Item number: A2044

Year: AD 850-918

Material: Silver

Size: 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 0.4 g

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2015

This is a low-denomination damma silver coin, dated approximately between AD 850 and AD 918, minted by Asad, then governor of Multan—an important outpost of the Abbasid Caliphate on the Indian subcontinent. The coin was struck using traditional South Asian minting techniques and is notably lightweight, weighing only 0.4 grams.

The damma silver coins issued by the governors of Multan and later by the Emirate of Multan represent the earliest examples of Islamic-style coinage on the Indian subcontinent. These coins uniquely combine Islamic iconography with traditional Indian minting aesthetics.

The obverse typically features a central triangular motif formed by three pellets, with a stylised Brāhmī inscription “शी” positioned along the upper edge—a Hindu royal epithet meaning “Great King.” Flanking the triangular motif are additional Brāhmī characters used decoratively, while the lower portion bears Arabic inscriptions indicating the name of God, Allah, and the governor’s name, Asad.

The reverse side of the coin is encircled by a ring of pellets and contains two lines of Brāhmī script at the centre, which denote the governor’s title, “Lord Great Paraha.”

Prior to the Arab invasions of the 7th century, Multan was a significant centre of Buddhist worship on the Indian subcontinent. During the Tang dynasty, the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Tang Sanzang) visited the city on his pilgrimage to India and recorded that its temples were lavishly adorned with gold. Following the 7th-century conquest of Multan by the Umayyad Caliphate, which brought Islam to the region, the city’s wealth—particularly its abundance of gold—left a strong impression on the new rulers. Multan subsequently emerged as a key frontier outpost for Islamic expansion into the Indian subcontinent.

物件編號: A2044

年代: 公元 850-918 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.7 mm

重量: 0.4 g

來源: 大城郵幣社 2015

這是一枚大致落在公元850至918年之際，阿拔斯帝國位於南亞次大陸的重要前哨，坐落於今巴基斯坦境內的時任木爾坦總督阿賽德，以南亞次大陸傳統的敲製工法鑄造的達瑪小面額銀幣。錢幣的重量十分輕薄，僅有0.4克。

木爾坦總督和後續的木爾坦酋長國鑄造的達瑪銀幣，是南亞次大陸最早的伊斯蘭風格錢幣，並且同時保留印度傳統的鑄幣風格。錢幣的正面通常在正中央有三粒珠點組成的三角形，上緣則有一個經過設計的婆羅米文字「शी」，即印度教賦予統治者的頭銜「大王」。三角形的左右兩側同樣以波羅米文裝飾，下方則改以阿拉伯銘文標示「阿拉」和總督的名諱「阿賽德」。錢幣背面則有環繞的珠圈，正中央有兩行波羅米銘文，內容是總督的頭銜「帕拉哈大王」。

木爾坦在公元7世紀阿拉伯人入侵以前，是南亞次大陸重要的佛教信仰中心。唐朝之際唐三藏前往印度取經時曾經拜訪，並且留下當地的寺廟以大量的黃金裝飾的紀錄。當公元7世紀，信奉伊斯蘭教的伍麥亞帝國征服木爾坦後，也對於當地豐富的黃金留下深刻的印象，並且逐漸成為伊斯蘭政權向南亞次大陸展開征服的重要前哨基地。