Medieval Indian Coinage (Sultanate Tanka, Mughal Rupee and Mohur)
Medieval History › Medieval Economy & Trade · Topic 8.6
Sultanate coinage rested on the silver tanka and copper dirham, with the jital at 48 to a tanka; Muhammad Tughlaq's bronze token currency failed because it was forged and was withdrawn. Sher Shah struck fine gold, silver and copper coins and a silver rupee that became the standard for centuries, which the Mughals minted in high purity at mints across the empire, alongside the gold mohur.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Medieval Economy & Trade
At a Glance
- Sultanate Silver tanka, copper dirham, jital (48 to a tanka)
- Experiment Tughlaq’s bronze token currency
- Sher Shah Gold, silver and copper coins; silver rupee
- Mughal Pure silver rupee, gold mohur
- Mint rule Silver coined on payment of batta
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Medieval Economy & Trade
Where Does It Fit?
This is the last topic of the category on medieval economy and trade. The previous topic described eighteenth-century trends, and this one closes the category with the money of the period. The next category covers medieval art, architecture and literature, beginning with architecture. Previous topic: Jagirdari crisis and heavy revenue demand Shock Nadir Shah, 1739 Strength Bengal, Gujarat, Coromandel trade Exports Calicoes: 9½…">Trends in India’s Economy During the First Half of the 18th Century. The earlier coinage is in Indo-Greeks Gold Kushan dinars Deccan Satavahana lead and potin…">Money Economy and Coinage in Early India.
What Money Was Used in the Sultanate?
In short: the Sultanate built a currency on the silver tanka and copper coins, and food prices were reckoned in jitals.
With the consolidation of the Delhi Sultanate and a sound currency based on the silver tanka and the copper dirham, trade grew. The Arabs had earlier made the gold dinar and silver dirham the currency of world trade, helped by access to African gold. In Alauddin Khalji’s time 48 jitals made a silver tanka, which was almost equivalent to a silver rupee, and a man of wheat (about 15 kg) cost 7½ jitals, so a citizen of Delhi could buy for a tanka about 96 kg of wheat. Artisans earned 2 or 3 jitals a day, and under Firuz a small family lived on five tankas a month, as in Towns and Town Life in Medieval India.
Why Did Tughlaq’s Token Currency Fail?
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Idea | A new one for India: a token currency, with a bronze coin to have the same value as the silver tanka, since a shortage of silver existed in the fourteenth century and Qublai Khan of China and Ghazan Khan of Iran had tried similar experiments |
| Problem | It was difficult to make traders and the common man accept it, and the government could not prevent forgery |
| Result | The new coins were greatly devalued in markets |
| End | Muhammad Tughlaq withdrew them and exchanged silver pieces for bronze; forged coins identified by tests were not exchanged and lay heaped outside the fort for years, per Barani |
| Aftermath | The government recovered quickly; Ibn Battuta in 1333 saw no harmful after-effects |
What Did Sher Shah Change?
Sher Shah struck fine coins of gold, silver and copper of a uniform standard in place of earlier debased coins of mixed metal. His silver rupee was so well executed that it remained a standard coin for centuries after him. He also tried to fix standard weights and measures across the empire. Sher Shah’s gold mohur is given as weighing 169 grains (about 10.95 g). See Sher Shah’s Administrative Reforms (Currency System, Roads, Sarais, Land Revenue Settlement).
What Is the Sequence of Coinage?
| Period | Coinage |
|---|---|
| Arab trade world | Gold dinar and silver dirham as currency of trade |
| Delhi Sultanate | Silver tanka, copper dirham and jital |
| Muhammad Tughlaq | Bronze token coin, later withdrawn |
| Sher Shah (1540 to 1545) | Uniform gold, silver and copper coins; silver rupee; gold mohur |
| Mughals | High-purity silver rupee, gold mohur, open mints with batta |
How Did the Mughals Run the Coinage?
