Shāhābād Qanauj or Qanauj or Shāhgarh Mint
or 
or
Coins were issued from the Qanauj mint
by:
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Moghul
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History
See Nelson Wright
Posted on SACG, August 2006:
One point that got sort of
side-tracked in the previous discussion on these coins (and thanks Alan for
bringing it up again) is - what does 'Shahabad Qanauj' really denote? Is
'Shahabad' an alias for Qanauj, or is it the town Admiral Sahib has been talking
about - different from Qanauj? On a wider 'canvass', it will be appropriate to
ask what can we infer from such 'joint mint-names' as regards the location of
the mint? I see it in two ways:
a) The 'alias' option,
wherein the Islamic name usually precedes the original name (with or without
the 'urf' added in between) - e.g. 'Muḥammadābād
Bānāras' or 'Ja'afarabad urf Chandor' etc. In this case both the
words DO essentially indicate the same town. Sometimes the same town sports
different aliases - as we see from 'Asifabad Ujhani' and 'Abdullanagar Ujhani',
for example.
b) To reflect an
administrative hierarchy - as in case with 'Anoopnagar Shahabad', 'Azamnagar
Gokak' or 'Narsingpur Sarkar Torgal', wherein one is the name of a district
headquarter ('subah' or 'sarkar') and the other is the proper location of the
mint. Here both the words DO NOT indicate the same town. In the case of
'Shahabad Qanauj', my own conclusion will be to treat it as the first option -
'Shahabad' as an alias for Qanauj. This would mean that both words in the
mint-name indicate the SAME location - this is thus at variance with what
Admiral Sahib has been suggesting. Given the two options we have just seen re:
how the joint mint-names 'operate', the option that 'Shahabad' and 'Qanauj' as
separate towns will be valid only IF we have proof that both were related in
some administrative sense, like Qanauj was a town under a division named
'Shahabad', or vice versa. But I don't think this must have been the case
because - a> Qanauj was large enough to be the headquarters of an
administrative division on its own and b> 'Shahabad', being located across
the river must have been part of another administrative division, probably
Farrukhābād. So we have only one option to interpret the joint
mint-name, that is, to treat 'Shahabad' as an alias of Qanauj. The location of
the mint for these coins would therefore be Qanauj and not any other town named
'Shahabad', which I am sure there are plenty of in India and Pakistan.cheers
Shailen
Posted on SACG, August 2006-08-11
I never knew Shahabad would
draw so much attention.
The latest on this net that
Shahabad is "Qanauj alias Shahabad", is not new. I had that view more
than 20 years ago when I saw Whitehead's Vol II on coins of the Mughal
Emperors. But, I then changed my view on learning more about it. Some references
I have already submitted in great details. Well, everyone is entitled to think
and draw own conclusions even now, but I need to describe why I went away: not
just for nostalgic fancy ---though I may still be far off.
Whitehead said " After
969 (i.e. after Suris) the mint Qanauj does not reappear till the reign of Muḥammad
Shāh (say AH 1138 onwards) in the form of Shahabad Qanauj". This is
just under 2 centuries and that too suddenly in a reign of a completely
incompetent ruler. In those days Shahabad was power centre, as may be seen
below. It is Farukhabad that took away the limelight on west of Ganges.In about
AD 1867, Sir Henry Elliot's 'The History of India --as told by its own
historians' came and talked about both KANAUJ and SHAHABAD KANAUJ .For Kanauj
it specifically said " ....known to bevery ancient. It now lies in ruins,
and is inhabited here and there like a village. ....There were five very strong
forts which belonged to this city, of which scarcely a vestige now
remains". (Vol VIII, page 420).
Sir Henry Elliot's notes
seem to be from early 1840s because in early volumes his note says " I
speak only with reference to my own Presidency, North Western Provinces."
This gives us idea of time. These provinces were Āgra and environs of
Dehli. With Peshawar coming under the British soon after, the name North
Western Province became meaningless, and Āgra was combined with Awadh to
be called 'The United Provinces' and is even today called as such as Uttar
pradesh. North Western (Frontier) Province shifted closer to Afghanistan
border.
Sir Henry talks about
TARIKH-I-HINDI by Rustam Ali, Son of Muḥammad Khalil Shahabadi (Vol VIII,
pages 40-46). The Tarikh-i-Hindi was composed in the year AH 1154 (AD 1741-42),
the work was composed in the twenty-third year of Muḥammad Shah's reign.
It may be considered a useful compilation, as it is not copied verbatim from
known authors...."
For the TENTH YEAR of Muḥammad
Shah's reign (say AH 1141), the author says:"Muḥammad Khan Bangash
Ghazanfar Jang proceeded with an army to province of Allahābād....
Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk
was Subedar of awadh (that is east of Ganges) and " Burhan-ul-Mulk led an
army against the fort of Chachandi near SHAHABAD KANAUJ, the chief of which was
a Chandela Rajput. " Burhan ul Mulk was Subedar of Awadh.
Eleventh year talks about
settlement of Zamindari of Shahjahanpur.
Note that both governors are
operating in their own areas. Burhan-ul-Mulk would not operate in Suba
Akbarābād (Āgra). Kanauj is shown to be in ruins and like a
village --obviously would not be minting nice silver rupees.
Shahabad was the centre of
power. Note events Vol VIII page 304: " Shuja ud daula was camped at
Shahabad, having advanced to the borders of his territories on hearing of the
Marhatta attack upon Katehar" [this cannot be any other Shahabad] . ...."Hafiz
Rahmat proceeded quickly to Shahabad .... when he approached, Shujā ud
daula and General Sahib ( meaning EIC General Parker) went forth to meet him
and pay him due respect. All the chiefs of Katehar (meaning all Rohila leaders
of Rohilkhand) who were present at the Council ( at Shahabad ) besought Hafiz
Rahmat ... to give a bond to Shujā ud Daula..."
Shahabad was therefore a
headquarter whereas Kanauj was in ruins. Maps by Colonel Jean-Baptiste-
I have not seen any
contemporary wrtten document even talking about the then village of Kanauj
except describe it as an abandoned village like place. It was prosperous before
those times and probable is prosperous again. Silver coins were only issued from
mints operated by lords authorised by imperial subedars ( the federal imperial
authority being completely incompetent and impotent.) . On the other side of
the Ganges, Farrukhābād did the job (NOT QANAUJ) , though a newer
town, but duly authorized.
I reiterate that I do not
claim that I am absolutely right, but I have a view after lot of looking into
its pros and cons. I have now given my 9 reasons for my adopted position, none
of them being a supposition or a presumption, and may I close my books now,
please.
Admiral Sohail Khan