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Tanka - Abu Sa'id Gurkan
| Issuer | Timurid Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1451-1469 |
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| Currency | Tanka (1370-1507) |
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| Obverse description | Hammered silver tanka with an irregularly shaped flan bearing a multi-line Arabic legend in bold, raised Naskh script filling the entire field. The inscription reads 'Al-Sultan Abu Sa'id Bahadur' distributed across several lines, asserting the ruler's full royal titulature. The lettering is deeply struck with characteristic Timurid calligraphic refinement, displaying interlocking strokes and high relief. A marginal legend, partially visible due to the irregular flan, encircles the central inscription. The flat, unadorned field emphasizes the epigraphic character typical of Timurid coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | السلطان ابوسعید بهادر (Translation: The Sultan Abu Sa`id Bahadur) |
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| Additional information |
Abu Sa'id Gurkan reunited much of the fractured Timurid realm by force after a prolonged succession struggle following the death of Ulugh Beg, consolidating control over Transoxiana and Khorasan through a series of campaigns across the 1450s. The "Gurkan" epithet — a Mongolized form of "son-in-law," denoting legitimate descent from Genghis Khan through marriage lineage — was a deliberate political claim, not a title casually adopted. His reign ended at the Battle of Qarabagh in 1469, where he was captured and executed by the Aq Qoyunlu under Uzun Hasan, closing one of the more capable Timurid sultanates.