1884.] Charles J. Rodgers — Coins of Ahmad Shah Durrani. 93 



Munnoo governor of Lahore to retire. But the latter never paid the 

 tribute he promised. So the Durrani invaded India, captured Meer 

 Munnoo and seized Lahore and Multan. These events occupied the 3rd, 

 4th and 5th years of the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Mr. Rodgers's 

 second coin illustrates the conquest of Lahore, as the inscription on the 

 reverse shews that it was struck in that city in the fifth year of the con- 

 queror's reign. The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th coins illustrate the hold he 

 kept on the annexed province of Multan and the trans-Indus provinces. 

 The inscriptions shew that the 3rd was struck at Multan in the 6th year 

 of his reign, the fourth at Derah in the 7th year, the fifth at Peshawar in 

 the 7th year. This last is unique. The inscription on it runs as follows : — 



Obverse v b^> ±+^ ^j* ^ 



Reverse | ) 1 v J^**i$ ^rj* 3 



No. 6 is a beautiful coin belonging to Sir Edward Bayley, bearing the 

 date 1170, struck at Multan. Besides the above Mr. Rodgers possesses 

 a rupee of Multan of the 5th and one of the 7th year of Ahmad Shah 

 Durrani. Also one of Bhakkhan of the 7th year which shews that these 

 parts were under his sway. 



The Afghan king had spared Meer Munnoo's life and reinstated him. 

 On his death his widow Mangalana Begam seized the reins of govern- 

 ment, but her son Grhazi-ud-din rebelled against her. Ahmad Shah Dur- 

 rani came to her aid, and made his son Taimur Shah Viceroy of Lahore 

 and Multan, while he passed on through Sarhind to Delhi. The vice- 

 royalty of Taimur is illustrated by coins Nos. 15 and 16. 



When Ahmad Shah arrived at Delhi he began, with the help of Man- 

 galana Begam to plunder in a systematic way. He married the daughter 

 of Muhammad Shah, and Taimur married the daughter of Alamgir II, who 

 seems to have assisted in the plunder of his own capital. Ahmad Shah 

 Durrani stayed in all about 40 days in Delhi. Coin No. 7 illustrates 

 this short period. During this occupation of Delhi Mathura was plun- 

 dered. Its idols and temples were overthrown and many men were 

 massacred. Alamgir was left in possession of the throne, but Ahmad 

 Shah Durrani's creatures were in power everywhere. Taimur Shah was 

 left in Lahore with an efficient general and Ahmad Shah returned to 

 Kandahar. 



But the Mahrattas seized Delhi and overran the Panjab. Ahmad 

 Shah returned, took and plundered Delhi and defeated the Mahrattas in the 

 battle of Panipat. This invasion occupied the 13th and 14th years of 

 Ahmad Shah Durrani's reign, and is illustrated by coins Nos. 8 — 13 of the 

 plate annexed to Mr. Rodgers's paper. They all bear on the obverse the 

 Persian couplet quoted above. No. 8 appears from the reverse to have 



