36 The Initial Coinage of Bengal. [No. 1, 



citation of the formula, " during the reign of (the Khalif) Al Mos- 

 tansir billah," on the reverse, limits the final period of the issue of 

 the coin, not exactly to the 5th month of the year a.h. 640, when 

 that Pontiff died, but with clear precision to a.h. 641, when the 

 knowledge of his death was officially declared by the substitution of a 

 new name in the Mintages of the capital of Hindustan.* 



This younger son was destined eventually to succeed to the throne 

 of his father at Dehli, in 644 a.h., after the intervening reigns of 

 Rukn-ud-din Firnz Shah, ftiziah, Muiz-ud-dfn Bahram Shah, and 

 Ala-ud-din Masaud Shah, in all, however, extending only over a 

 space of eleven years, posterior to the death of Altamsh. The second 

 Mahmud, must, under these conditions, have been but of tender years, 

 and though, at this conjuncture, promoted to the titular honours of 

 an elder brother, not in any position to exercise authority in his own 

 person, and less likely to have had medallic tribute paid to him by his 

 father, should such have been the origin of the exceptional specimen 

 under review. To the first-born Nasir-ud-din Mabmvid, no such 

 objections apply ; he was very early invested by his sire with the 

 administration of the important government of Hansi, and in 623 

 a.h., advanced to the higher charge of the dependencies of Oudh, from 

 which quasi frontier, he was called upon to proceed against Hisam- 

 ud-din Avaz, (No. 4 in the list of Governors, supra), who had already 

 achieved a very complete independence in the province of Bengal. 

 Here, his arms were fortuitously, but not the less effectually, success- 

 ful, so that he had honours thrust upon him even to the Red Um- 

 brella, and its attendant dignities, f whatever the exact measure of 

 these may have been. Under such triumphant coincidences, it is 

 possible that the universal favourite, the still loyal heir-apparent, 

 may have placed his own name on the coinage, without designed 

 offence, especially as at this time Moslem Mints were only beginning 

 to adapt themselves to their early naturalization on Indian soil, and 

 when the conqueror's camps carried with them the simple machinery, 

 and equally ready adepts, for converting bullion plunder on the instant 

 into the official money of a general, or his liege sovereign. Altamsh's 



* Pathan Sultans of Dehli, coin No. 33, p. 22. 



f His title is usually limited by Minhaj-ul-Siraj to i£lU pp. 177, 181, 201 ; 

 but on one occasion ^IkL* crops out incidentally in the Court list where, in 

 his place among the sons of the Emperor Altamsh, he is so designated, p. 178. 



