628 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [December, 1910. 



married Prince Muhammad 'Azam in 1668 (Report^ p. 17; and 

 Blochmann, Koch Bihar and Asam, Journ. Asiatic Soc. of 

 Bengal, 1872, p. 98). The Falhiyah-i-' Ibriyah states that when 

 Garhganw was entered by Mir Jumla in March 1662 A.D., 

 nearly 3 lakhs of rupees in gold and silver were discovered in 

 the Treasury. In the absence of coins, or definite statements 

 in the Buranjis, little can be said regarding the progress of 

 Vaishnavism in Jayadhvaja's reign, but the statement of the 

 F aihiyah-i-" Ibriyah is interesting as throwing some light on the 



ion of Assam. " He (the King) professes to be a 

 Hindu, but as he believes himself to be one of the great 

 emanations of the Deity, he worships no idols. The inhabitants 



Assam) 



(Blochmann, op. cit., 



p. 80.) In other words we gather that Hinduism in either of its 

 forms had made little headway and that the Assamese as a 

 nation were still Animists. Jayadhvaja had, however, as 

 spiritual guide, a Brahmin who lived at Diwalganw (idem, p. 74), 

 and the title Svarga Narayan is not found on his cannon, so 

 that lie was perhaps a Saivite. Subsequently this title re- 

 appears on the cannon of Chakradhvaja, Udayaditya and Gada- 

 dhara (Report, p. 29). In the last-named case the cannon was 

 one of those captured from the Muham madans in 1682, i.e., the 

 year following the King's accession, and hence probably before 

 the persecution of the Vaishnavas recommenced. Mr. Gait 

 records gifts to Vaishnava shrines even as late as 1685 and 1686 

 (idem, pp. 6 and 13). 



In addition to Assamese coins of Jayadhvaja's time, we 



i" rupees in 



may 



and 1073 A. EL, minted at Garhganw. Khafi 



Mir Jumla forbade the circulation of "Nan 



Assam, as he had minted money with Auran 



and the minting of rupees and pice is also mentioned by the 



author of the Fathiyah-i-' Ibriyah (Blochmann, idem, pp. 99 and 



85). 



The Coins of Assam from the Accession of Rudra 



slmha to the close of assamese rule. 



From the death of Udayaditya in 1673 to the accession of 

 Supatpha or Gadadhara Siihha in 1681, chaos reigned in Assam, 

 and in the short period of 8 years there were no less than 6 

 Kings on the throne. None of their coins in Bengali script are 

 known, nor indeed, with the exception of Siihun's coin, any in 

 Ahom characters either ; and when a strong King in the person 

 of Gadadhara Simha established himself on the throne, be does 



any but Ahom coins. It was only 



son, Rudra Simha, in 1696 A.D. 



and 



minted 

 with the accession 

 (Sak 



henceforward, with very few exceptions, the type of the coin- 



