u>Kh</u>&#257n, Jha&#7749g and Pesh&#257war. The custom was that coins struck at a new mint on the first day were sent to Amritsar as an offering at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t. In 1806-07, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh issued "Mor&#257&#7749sh&#257h&#299" or "&#256rs&#299 d&#299 Mohar V&#257le" coin in honour of his favourite dancing girl whom he took as one of his queens. The offering made of these coins was not accepted at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t. Similarly, the coins issued by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh (1841-43) were not accepted at the Ta<u>kh</u>t Kesga&#7771h S&#257hib, Anandpur, as offering because instead of the usual legend "Ak&#257l Sah&#257&#299 Gur&#363 N&#257nak J&#299" they bore "Ak&#257l Sah&#257i Sher Si&#7749gh".</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From 1828 onwards the Lahore mint issued gold <i>mohars</i> popularly called <i>butk&#299s</i>. It contained 11-1/2 <i>m&#257sh&#257s</i> (approximately 10 grams) of pure gold, and had, in addition to the usual distich and legend, the word <i>v&#257higur&#363</i> (Sikh name for God) written thrice over in Gurmukh&#299 letters. The rupee coin contained a similar quantity of silver while coins of lower denominations (<i>dhel&#257</i> or <i>&#7789ak&#257</i> and <i>pais&#257</i>) were made from copper.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sard&#257r Har&#299 Si&#7749gh Nalv&#257 was permitted twice to issue coins in his name, first in 1831 in Kashm&#299r and then in1834 at Pesh&#257war.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In honour of Nau Nihal Si&#7749gh's marriage, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh started an Order of Merit, which was known as <i>Kaukab i-Iqb&#257l-i-Punjab</i>, Star of the Prosperity of the Punjab. The order had three grades, each having its own medal. The medals bore the effigy of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh on one side and had silk ribands of gold and scarlet colour. Shaped like a star they were meant to be worn round the neck. The first-grade medal carried one diamond. It was meant for the members of the royal family and those chiefs who had shown exceptional devotion to the person of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 and his family. The second-grade medal had a diamond and an emerald set in it. It was bestowed on loyal courtiers and <i>sard&#257rs</i>. The third contained a single emerald and was open to the civil and military officers who had rendered some special service to the country.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The principality of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 founded by Sard&#257r &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh received recognition as state in 1761 from Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, who also conferred on &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh the title of R&#257j&#257 in 1765. R&#257j&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh died in August of the same year. His grandson and successor, Amar Si&#7749gh, was given by Ahmad Sh&#257h the title of R&#257jah-i-R&#257jg&#257n and permission to strike his own coins in March 1767. The Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 coins, gold <i>mohar</i> and silver rupee, were called R&#257jesh&#257h&#299. They weighed 11-1/4 <i>m&#257sh&#257s</i> (approximately 10 grams) each and bore a Persian distich commemorating Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 (ordained by the Incomparable Almighty through Ahmad Sh&#257h to strike coins of silver and gold from the zenith of one moon or month to another). As Charles J. Rodgers, Honorary Numismatist to the Government of India, observed in 1894, "All the Maharajas of Patiala have used the same couplet in their gold and silver coins. Different Maharajas have used different signs, and it is by these that the coins are assigned to those who struck them....One strange thing is noteworthy. The mint is in Patiala city, but the name of the mint coming on the coin is Sarhind or Sahrind. When we consider that the Maharaja is a Sikh and the Sikhs account Sarhind accursed... the retention of the name seems stranger still. Ahmad Shah Durrani coined in this town, and that is perhaps the reason its name is retained on Patiala coins."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coins of J&#299nd state (silver rupee only), similar to those of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in weight and the couplet used, were known as J&#299nd&#299&#257, N&#257bh&#257 coins (gold <i>mohur</i> and silver rupee), popularly called N&#257bh&#257sh&#257h&#299, however, bore the couplet "deg te<u>gh</u> fatah...." as it appeared on Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's N&#257naksh&#257h&#299 or, earlier, on Gobindsh&#257h&#299 coins. Kap&#363rthal&#257 rulers did not strike their own coins. N&#257naksh&#257h&#299, and, later, British coins were current there. Coins minted in different states were legal tender only within their territories although they were sometimes accepted in neighbouring markets close to the state boundaries.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Rodgers, Charles J., <i>Coin Collection in Northern India</i>. 1894<BR> <li class="C1"> S&#363r&#299, Sohan L&#257I, <i>'Umd&#257t ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i>. Lahore, 1885-89<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Manohar Si&#7749gh M&#257rco<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>