1 Rupee - Shah Alam II

Buriya was a small Sikh chieftainship in the Ambala district of the Punjab, and its issues struck in the name of Shah Alam II represent a common fiction of late Mughal numismatics — the emperor's name lending theoretical legitimacy to coins over which he had absolutely no control. By 1791, Shah Alam II had been blinded by Ghulam Qadir, was effectively a prisoner in his own court at Delhi, and commanded no real authority beyond the Red Fort walls. Local chiefs across northern India continued striking in his name regardless, partly from convention, partly because Mughal-format silver still commanded market confidence.