Item number: A1238

Year: AD 1697 (AH 1109)

Material: Gold

Size: 20.0 x 19.9 mm

Provenance: Spink 2024

This is a Mohur gold coin minted by Aurangzeb, the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, whose father, Shah Jahan, is renowned for commissioning the Taj Mahal. Unlike his father, who inscribed verses from the Quran on coins, Aurangzeb chose to feature couplets that embodied Mughal and Persian literary traditions. Aurangzeb believed that the sacred verses of the Quran should not be casually touched by the hands or feet of the public, leading him to avoid their use on currency.

The obverse of the coin features two lines of Urdu script. The top line bears Aurangzeb’s name and the Hijri year 1109 (۱۱۰۹) in which the coin was minted, while the lower line contains a couplet, characteristic of Aurangzeb’s reign, that reads “as radiant as the full moon.” On the reverse, the Urdu inscription notes that the coin was minted in the 41st year (۴۱) of Aurangzeb’s rule. A floral motif in the lower left hallmarks the mint, though the accompanying mint location inscribed in Urdu is incomplete and cannot be fully identified.

During Aurangzeb’s reign, the Mughal Empire achieved its territorial zenith through extensive conquests of Hindu kingdoms in southern India. However, in terms of religious policy, Aurangzeb departed from the tolerance practised by his ancestor Akbar, enforcing the supremacy of Islam and suppressing other religions. This shift had significant repercussions on the empire’s internal stability. After Aurangzeb’s death, the Mughal Empire faced increasing challenges from the Maratha Empire and emerging European powers, leading to a gradual decline in its strength and influence.

物件編號: A1238

年代: 公元 1697 (回曆 1109) 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 20.0 x 19.9 mm

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

這是蒙兀爾帝國第六任皇帝奧朗則布鑄造的莫哈爾金幣，其父親為打造泰姬瑪哈陵的沙賈汗。奧朗則布不同於父親在錢幣打印古蘭經經文，改以具備蒙兀爾和波斯文學特色的對聯作為銘文。因為奧朗則布認為神聖的古蘭經經文，不該任由民眾的手或腳隨意觸摸。

錢幣正面有兩行烏爾都文，上方為奧朗則布的姓名和錢幣鑄造的回曆1109年份「۱۱۰۹」，下方則是奧朗則布時期的特色對聯「如同皎潔的滿月」。錢幣背面的烏爾都文，則說明這枚錢幣鑄造於奧朗則布統治的第41年「۴۱」。左下角的花飾則是鑄幣廠戳記，旁邊的烏爾都文為鑄造廠地名，但是不完整無法識別。

奧朗則布統治時期大幅征服南方的印度教諸王國，使得蒙兀爾帝國的版圖達到巔峰。然而在宗教政策上，奧朗則布一改先祖阿克巴時期的宗教寬容，獨尊伊斯蘭教和嚴厲打擊其他宗教，進而影響帝國內部的穩定。當奧朗則布駕崩後，蒙兀爾帝國便陸續面對馬拉塔帝國和新興的歐洲列強挑戰，國勢逐漸衰敗。