Item number: A1482

Year: AD 1386 (AH 788)

Material: Gold

Size: 23.4 x 19.6 mm

Weight: 5.76 g

Manufactured by: Alexandria Mint

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This is an Ashrafi gold coin minted in AH 788 (AD 1386) by Barquq, the founder of the Burji dynasty of Egypt.

This gold coin is oval-shaped with a flat top. The obverse side features five lines of Arabic inscriptions, arranged from top to bottom as follows: “ضرب سكندرية سنة ثمان” (Minted in Alexandria in the year Eight), “السلطان الملك الظاهر” (The Sultan, King Al-Zahir), “سيف الدنيا والدين بو سعيد برقوق” (Sayf al-Dunya wa al-Din Abu Sa’id Barquq), “خلد الله سلطانه” (May God preserve his eternal sovereignty), and the Hijri year “وثمانين سبعمايه” (788). At the top of the penultimate line, the inscription “سلطانه” (sovereignty) is accompanied by a fishhook-shaped mintmark representing the Alexandria mint.

The reverse side of the coin features four lines of inscriptions. The first two lines contain the Shahada, a declaration of faith common in the Muslim world: “لا اله الا الله” (There is no deity but Allah) and “محمد رسول الله” (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). The latter half is a verse excerpted from the Qur’an (9:33): “وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ” (That He may make it prevail over all religions, even though those who associate others with Allah dislike it).

The Burji dynasty, part of Egypt’s historical “Mamluk” period, was established by Circassian mercenaries from the Caucasus region. The term “Mamluk” originates from the Abbasid period and refers to Turkic-speaking mercenaries from Central Asia. A hallmark of the Burji dynasty was its short-lived reigns and frequent coups.

Barquq, the founder of the Burji dynasty, was of Circassian origin from the Caucasus region. As a child, he was captured and sold into slavery, eventually being trafficked from Crimea to Egypt. At that time, Egypt was under the rule of the Bahri dynasty, whose rulers were of Kipchak Turkic origin. Barquq rose through the ranks of the military, gaining increasing power through his achievements, and ultimately deposed the last Sultan of the Bahri dynasty in AD 1382 to establish himself as ruler.

Upon ascending to the throne, Barquq sought to consolidate his authority by sponsoring the construction of mosques and marketplaces in the capital city of Cairo, thereby winning popular support. However, in AD 1389, Barquq faced rebellion from the governors of Malatya and Aleppo, who sought to restore the Bahri royal lineage. During the suppression of the uprising, Barquq was captured and imprisoned in the Citadel of Karak, located in present-day Jordan. Nevertheless, his loyal supporters ultimately defeated the rebel forces, and in February AD 1390, Barquq returned to Cairo to resume his reign.

During his second reign, Barquq strengthened his family’s influence over the administration. In AD 1393, to counter the threat posed by Timur’s invasion of Syria, Barquq formed an alliance with his northern neighbour, the Ottoman Turks. Barquq passed away in June AD 1399 and was buried in the Khanqah of Faraj ibn Barquq, located north of Cairo.

物件編號: A1482

年代: 公元 1386 年 (回曆 788 年)

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 23.4 x 19.6 mm

重量: 5.76 g

製造地: 亞歷山卓鑄幣廠

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這是一枚回曆788年(公元1386年)，埃及布爾吉王朝的開創者巴庫克鑄造的阿什拉菲金幣。

這枚金幣外觀為頂部平坦的橢圓形。錢幣正面有五行阿拉伯銘文，從上而下分別是：「ضرب سكندرية سنة ثمان」(鑄造於亞歷山卓)、「السلطان الملك الظاهر 」(蘇丹國王札希爾)、「سيف الدنيا والدين بو سعيد برقوق」(賽義夫·杜尼亞·瓦爾丁·布·賽義德·巴庫克)、「خلد الله سلطانه」(願真主保佑他的權柄永存) 和回曆年份「وثمانين سبعمايه」(788)。倒數第二行的「سلطانه」銘文頂端有一個亞歷山卓鑄幣廠的魚鉤戳記。

錢幣背面有四行銘文，前兩段是流行於穆斯林世界的清真言「لا اله الا الله」和「محمد رسول الله」即「萬物非主，唯有真主，穆罕默德是真主的使者」。後半段則摘錄自《古蘭經9:33》，「وَدِيۡنِ الۡحَـقِّ لِيُظۡهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيۡنِ كُلِّهٖۙ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ الۡمُشۡرِكُوۡنَ」(以便他使真教勝過一切宗教，即使以物配主者不願意)。

布爾吉王朝是埃及歷史上稱作「馬木路克」的統治時期，馬木路克一詞源自阿拔斯帝國時期來自中亞的突厥語系雇傭兵，布爾吉王朝正是來自高加索地區的切爾克斯雇傭兵建立的政權。短命統治和頻繁政變是布爾吉王朝的一大特色。

王朝開創者巴庫克出身於高加索地區的切爾克斯部落，於幼時遭到俘虜作為奴隸輾轉從克里米亞被販賣至埃及，彼時埃及由出身欽察突厥部落的巴赫里王朝統治。巴庫克藉由軍功一步步掌握更多的權力，最終在公元1382年罷黜巴赫里王朝的末代蘇丹自立為王。

巴庫克上任之後，於首都開羅贊助清真寺和市集等公共建設以攏絡人心。然而公元1389年，巴庫克面對擁立巴赫里王室的馬拉提亞和阿勒坡兩地的總督叛亂。巴庫克在平叛的過程中遭到俘虜，被軟禁於今日約旦境內的卡拉克城堡。但是巴庫克的支持者最後擊敗叛軍，公元1390年2月，巴庫克返回開羅繼續自己的統治。

巴庫克在第二次統治期間，強化家族對於政權的影響力。公元1393年，為抵抗入侵敘利亞的帖木兒，巴庫克和北鄰的鄂圖曼土耳其相互結盟。公元1399年6月，巴庫克病逝葬於開羅北邊的法拉吉·伊本·巴庫克汗卡公墓。