Kaukab-i-Tali – The Adventures Of Emperor Jahangir’s Great Golden Coin

What is the News?

The Centre renewing its efforts to trace two special coins minted during the Mughal period.

About the two special coins

One of them weighing about 12 kg is the biggest and heaviest gold coin ever minted in the world, and it was minted during the reign of Emperor Jahangir, who referred to it as Kaukab-i-Tali. The other one weighing a kilo belonged to Emperor Shahjahan.

Kaukab-i-Tali was 20. 3 cm in diameter, weighed 11,935.8 grams, and was minted in Agra. The coin is also inscribed with the Persian script in different calligraphic styles.

Both of these were last seen with the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The last century saw the 12-kg coin being inherited by Mukarram Jah, the titular Nizam VIII of Hyderabad. It was last seen in a bank in Europe in 1987.

It made news at that time because Mukarram Jah was trying to sell it along with the 1-kg coin at a Swiss auction. Its valuation then was $16 million.

About the Kaukab-i-Tali’s journey from the reign of Emperor Jahangir to Persia

The metrology of coins of Jahangir’s reign shows that in the early 17th century, gigantic coins and zodiacal coins had started to be minted. Such gigantic pieces were also mentioned by foreign travellers like the Venetian Niccolao Manucci and the English Captain Hawkins in their travelogues.

Manucci wrote that such coins were not currency; rather the Mughal emperors gave them as presents to ambassadors and special guests, and they appear to have been significant valuables in their collection.

Jahangir in his autobiography, Tuzuk-i- Jahangiri, tells that a gold mohur weighing 1,000 tolas which he presented to Yadgar Ali, the ambassador of the Shah of Iran on the emperor’s eighth regnal year. This equates to April 10, 1612.

About the Kaukab-i-Tali’s journey from the reign of Emperor Jahangir to Hyderabad

According to the Ishwardas Nagaur’s Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri, when Bijapur was being captured, Emperor Aurangzeb arranged to send relief to the soldiers. Under the escort of Ghaziuddin Khan Bahadur, Ranmast Khan, Amanullah Khan and others the relief reached the camp of Prince Muhammad Azam.

In gratitude, Aurangzeb presented the 1,000-tola gigantic gold coin to Ghaziuddin Khan Feroz Jung I from whom it passed down to his son Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I.

The coin remained in the possession of the Asaf Jahis until Independence.

What is the issue?

The historical details suggest that one coin weighing 1,000 tolas found its way to Persia and another coin of the same weight remained with the Asaf Jahis in Hyderabad. Even when it comes to the big gold coin of Jahangir that was stationed in Hyderabad, nobody knows what has happened to that.

Source: The post is based on the article “The Adventures Of Emperor Jahangir’s Great Golden Coin” published in “Times of India” on 29^th June 2022.