2GS 
H. Blochmann —Geography and History of Bengal. 
[No. 3, 
XI. Shamsuddi'n Abul Muja'hid Ahmad Sha'h. 
Marsden (Numismata, PI. xxxyii, No. dcclxxiy) has published a silver 
coin of this king, whom the histories call the son of Muhammad Shah. The 
coin hears the clear date 836 A.H. (1432-33, A.D.), and differs from 
the preceeding Bengal coins by having the Kalimah on one side.* The 
Tabaqat merely states that he reigned for sixteenf years, and died in 830 
A. H., whilst Firishtah adds that he was a good and liberal king. The 
Riyaz gives him a different character. 4 As Ahmad Shall was of rough 
disposition, tyrannical, and blood thirsty, he shed the blood of innocent people, 
and tore open the bodies of pregnant women. When his cruelty had risen 
high, and great and small were in despair, Shadi Khan and Na^ir Khan, 
two of his slaves, whom he had raised to the rank of Amirs, made a 
conspiracy and killed him. This took place in 830, after Ahmad Shah had 
reigned sixteen, or, as some say, eighteen, years.’ 
4 Shadi Khan now desired to get rid of Na£ir Khan ; hut Nagir Khan 
outwitted him, killed him, and issued orders as king. The Amirs and 
Maliks, however, refused to obey him, and murdered him, after seven days, 
or, as some say, after twelve hours.’ 
With Ahmad Shah ends the dynasty of Rajah Kans. Taking the year 
817, the beginning of Muhammad Shah’s reign, as a well attested starting 
point, and assuming the duration of each reign as given in the histories to 
be correct, we would get— 
Duration of reign. Ascertained dates. 
flSyazid^Shah) } 817 — 7 ’ 0r 810 to 817 - Coius of 812 and 816 ' 
Muhammad Shah, 817 -f 17, or 817 to 834. Coins of 818, 821, 823, 831. 
Ahmad Shah, 834 + 16, or 834 to 850. Coin of 836. 
Now above we saw that the last ascertained year for Hamzah Shah’s 
reign is 804. If we then allow, on the ’testimony of all histories, above 
three years to Shamsuddin, son of Saifuddin, we would be brought to the 
year 808, the commencement of the usurpation of Rajah Kans, and the 
reckoning, according to the data which we at present possess, is on the 
whole satisfactory. 
The length of Ahmad Shah’s reign only is open to doubt; for if his 
reign be extended to 850, we are forced to assume that for the greater part 
of his rule he was vigorously and successfully opposed by Nayimddin Mah¬ 
mud, whose coinage, as will be seen from the following, goes back at least 
to 846 A. H. 
* The reading of the obverse is— 
f Stewart has eighteen. 
