08 
C. J. Rodgers —The Coins of Ahmad Shah AhcldlU. [No. 1, 
saved us the trouble of destroying the Mahrattas, and as they illustrate 
his movements in India so exactly, I have deemed it worthy of me as 
a numismatist to rescue the coins from oblivion and the inevitable 
melting-pot. 
Ahmad Shah was no relative of Nadir Shah. He was by birth of 
the Abdalli tribe and was probably born at Multan. The Abdalli tribe 
trace their origin to a descendant of Abraham named Qis who flourished 
in the time of Muhammad, and who embraced the doctrines of Islam. 
I do not think this the place to go further into this matter. Suffice 
it to say, that Ahmad Shah was the most trusted of all the members 
of the court of Nadir. Nadir was not happy with respect to his own 
children. During his lifetime he is said to have told Ahmad Khan that 
after his death, he would be king. 
Nadir Shah was slain by his officers on the 11th of Jamadi-ul- 
Akhir 1160 A. H. The next day Ahmad Khan defeated the conspirators, 
and possessing himself of all the treasure of his murdered master, fled 
to Kandahar. There is a story told by the historian of Ahmad Shah 
that, when Ahmad had performed two days’ journey towards Kandahar, 
a faqir named Sabir Shah with whom he had been previously inti¬ 
mate, approached him and said “Now Ahmad Shah you are indeed 
king.” Yfhen the king said that he had not yet been crowned, the 
faqir making a platform of earth led the king to it, and taking some 
grass put it on his head, saying, “ This platform is your throne and this 
grass your crown. I proclaim you king by the name of Ahmad Shah 
Durrani.” This name the king adopted instead of his former tribal 
name Abdalli. Durr is a pearl. Ahmad on some of his coins styles 
himself Durr-i-Durran the pearl of pearls. This Sabir Shah at first 
stayed with Ahmad, but being sent on a message to Lahore, he was there 
murdered. 
Arriving in Kandahar Ahmad Shah was formally crowned. He 
ordered coins to be struck bearing the following couplet: — 
jsLoo [j j! 
gL.j G y jj j 
Immediately afterwards we find him on his way through Gazni to 
Kabul which he reduced, and afterwards he obtained possession of 
Peshawar, whence he returned to Kandahar. Settling his affairs there 
and hastily collecting an army of about 12,000 horse with which he 
entered the Panjab, he was before Lahore, ere the letter containing an 
account of his invasion had reached Dehli. The Governor of Lahore 
fled, and all the arsenal fell into the conqueror’s hands. He did not 
let the grass grow under his feet. Meanwhile the worn-out Mogul 
Muhammad Shah sent his son and prime minister Qamar-ud-Din to 
