Item number: A1164

Year: AD 932 (AH 320)

Material: Gold

Size: 24.3 x 24.1 x 0.5 mm

Weight: 4.05 g

Provenance: Morton & Eden 2024

This coin dates to the reign of the 18th Abbasid caliph, Al-Muqtadir, a period marked by the decline of the caliph’s authority and widespread political fragmentation. Despite the chaotic circumstances and the rise of regional powers, such as Ali Ibn Buwayh in Iran, the dinar retains the caliph’s name. This reflects an outward display of allegiance to the Abbasid Caliphate, even as real political control shifted to local rulers.

The obverse of the coin features six lines of inscriptions in Arabic Kufic script, corresponding closely to those found on dinars circulating in the Abbasid Caliphate during the same period. From top to bottom, the text reads: “اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ” ,”بو العبّاس”, and “يَابْنَ اَمِيْرِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ”. These phrases represent the first part of the Shahada: “There is no god but Allah, He is One,” the caliph’s family name “Abbas,” and his title “Son of the Commander of the Faithful.” The most distinctive feature of this coin is the addition of a sixth line, “عمادالدوله” (Imad al-Dawla), referring to the honorific title of Ali Ibn Buwayh, meaning “Support of the State.”

The surrounding circular inscription indicates that the coin was minted in the name of Allah in the year AH 320 (AD 932) in Ahvaz, Iran, along with the following Qur’anic verse “فِی بِضۡعِ سِنِینَۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَمِنۢ بَعۡدُۚ وَیَوۡمَىِٕذࣲ یَفۡرَحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:4): “Within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And on that day, the believers will rejoice.”

The reverse of the coin also features five lines of Kufic script. From top to bottom, the inscription includes the second part of the Shahada: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” (مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ) and the name of the caliph, “Al-Mu’tadid bi-llah” (المعتضد بالله), referring to Al-Muqtadir. Surrounding the central text are two circular inscriptions containing the verse from the Qur’an 9:33: “هُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَرۡسَلَ رَسُوۡلَهٗ بِالۡهُدٰى وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ” (He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists may dislike it).

In AD 908, when Al-Muqtadir ascended the throne as the ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate, the empire’s control over its provinces was steadily declining. In the Iranian Plateau, the Abbasids faced growing challenges from the Samanid dynasty. It was against this backdrop that Ali Ibn Buwayh rose to prominence.

Ali Ibn Buwayh was born in Gilan Province, located near the Caspian Sea. He began his career as a soldier, serving under various warlords. By AD 934, Ali had consolidated control over much of Iran, establishing the Buyid dynasty. In AD 945, his forces captured Baghdad, forcing the Abbasid Caliphate to become a vassal under his rule.

物件編號: A1164

年代: 公元 932 年 (回曆 320 年)

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 24.3 x 24.1 x 0.5 mm

重量: 4.05 g

來源: 莫頓與伊登 2024

這是阿拔斯帝國第十八代哈里發穆克塔迪爾統治時期，即哈里發聲望走向下坡和各地群雄並起的混亂之際。崛起於伊朗的阿里·伊本·布維西仍在錢幣保留哈里發的名字，即表面維持對於阿拔斯帝國效忠所鑄造的第納爾金幣。

錢幣正面有六行阿拉伯庫法體打印的銘文，銘文內容跟同時期流通的阿拔斯帝國第納爾大抵相同，即從上而下的五行文字，內容對應到「اللهُوَحْدَهُلَاشَرِيكَلَهُ」、「بو العبّاس」和「يَابْنَ اَمِيْرِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ」，分別是穆斯林熟悉的清真言前半部「萬物非主，唯有真主，真主獨一」、哈里發的姓氏「阿拔斯」和頭銜「信仰守護者之子」。這枚錢幣最大特色是追加第六行「عمادالدوله」，即阿里·伊本·布維西尊名「國家的支持者」。周圍的環形銘文指稱這枚錢幣以真主之名，回曆320年(公元932年) 於伊朗的阿瓦士鑄造和「فِی بِضۡعِ سِنِینَۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَمِنۢ بَعۡدُۚ وَیَوۡمَىِٕذࣲ یَفۡرَحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ」，出自《古蘭經30:4》：「於數年之間。以前和以後，凡事歸真主主持。在那日，信道的人將要歡喜」。

背面中央同樣有五行庫法體銘文，由上而下，依序為清真言後半部「穆罕默德是真主唯一的使者」和哈里發的名字「المعتضد بالله」 (穆克塔迪爾)。周圍的兩道環形銘文「هُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَرۡسَلَ رَسُوۡلَهٗ بِالۡهُدٰى وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ」，內容出自《古蘭經9:33》：「他曾以正道和真教的使命委託他的使者，以便他使真教勝過一切宗教，即使以物配主者不願意」。

公元908年，穆克塔迪爾登基為阿拔斯帝國統治者之際，王朝對於各地方的控制逐步走向衰退。於伊朗高原一帶，阿拔斯帝國面對薩曼王朝的挑戰，阿里·伊本·布維西正是在這般時空背景下崛起。阿里·伊本·布維西出身於濱鄰裏海的吉蘭省，他以行伍身分起家投靠不同的軍閥勢力，於公元934年控制伊朗一帶建立布維西王朝，更在公元945年攻克巴格達迫使阿拔斯帝國臣服為附庸。