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1 Tanka - Ala al Din Husain Shah
| Issuer | Sultanate of Bengal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1493-1518 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Reverse description | Entirely epigraphic reverse, struck in bold Naskh-style Arabic script arranged in multiple horizontal registers across the irregularly shaped hammered flan. The legend bears the continuation of the royal titulature identifying the ruler as Husain Shah al-Sultan, along with the nisba 'Sayyid Ashraf al-Husayni', and the pious invocation 'khallada Allahu mulkahu wa sultanahu' (may God perpetuate his reign and sovereignty). The script fills the entire field in the established tradition of Bengal Sultanate silver coinage, with characteristic bold calligraphic strokes and visible flan irregularities from the hammering process. |
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| Reverse lettering | حسين شاه السلطان خلد سيد اشرف الحسيني خلد الله ملكه وسلطانه |
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| Additional information |
Ala al-Din Husain Shah ruled Bengal for an unusually long stretch by sultanate standards — over two decades — and is regarded by Bengali historians as one of the most capable rulers the region produced before Mughal absorption. He expanded the sultanate to its greatest territorial extent, briefly controlling parts of Assam and Orissa, and his court became a notable center of Bengali literary production. The silver tanka series issued across his reign shows considerable variation in die workmanship, reflecting output from multiple minting centers operating simultaneously.