The Mughals minted silver rupees of high purity from mints scattered across the empire. Any trader could take silver to the royal mint and have coins in exchange on paying a batta, a discount, so coinage was open and the Mughal rupee became a standard coin in India and abroad, which helped trade. The gold mohur was struck alongside; it was usually worth about fifteen silver rupees as a general rule across periods. Akbar issued a falcon mohur at Asir, dated in the Ilahi era, to mark the capture of Asirgarh in 1601. The state paid its standing army and many officials in cash and assessed land revenue in cash, which monetised the economy, as shown in The Mughal State’s Relationship with Commerce.
As an analytical point, the medieval Indian currency story runs from experiments to standardisation: Tughlaq’s failure showed that people trusted metal value, and Sher Shah and the Mughals succeeded by giving them pure silver. The inflow of silver through trade supported this, as in Overseas Trade and the Role of European Trading Companies.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Terms asked Tanka, jital, batta, mohur
- Experiments Token currency lessons
- Continuity Sher Shah’s rupee to the Mughals
What Came Next?
The next category covers medieval art, architecture and literature, beginning with architecture. Next topic: Medieval Indian Architecture (Indo-Islamic Styles, Mughal Gardens).
Key People and Terms
- Tanka Silver coin
- Jital Small coin, 48 to a tanka
- Token currency Coin valued above its metal
- Rupee Standard silver coin
- Mohur Gold coin
- Batta Mint discount
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- 48 jitals = 1 silver tanka.
- Bronze token coin matched the tanka.
- Sher Shah’s silver rupee lasted centuries.
- Mughals took silver to the mint for a batta.
- Akbar’s falcon mohur struck at Asir.
Do Not Confuse With
- Tanka and dinar Sultanate silver coin versus Arab gold coin
- Mohur and rupee Gold coin versus silver coin
- Token currency and debased coins Fiat bronze coin versus mixed-metal coins
Memory Hook
Tanka and jital, bronze that failed, Sher Shah’s rupee, Mughal mint open to all.
Mains Angle
Questions on coinage ask for experiments and standardisation. These points add depth.
- Experiment Token currency
- Standardisation Sher Shah’s rupee
- System Mughal mints and batta
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Trace the development of coinage in medieval India from the Sultanate to the Mughals.”
How to Answer
- Sultanate Tanka, jital.
- Experiment Token currency.
- Sher Shah Uniform coins, rupee.
- Mughals Pure rupee and mohur.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the tanka?
The tanka was the silver coin of the Delhi Sultanate, almost equivalent to a silver rupee, with 48 jitals making one tanka. Together with the copper dirham it formed the base of the Sultanate currency system.
Why did Muhammad Tughlaq's token currency fail?
Muhammad Tughlaq issued bronze coins to be valued like the silver tanka, but people were slow to accept them and the government could not prevent forgery, so they were devalued and he withdrew them, exchanging silver for bronze.
What was Sher Shah's contribution to coinage?
Sher Shah replaced debased mixed-metal coins with fine gold, silver and copper coins of uniform standard. His well-executed silver rupee remained a standard coin for centuries and he tried to fix standard weights and measures.
How did the Mughal mints work?
Silver rupees of high purity were minted at mints across the empire, and any trader could bring silver to the royal mint and receive coins on paying a batta, a discount, which made the rupee a standard coin abroad too.
What was the Mughal mohur?
The mohur was a gold coin, introduced by Sher Shah and later struck by the Mughals. It was usually worth about fifteen silver rupees as a general figure, and Akbar issued a falcon mohur at Asir in 1601.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 48 jitals made one silver tanka.
A tanka was almost equal to a rupee.
2 Muhammad Tughlaq's token currency was in bronze.
It failed because of forgery.
3 Sher Shah's silver rupee remained a standard coin for centuries.
He also issued gold and copper coins.
4 Mughal traders were forbidden from bringing silver to the mint.
They could, on paying batta.
Related Topics
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