Kalaburagi: Kalaburagi-based artist and researcher Rehaman Patel once again has come up with a startling research documentary related to Bahmani Empire. Patel was delighted to announce the discovery of the Silver 1/2 tanka coin from a hitherto unknown ruler (coin minting perspective) from the Bahmani Sultanate. The coin is 1/2 tanka of Hasan Khan, son of Firoz Shah Bahmani.
Noted numismatic researcher Shailen Bhandare Guruji identified the coin and described its historical and numismatic importance on his social media page. He said that the current owner of the coin allowed him to publish it for knowledge sharing among the numismatic fraternity.
Patel started digging the source when he got information about the coin.
According to the contemporary historians record in the History of Medieval Deccan (1295-1724) edited by Prof. H. K. Sherwani and Dr. P. M. Joshi mentioned that in AH818/AD1416, eight Sultan Firoz Shah, the last Bahmani ruler of Gulbarga appointed his son Hasan Khan as the Crown Prince and conferred on him all the emblems of Royalty and entitled him as Hasan Shah and made all who were of any account to pay him homage.
This coin proves that Hasan Shah was also conferred the right to strike coins in his name. Known history and all major catalogues show that after Firoz Shah his brother Ahmed minted the coins and there is no record of Hasan Shah, son of Firoz Shah minting coins. This unique coin is of great historical significance as it proves that Hasan Shah did issue coins and needs to be noted as ruler/co-ruler in the Bahmani Annals. Further, it is believed that the coin is perfectly struck with deep impressions, it is quite likely it was struck as nazrana (memento) on the occasion of the enthronement of Hasan Khan as Crown Prince and entitlement as Hasan Shah. The fact that this specimen is hitherto unique indicates that only a few were issued and there were presumably no further coins struck in the name of Hasan.
The description of the coin is as follows. A silver coin weighing 5.40 grams corresponding to Bahmani half tanka has a deep bold strike with razor-sharp legends and is in immaculate condition. In obverse Hasan Shah bin Firoz Shah and in reverse: Daulat wa Deen Ra Panah is etched. The legend is a couplet meaning “Shelter Religion and Government” is an invocation (vinanti) to “Hasan Shah bin Firoz Shah.”
After hearing this exciting news Hasan Shah’s tomb was visited. However, several tombs of Bahmani kings are located in the Haft Gumbaz complex and one tomb is found unnamed. Artist and historical monument activist Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel says this structure could be Hasan Shah’s tomb. The style and features of the building are similar to his father Firoz Shah’s tomb. So, the Archaeological Survey of India should take further studies in this regard to identify his tomb.
