THE COINAGE OF TIBET. 19 



the year of the Soka and certain emblems allusive to the Hindoo superstition, as the 

 sun, moon, Trisool of Mahadeo, etc.'" 



The Mehnder-Mul (Mahendra Malla) referred to as having first coined silver for 

 currency in Tibet reigned in 1566 A.D. 



From the above extract it is clear that the distinctive feature of the Newar coin- 

 age minted for Tibet was that ' ' it exhibited anciently a representation of Lehassa on 

 the one side, and on the reverse the name, titles and emblems of the reigning sover- 

 eign of Khatmanda." The only symbol which can be taken as a representation of 

 Lhasa is that under the circle (Plate IV(A), figs. 1 to 7). In the earlier examples (figs. 

 1 to 5) the symbol conveys a general impression very like that of the Potala, the 

 Dalai Lama's place, a long mass of high buildings, towering high above some lower 

 buildings at its foot. This idea is kept up throughout all the earlier examples, but the 

 figure is distorted and loses its meaning in the later coins (figs. 6 and 7). 



The originally exclusive privilege of the Raja of Khatmandu to coin for Tibet, 

 mentioned by Kirkpatrick, did not long continue, but was also shared by the other 

 two Newar kingdoms of Bhatgaon and Patan. Of the coins figured on Plates IV(A) 

 and IV(B), figs. 1 and 2 are minted by kings of Patan ; figs. 3 and 4 by kings of 

 Khatmandu, and figs. 5, 6 and 7 by kings of Bhatgaon. 



The reason for the discontinuance of this coinage was, that it became so debased 

 under the later kings of Bhatgaon, that when the Gorkhas conquered the country 

 they would not continue coining coins for Tibet if they had to exchange at par with 

 the debased coins then in circulation, and the dispute over this question was made 

 the pretext of the war between Nepal and Tibet in 1768. Kirkpatrick publishes an 

 "extract from a Memorial of the Court of Khatmandu, relative to the origin of the 

 War with Tibet," which gives a full account of the dispute. I give below the portion 

 which relates to the coinage : — 



" In ancient times there subsisted a close union between the Rajahs of Nepaul 

 and Bhoat {i.e., Tibet) ; when the pure Mehnder-mulli of the coinage of the former 

 country was the current money of the latter. During the respective reigns, however, 

 of Rajah Jy Purkaush Mull, the sovereign of Nepal, and of Rajah Runjeet Mull, the 

 ruler of Bhatgong, the Mehnder-mulli became much debased, the consequence of which 

 was, that at the period Nepal passed into the possession of the Goorkha, Bhoat was 

 full of this base coin. The Maharajah {i.e., Pirthi Nerain) immediately put a stop to 

 this improper practice, sending, at the same time, a friendly deputation to Bhoat, for 

 the purpose of stating the mischievous consequences that would ensue, were it per- 

 sisted in; and of engaging the Lamas to revert to the ancient usage, by giving circu- 

 lation only to a pure currency. 



' To this representation the rulers of Bhoat replied that the amount of base 

 Mehnder-mulli then in their country was very considerable ; that the suppression of it 

 would consequently be attended with great loss to their people ; and that, therefore, 

 they could not agree to the introduction of the pure Mehnder-mulli proposed by the 



I An account of the kingdom of Nepal, being the substance of observations made during a mission to that country in the 

 year 1793, by Col. Fitzpatrick. London, William Miller, i8ti, pages 217, 218. 



