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Dirham - 'Ala al-din Muhammad 'Muhammad II of Khwarezm'
| Issuer | Khwarezmian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1200-1220 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by Arabic calligraphic inscriptions arranged in horizontal bands, with the primary legend proclaiming the ruling title and name of 'Ala al-Din Muhammad II, Shah of Khwarezm. The inscriptions are enclosed within a beaded inner border, with further marginal Arabic text running along the outer zone. Characteristic of Khwarezmian hammered silver coinage, the flan is irregular and the legends exhibit the bold, angular Kufic-influenced script typical of the early 13th-century eastern Islamic world. The die work is relatively crude, with areas of weak strike evident due to the hand-hammered production technique. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (1200-1220) |
| Additional information |
Muhammad II's dirhams were struck across a sprawling network of mints at the height of Khwarezmian expansion, when his empire stretched from the Caspian to the borders of the Delhi Sultanate. The sheer geographic breadth makes mint attribution on individual pieces genuinely difficult — the same type was produced in Samarkand, Gurganj, Nishapur, and elsewhere simultaneously.
The entire monetary output of his reign was effectively rendered obsolete by 1221. Genghis Khan's campaign dismantled the empire with such speed that Muhammad II died in flight on a Caspian island, having never mounted a coherent defense.