INDIA, Mughal Empire. Suleiman Mirza, Sub-king in Badakhshan.1529-1584.
AV 1/8 Ashrafi or 1/20 Mohur (0.51 g, 6h). Dated AH 963 (1555/6 AD). The Kalima in three lines / Titles of Suleiman and AH
date. Cf. Album 2464 (1/4 Ashrafi of Mughal Emperor Humayun). VF, weak strike. Rare, and unpublished in the standard references.
($1500)
The Mirzas were a sub-clan of the Timurids who that conquered northern India and established the Mughal empire.
Most of the fractional gold of Badakhshan bore the names of the Mughal rulers, Babar, Humayan, and Akbar. The gold denomination
is normally quoted as a 1/4 ashrafi of circa 1.10 grams. This smaller denomination appears to be unpublished.
INTRO
FOR MUGHAL SECTION:
The Islamic Mughal Empire was founded in 1526 by the Mongol leader Babar, the great-great-grandson
of Timur (Tamerlane), following his defeat of Ibrahim Lodi, the last sultan of Delhi. Although relatively modest in size under
its first two rulers, from the time of Akbar the empire underwent a period of expansion, eventually including much of Afghanistan,
Baluchistan, and portions of the Indian subcontinent. The empire reached its greatest extent under Aurangzeb, after whom it
experienced a slow and steady decline. Greatly weakened after its defeats by Persian armies under Nadir and Ahmad Shah in
the 1700s, the Empire was slowly consumed by the British, who finally dissolved it in 1857.
The following list is a
partial genealogy of the emperors, their relatives, and usurpers, emphasizing those who struck coinage. The emperors are indicated
by Latin numerals, and the names in brackets have no known coins.
1. Zahir-al-Din Babar (1525-1530)- great-great-grandson
of Timur 2. Nasir-al-Din Muhammad Humayun (1530-1556)- son of Babar 3. Jalal-al-Din Muhammad Akbar (1556-1605)- son
of Humayun 4. Nur-al-Din Muhammad Jahangir (1605-1627)- son of Akbar Dawar Bakhsh (1627)- grandson of Jahangir [Shahriyar]
(1627)- youngest son of Jahangir 5. Shihab-al-Din Muhammad Shah Jahan (1627-1658)- eldest son of Jahangir [Dara] (1657)-
first son of Shah Jahan 6. Muhayyi al-Din Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658-1707)- second son of Shah Jahan Murawwij-al-Din Muhammad
Murad Bakhsh (1658)- younger son of Shah Jahan Shah Shuja (1657-1658)- younger son of Shah Jahan 7. Mu'azzam Shah Alam
Bahadur (1707-1712)- son of Aurangzeb Azam Shah (1707)- younger son of Aurangzeb Kam Bakhsh (1707-1708) younger son
of Aurangzeb Azim-ush-Shan (1712)- older son of Shah Alam [Khujistah Akhtar]- younger son of Shah Alam [Rafi-ush-Shan]-
younger son of Shah Alam 8. Jahandar Shah (1712)- younger son of Shah Alam 9. Farrukhsiyar (1713-1719)- son of Azim-ush-Shan Rafi-ud-Darjat
(1719)- son of Rafi-ush-Shan Shah Jahan II Rafi-ud-Dawla (1719) son of Rafi-ush-Shan Muhammad Ibrahim (1720)- son of
Rafi-ud-Dawla Nikusiyar (1719)- grandson of Aurangzeb 10. Muhammad Shah (1719-1748)- son of Khujistah Akhtar 11.
Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748-1754)- son of Muhamamd Shah 12. Aziz-al-Din Alamgir II (1754-1759)- son of Jahandar Shah Jahan
III (1759-1760)- grandson of Kam Bakhsh 13. Shah Alam II (1759-1806)- son of Alamgir II Muhammad Bidar Bakht (1788)-
son of Ahmad Shah (puppet of Ghulam Qadir) 14. Muhammad Akbar II (1806-1837)- son of Shah Alam II 15. Suraj-al-Din Muhammad
Bahadur Shah II (1837-banished 1858-died 1862)- son of Muhammad Akbar II