Mughal Empire, Kam Bakhsh (AH 1119–1120 / AD 1707–1708), Haidarabad Dar-ul-Jihad Mint, Silver Rupee, AH 1120 / RY 2, “Din-e-Panah” couplet. Wt: 11.45 g, Dia: 24.09 mm. (KM # 336.5). No test marks, Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. Extremely Rare.

Obv: Persian couplet, “Sikka zad dar Dakkan bar khurshid-o-mah / Badshah Kam Bakhsh din-panah,” with the Hijri date 1120.

Rev: Persian legend, “Sanah 2 julus maimanat manus, zarb Haidarabad,” with the mint epithet “Dar-ul-Jihad” partly visible at the bottom.

Couplet translation:
“Emperor Kam Bakhsh, refuge of the faith, struck coin in the Deccan upon the sun and moon.”

Historical Note

Kam Bakhsh, the youngest son of Aurangzeb, emerged as a rival claimant to sovereignty during the succession struggle that followed his father’s death in 1707. While his elder brothers contested the imperial throne in northern India, he established his authority in the Deccan, with Bijapur and Hyderabad central to his ambitions. His independent rule ended in January 1709, when he was defeated near Hyderabad by his brother, Emperor Bahadur Shah I, and died from wounds received in battle.

This rupee is a direct expression of that short-lived claim to kingship. Its inscription names Kam Bakhsh as “Badshah” and “refuge of the faith,” while explicitly locating his authority in the Deccan. The poetic reference to striking coin upon the sun and moon projects imperial grandeur far beyond his limited territories. Dated AH 1120 / RY 2, it belongs to the final phase of his rule and preserves a tangible record of the struggle to inherit Aurangzeb’s empire.