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Moghul Empire – Farrukh Siyar – Lāhore (dār al-sulṭānat) Mint, Gold

Photo from Baldwin, September 2006

Actual Weight (g)

Actual Diameter (mm)

Composition

Gold

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	Denomination	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
	5861.	390.20	Mohur	1127	4
	5861c.		”	1128	5
	5861e.		”	1129	5
	5861g.		”	1130	7
	5862.		”	1131	7
	5863.		”	1131	8

Photo from Bhandare. Lahore - Mohur of Farrukhsiyar, AH1130/RY7. Obverse legend arrangement with ruler's name in the top line; 'Shah' and 'Fazl' as dividers.

Moghul Empire – Farrukh Siyar – Lāhore Mint, Silver

Photo from Zeno database. Posted by hmk

	Rupee	Half Rupee
Actual Weight (g)
Actual Diameter (mm)
Composition	Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	Denomination	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
FS	√ 5864.	377.43	Rupee	1125	1	Ste		C
FS	√ 5864c.		”	1125	2	Ste
FS	5864e.		”	1126	2
FS	√ 5865.		”	1126	3	Ste	See Zeno database
FS	5865c.		”	1127	3
FS	√ 5866.		”	1127	4	Ste
FS	5866c.		”	1128	4
FS	√ 5867.		”	1128	5	Ste
FS	5868.		”	1129	5
FS	5868c.		”	1129	6
FS	√ 5869.		”	1130	6	Ste
FS	√ 5869c.		”	1130	7	Ste
FS	5869e.		”	1131	7
FS	5870.		”	1131	8
FS	5870c.	375.8	Half Rupee	xxxx	6			RR

Photo from Bhandare. 1129/5. Ruler’s name at top

Photo from Bhandare. Ruler’s name in middle

1129/6. Photo from Victor Newey

Photo from Adv Shailesh P Jain. NB different marks

Moghul Empire – Farrukh Siyar – Lāhore Mint, Silver

Actual Weight (g)

Actual Diameter (mm)

Composition

Silver

Catalogue

Cat No.	Photo Link	KM	Denomination	AH	RY	Provenance	Comments	Rarity
	5871.	378.1	Legal Dirham	1129	6			RRR

Photo from Bhandare. Lahore - a "Dirham Shara'ee" or 'Legal Dirham', struck in the reign of Farrukhsiyar, AH1129/RY6, 3.09 gm.
(ANS, New York)

Under Islamic Law, the Jizya جزية is a per capita tax levied on a section of the non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state. The tax is to be levied on able-bodied adult males of military age (but with specific exemptions). Jizya was a material proof of the non-Muslims' acceptance of subjection to the state and its laws. In return, non-Muslim subjects are permitted to practice their faith, to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy, to be entitled to the Muslim state's protection from outside aggression, and to be exempted from military servuce and from the ‘Zakat’ tax levied upon Muslim citizens.

The Arabic term jizya appears in 29th verse of the 9th Chapter named ‘al-Tawbah’ or “repentance” (Qura’an 9:29) –

“Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.”

Persons who paid the tax were divided into three classes – the Poor, the Middle Classes and the Rich. The rates were 12, 24 and 48 Dirhams respectively. But as there was no Dirham current in India, un-coined silver was to be taken – from the first class (the Poors) 3 Tolchas 1 4/5 Masha, double that from the next class and four times that from the Rich. If Rupees were collected they were received in equal weights to the corresponding amount of silver specified. Collection was made from the Rich in four instalments per year, from the Middle Classes in two and from the Poor once a year. There were a range of exemptions and amendments prescribed for various situations.

Special coins called ‘Dirham Shara’ee’ were struck to alleviate this complication brought about by the non-prevalence of the Dirham in India. As this coin weighs around 3 gm, it is roughly equal to about 3 Annas 8 pies. Going by the prescribed amounts, the tax for the Poor will be 2 Rupees 12 Annas, for the Middle Classes 5 Rupees 8 Annas and for the Rich 11 Rupees per annuum. This amount is actually lesser than the amount they would pay if they paid the tax as un-coined silver.

The tax was abolished by Akbar but revived by Aurangzeb in his 22nd RY, AH1090 (12 April 1679). It was again abolished by Farrukhsiyar in his first RY. However, in his 6th RY he was forced to revive it under the influence of Inayat-ullah Khan, the former ‘Diwan-i-Khalisa’ and a powerful courtier. He had served under Aurangzeb and emulated him as an ideal ruler. He was a hardliner and had earlier been sent off on a pilgrimage to Mecca for his insouciance. Upon his return he managed to gain a re-entry in Farrukhsiyar’s court to his old office as well as being appointed the governor of Kashmir. His re-emergence was facilitated to serve as a check for the ambitions of the Sayyid Brothers, particularly Qutb ul-Mulk.

The re-introduction of the Jizya was not at all a popular move, particularly for Hindu heavyweights of the court like Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh. But in a letter dated 3 April 1717 to Jai Singh, Farrukhsiyar lamented on his own weakness against the power of Inayat-ullah and his inability to go against his minister’s decision to impose the Jizya.

Farrukhsiyar was finally eliminated by the Sayyid brothers, who after various machinations met their own nemesis at the hands of Muhammad Shah. At the beginning of Muhammad Shah’s reign, the Jizya was abolished. But it did make a brief and final reappearance in 1725 before sinking into History’s oblivion.