1864,] 



Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 



587 



Akbar. I am inclined to doubt if it can be entirely relied on- He gives 

 a very long list of gold and silver coins as current. On four of these 

 (the chozal, weighing 3 tolahs and 5 J ratis, Rs. 30 ; the aftabe, 1 tolah 

 2 mashas 4§ ratis, Rs. 12 ; the Illahi, 12 mashas 1^ ratis, Rs. 10 ; and 

 the Adl GutJcah, 11 mashas, Rs. 9,) — Mr. Thomas has based some 

 calculations. The rupee, Abu'l Fazl states, was first introduced by 

 Shir Shah, and maintained in his currency by Akbar, who it is stated 

 raised the standard, a statement which experiment will bear out. The 

 currency of the Mohammadan Sovereigns of India, as a matter of 

 antiquarian research, is of considerable interest to those who are study- 

 ing this subject ; but at the present time, when the question of a gold 

 currency for India is being discussed, there is a point connected with 

 it which, if this Society could throw any light on, would be of some 

 practical importance. I allude to the value of silver expressed in gold^ 

 250 years ago. Mr. Thomas, assuming the accuracy of Abu'l Fazl's 

 statements, and on the basis of some calculations made by Colonel W* 

 Anderson, has stated the relative values of gold and silver in Akbar's 

 time to have been as 1 to 9'4. But I am unable to verify the data to 

 be found in Abu'l Fazl, and here Purchas' statement, that an ashrafi, 

 or Seraffin as he called it, was worth only Rs. 10, is of some value. 

 I find no gold coin of Akbar's existing that will fit most of the coins 

 described by Abu'l Fazl. Marsden figures 7 of Akbar's gold coins ? 

 five averaging 166J grains, and two 188 grains. Prinsep gives three, 

 one weighing 159, another 174, and the third 186 grains. Dr. 

 Shekleton, the assay master of the Calcutta Mint, who takes much 

 interest in enquiries of the kind, and who is at present engaged in 

 the preparation of some tables in continuation and amplification of 

 Prinsep's, which will be of much value, has very kindly given me the 

 weight of some thirty Shir Shahi and Akbari rupees from the rapidly 

 formed but large collection of Colonel Gruthrie, who has promised 

 & further supply of gold coins for the same purpose. In forwarding 

 the data, Dr. Shekleton says : — - I agree with you that Abu'l Fazl's 

 •coins and their par of exchange are hardly reliable : 9-4 to 1 is a 

 relative value of gold to silver which never could really have existed* 7 

 and he adds :— ' None of the silver coins are pure absolutely ; they are 

 about 16 Br., or 98.333 per cent, of pure metal. This, however is 

 termed pure by the native refiners, as their process does not admit of 



