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Falus - Mu'izz al-din Muhammad bin Sam
| Issuer | Ghurid dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 1173-1206 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a two-line Arabic inscription enclosed within a square frame, itself circumscribed by a circle. Geometric and decorative motifs fill the spaces between the square and the surrounding circular border, a design characteristic of Ghurid copper coinage. The inscription reads 'Mu'izz / ud-duniya', referencing the royal epithet of the issuing sultan. The overall design reflects the angular, epigraphic style prevalent in eastern Islamic numismatic tradition of the late 12th to early 13th century. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays a two-line Arabic inscription set within a square frame circumscribed by a circle, mirroring the compositional arrangement of the obverse. Geometric ornamental devices occupy the interstices between the square cartouche and the outer circular border. The inscription reads 'wa ud / din', completing the royal epithet 'Mu'izz ud-duniya wa ud-din' (Strengthener of the world and of the faith). The style is consistent with the formulaic epigraphic coinage of the Ghurid sultans, emphasizing religious and political legitimacy. |
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| Additional information |
Mu'izz al-din Muhammad bin Sam — better known in Western historiography as Muhammad of Ghor — used his coinage program as an administrative tool during the rapid conquest of northern India, with falus issues serving exchange in territories where his silver coinage rarely penetrated. His decisive defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 opened the Gangetic plain to Ghurid control and created an urgent demand for small-denomination copper in newly administered markets. The dynasty never developed a centralized mint system; attribution of individual pieces to specific striking locations remains largely inferential.