20 The Initial Coinage of Bengal. [No. 3, 



tions for large sums, in which its name alone is used, appear to invest 

 it with a metrical position far beyond the subordinate exchanges of 

 mere bazar traffic. 



In the details of the " prices-current" in the reign of Ala-ud-din 

 Muhammad, as well as in the relation of certain monetary re-adjust- 

 ments made by Finiz Shah III., the name of the Chital is constantly 

 associated in the definition of comparative values with another sub- 

 division entitled the Kani, which may now be pronounced with some 

 certainty to have been the -^j of the original Tankuh, of 175 grains, 

 and g~ of the new silver coin of 140 grains, introduced by Muhammad 

 bin Tughlak. The temporary forced currency of this Sultan neces- 

 sitated in itself the positive announcement of the names and autho- 

 ritative equivalents of each representative piece, and this abnormal 

 practice contributes many items towards the elucidation of the quan- 

 titative constitution of the real currency of the day, which these 

 copper tokens were designed to replace. In illustration of this point, 

 I insert a woodcut and description of a brass coin, which was put 

 forth to pass for the value of the silver piece of 140 grains, to whose 

 official weight it is seemingly suggestively approximated. 



Brass ; weight, 132 grs. ; a. h. 731 ; Common. 

 Obverse. — ji*^"") JS^J J^jj) ;<i c?-^ S^v *&■> <*-*r&'°« 

 tfi£> ^♦s:' Struck (lit. sealed), a tankah of fifty 

 kanis in the reign of the servant, hopeful (of mercy); 

 Muhammad Taghlak. 

 Reverse.— Area, £M *** ^LkLJi ^Us| ^/o ^+^1. "He who 

 obeys the king, truly he obeys God."* 



Margin, <&i ^ &<4-'&& y. JU ^UicJ^ %]£ c*s-> j&. At the 

 capital Daulat-iibad, year? 731. 



In addition to this 50 kdni-'piece may be quoted extant specimens 

 of this Sultan's forced issues, bearing the definitive names 

 of " hastkdni" (8 kanis). " Shash-Mni." (6 kanis) and 

 1 Do-Mni (2 kanis.) An obverse of the latter is given in the 

 margin. The reverse has the unadorned name of (jJ-*J ^ =/0 . 



* In other examples of the forced currency, he exhorts his subjects in more 

 urgent terms to submit to the Almighty, as represented in the person of the 

 rulino- monarch, and to adopt, in effect, the bad money he covers with texts from 

 the Kuran — the " Obey God and obey the Prophet and those in authority 

 amono- you," and " Sovereignty is not conferred upon every man," but " some" 

 are placed over " others" — were unneeded on his coinage of pure metal. 



