Item number: A376-3

Year: AD 1874-1879 (AH 1290-1295)

Material: Silver

Size: 13.0 x 12.8 x 1.6 mm

Weight: 1.75 g

Manufactured by: Kashgar, Xinjiang

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is a Tenga silver coin issued in the 6th year of the Tongzhi Emperor’s reign (AD 1867) by Yakub Beg, who, during the Muslim uprising against Qing rule in Xinjiang, took advantage of the situation to invade from the neighbouring Khanate of Kokand. He established himself as Emir and founded the Yettishar Khanate in southern Xinjiang. “Tenga” refers to the silver coins of Yakub Beg’s homeland, Kokand. According to historical records, these coins were minted roughly between AD 1874 and AD 1879 (AH 1290 to AH 1295).

Yakub Beg introduced the Central Asian currency system of Tilla (gold), Tenga (silver), and Pul (copper) in his controlled territories, which were quickly accepted by the local Muslim population sharing the same faith.

To gain international and religious support, Yakub Beg acknowledged the Caliph, who was also the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdulaziz I, as his leader. Consequently, on the obverse of this tenga silver coin, Yakub Beg used Chagatai script, common in Central Asia, to inscribe the full name of the Ottoman Sultan. This practise symbolised allegiance within the Islamic world.

Yakub Beg’s coins were handcrafted, resulting in potential misalignment between the dies and the coins. The obverse’s edge is generally decorated with a beaded border, moving inward to two concentric circles separated by a wavy pattern. At the centre is the name of the Ottoman Sultan. Based on other examples, the text on the coin is divided into two lines: the upper part bears the title “Khan” to honour the ruler, while the lower part displays the Sultan’s name, “Abdulaziz.” Additionally, Persian numerals can be seen, with “١٢” (12) indicating the beginning of the Hijri year in which this tenga was minted.

The reverse side of the coin features a decorative outer edge with a fixed arrangement of dots and geometric patterns. Inside the solid circle, the inscriptions are printed in Chagatai script from top to bottom, reading “Latif” (meaning “beautiful”) and “Zarb K” (indicating “minted in Kashgar,” abbreviated as “K”).

During Yaqub Beg’s reign, he actively sought to establish foreign relations with the Ottoman Empire and neighbouring geopolitical powers such as Britain and Russia. His aim was to deter the Qing Empire from reclaiming southern Xinjiang. However, under the command of the Xiang Army’s renowned general, Zuo Zongtang, the Qing Empire successfully regained control of the territory in Guangxu 3rd Year (AD 1877). After the fall of Yaqub Beg’s Yettishar Khanate, his minted Tenga silver coins continued to circulate widely in the region. The Qing court even imitated these coins until they ceased minting them in Guangxu 6th Year (AD 1880).

物件編號: A376-3

年代: 公元 1874-1879 年 (回曆 1290-1295 年)

材料: 銀

尺寸: 13.0 x 12.8 x 1.6 mm

重量: 1.75 g

製造地 喀什，新疆

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚同治6年(公元1867年)，利用新疆的穆斯林反抗清帝國統治之際，趁勢從鄰近的浩罕汗國發動侵略，在南疆自立為埃米爾並建立「哲德沙爾汗國」的阿古柏發行的天罡銀幣。天罡即是阿古柏的故鄉浩罕對於銀幣的稱呼，根據史料其鑄造時間大抵為公元1874至1879年(回曆1290至1295年)之間。

阿古柏在統治區引入中亞的提拉(金)、天罡(銀)和普爾(銅)貨幣系統，迅速為同為伊斯蘭信仰的居民接受。為獲得國際和宗教上的支持，阿古柏遙尊伊斯蘭世界的精神領袖哈里發，同時也是鄂圖曼帝國蘇丹的阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲一世為領袖。因此這枚天罡銀幣的正面，阿古柏以流通於中亞的察合台文字打印鄂圖曼蘇丹的全名，這是伊斯蘭世界表示臣服的一種方式。

阿古柏的錢幣以手工打造，因此模具和錢幣未必能完整對齊。能觀察到正面邊緣大致以珠圈為飾，向內是中間夾有波浪飾紋的兩道圓圈，最裡面是鄂圖曼蘇丹的名諱。參考其他品項，錢幣的文字分為兩行，上半部是尊稱統治者的頭銜「汗」，下半部則是蘇丹姓名「阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲」。並且能夠發現以波斯數字表現回曆的「١٢」(12)，即這枚天罡鑄造的年份開頭。

錢幣背面的外緣，以固定排列順序的圓點和幾何圖案作為裝飾。實心圓圈內由上而下，依序以察合台文打印「美麗的」(Latif)和「鑄造於喀什(以K簡稱)」(Zarb K)的銘文。

阿古柏在位期間，積極向鄂圖曼帝國和接鄰的地緣強權：英國和俄國發展對外關係，意圖藉此阻遏清帝國試圖收復南疆的企圖。然而在湘軍名將左宗棠指揮下，清帝國於光緒3年(公元1877年)成功收復失土。阿古柏的哲德沙爾汗國滅亡後，其鑄造的天罡銀幣在當地仍廣為流通，清廷還為此加以仿效，直到光緒6年(公元1880年)方才停鑄。