Mughals, Jahandar Shah (AH 1124 / 1712–1713 AD), Bareli Mint, Silver Rupee, AH 1124 / Ahd RY (Year 1), “Sahib-i-Qiran” couplet. Wt: 11.40 grams approx., Dia: 24 mm approx., (KM # 364.7), Mint State, MS 63, Very Rare.

Obv: Persian legend “Zad sikka bar mah chu Sahib-i-Qiran, Jahandar Shah Badshah-i-Jahan” “Jahandar Shah, emperor of the world, struck coin upon the moon like the Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction.” Hijri year 1124 within the inscription, with small floral rosettes ornamenting the fields.

Rev: Persian legend “Sanah Ahad julus maimanat manus” “The first year of the accession associated with prosperity” with “zarb Bareli” (“Struck at Bareli”) below. Flowing calligraphy and floral rosettes complete the design.

Imperial Ambition in a Brief Reign

Jahandar Shah ascended the Mughal throne in 1712, following the death of his father, Bahadur Shah I, and a struggle among the competing princes. Supported by the powerful noble Zulfiqar Khan, he secured the crown, but his reign lasted less than a year. His defeat by his nephew Farrukhsiyar near Agra in early 1713 brought his rule to an abrupt end.

The “Sahib-i-Qiran” couplet gives this rupee a particularly ambitious imperial message, invoking auspicious kingship and dominion over the world. Its confident language contrasts with the uncertainty surrounding the emperor’s short reign. Struck at Bareli, modern-day Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, and bearing Ahd, this coin preserves the first and only regnal year of his rule.

The present specimen’s MS 63 preservation, bright silver surfaces, and prominently raised calligraphy give it considerable visual appeal. Delicate floral rosettes enrich the inscriptions, creating an attractive example of the numismatic legacy of this briefly reigning emperor.