1886.] Ghaznavia in Mdwara-uu~Nalir and part of Khurasan. 121 
Indian circulation, possibly as the Hajib of Balkatigin. In the first of 
his papers above referred to, Mr. Thomas notices the early appropriation 
by the Giaznavi monarchs of the device of the bull of Siva (hfandi), 
superscribed by the words Sri Samanta Dev, as first used on the coins 
of the Brahmanical kings of Kabul, and shows that the Ghaznavis had 
associated themselves in this way with their Indian possessions, by. the 
combination of Mahometan titles with the old Hindu designs at least 
as early as the time of M’adiid in 432 H. In the second paper he gives 
examples of very similar pieces with the names in Kufic letters of 
Mas’iid 421 H., and of Muhammad, his brother and predecessor.* In 
the coin now figured—from the Akra mounds near Edwardes-abad—the 
elephant and lion device of the Brahmanical kings has been rudely 
copied, with on the obverse the name in Kufic of Sabuktigin, and ou 
the reverse hajib, the chamberlain or commander.f The three 
rings were possibly symbols of strength and unity, or as ingeniously 
suggested by Vambery, “typical of power encircling the three zones, 
borrowed from the heraldry of ancient ’Iran,” and subsequently adopted 
as a sign mark on the coinage of Timur. Some Indian cabinets may 
very possibly possess other similar Ghazni coins. Mr. Thomas notices 
four published in the earlier Journals of this Society, on which the 
Sanskrit inscription had not been clearly made out, but having the 
special title of Sabuktigin “ Kasir-ud-din-allah ” clear in Persian. 
Such coins might reasonably be expected to be even common. 
The Muslim conquerors for many reasons would probably find it both 
politic and convenient to continue for some time the local monies of the 
various provinces, and as a matter of fact, all over India, the coinage 
of newly conquered States, more especially the copper or mixed coinage 
in current use, remained in most cases long unaltered. Pure silver and 
gold was more easily recalled and re-issued, but even with this a very 
favourite plan, particularly with the Central Asian dynasties, was 
counterstriking the coin. 
Sabuktigin ruled Ghaznin for a period of twenty years dying in 
387 H., at the age of 56, at the village of Madru-mue on the frontier 
of Balkh. His sons were Isma’il, Kasr, Mahmud, Husain, Hasan, and 
Yiisuf. Isma’il, who is always mentioned as playing a very subor- 
* A woodcut of the former is ^iven at pa^e 58 of his Pathan kings. The obverse 
having the recumbent Bull with 5^ the reverse the horseman with 
in Kufic above the horse’s head. 
t Along for comparison is given the obverse of a copper coin of similar size 
of Sri Samanta Deva. Both are rude, but thei’e is a sad falling off in the Ghaznavi 
lion, while the elephant is hardly recognizable. 
P 
