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1 Tanka - Ghiyath al-Din A'zam
| Issuer | Bengal Sultanate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1391 |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a multi-line Arabic inscription in naskh script, occupying the central field and arranged across three registers within a decorative border. The legend reads 'Nasir al-Islam wa'l-Muslimin, Nasir Amir al-Mu'minin' (Helper of Islam and the Muslims, Helper of the Commander of the Faithful), conveying the sultan's claim to orthodox Sunni legitimacy. A circular marginal legend encircles the central cartouche, though portions are weakly struck or lost to the irregular coin edge. The calligraphy is boldly executed in the characteristic style of late 14th-century Bengal Sultanate issues, with rounded letterforms and pronounced diacritical dots. |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
Ghiyath al-Din A'zam Shah ruled Bengal from 1390 to 1410 and is remembered as one of the sultanate's more culturally ambitious rulers — he corresponded with the Persian poet Hafiz of Shiraz, who addressed at least one ghazal to him by name. His reign marked a period of relative stability after the fractious successions that had plagued the sultanate through the 1380s, and silver coinage struck in his name circulated across a Bengal economy heavily oriented toward the textile trade with the wider Islamic world.