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Sumatra Aceh Sultanate
Sultanah Inayat1 Gold Kupang
Item number: A150
Year: AD 1678-1688
Material: Gold
Size: 12.10 x 12.10 mm
Weight: 0.54 g
Provenance: Spink 2023
This object is a gold coin minted and issued during the reign of Sultanah Inayat, the sixteenth Sultan of the Sultanate of AcehDarussalam in Sumatra, Indonesia, from AD 1678 to AD 1688. It carries the weight of 1 Kupang.
The obverse of this coin features three lines of Arabic inscription which read “ڤادكسر سلطانهعناية شاه,” translating to “Her Highness Sultanah Inayat Shah.” On the obverse, the outer circle of the coin is adorned with decorative beads. On the reverse side, there are also three lines of Arabic inscription which is continued from obverse reading “زكية الدین بردولة شاه,” meaning “ Zakiatuddin’s sovereign rule.” The outer rim of this side is similarly embellished with small beads.
Kupang: The “Kupang” was an ancient unit of measurement for gold, approximately equivalent to 0.6 grams. The use of this weight unit can be traced back to the 11th centuries in port areas along the Southeast Asian coast, indicating its connection to international trade.It was commonly employed during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods for transactions involving spices and other valuable commodities. With the Dutch colonial period and the influence of European trade on local currencies, this unit gradually became supplanted by Western currencies.
Sultan Inayat Zakiatuddin Shah was the sixteenth Sultan of the Sultanate of Aceh, located in the northern part of Sumatra Island. Her reign lasted from AD 1678 to AD 1688, during which she became the third female ruler of the Aceh Sultanate. The era of female sultanahs constituted a distinctive period in Aceh’s history, characterized by the exercise of power by women within a patriarchal society. Generally, the reign of Sultanah Inayat witnessed a period of peace and stability in Aceh.
The Sultanate of Aceh was an Islamic powerhouse that ruled over the Aceh region of Sumatra, Indonesia, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Its capital was Kutaraja (present-day Banda Aceh). Situated at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, the kingdom was one of the most influential sultanates in Southeast Asia. It was renowned for its strategic location along major trade routes and its influence in spreading Islam throughout the region.
The Sultanate of Aceh reached its zenith in the 16th and 17th centuries, becoming a significant maritime and commercial power that controlled the trade routes between the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca.
One of the most notable reputations of the Sultanate of Aceh was its steadfast resistance against European expansion. Aceh successfully repelled attempts by Portugal and the Netherlands to conquer the region, gaining renown for its formidable military prowess.
The decline of the Sultanate of Aceh began in the late 17th centuries, attributed to factors such as internal conflicts, external pressure from the Dutch East India Company, and competition with other regional powers. In AD 1873, the Netherlands initiated the Aceh War with the aim of conquering Aceh and establishing colonial rule in the region. The war lasted for several decades, culminating in Aceh’s conquest by the Dutch in AD 1903.
