Silver damma of governor Asad, bilingual type with Arabic and Brahmi inscriptions, Multan, ca.712-856 AD - Ummayad or Abbasid governors of Multan, among the first Islamic coins in India!

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Three dots, stylized Brahmi "Sri" above, Brahmi letters "Ta" and "Pa" in fields, below Lillah Asad in arabic / Nagari legend Sri MaHa/Pa RaHa. 13.5mm, 0.60 grams. Unpublished and very rare.

The arabic legend gives the name of "Asad" - probably the name of the local Ummayad governor of Multan. The Brahmi legend "Sri Ma ha pa ra ha" might either name the local Hindu ruler "Mahaparaha", or might be the epiphet or Hindu name for the Governor Asad, as it translates "Lord Great Paraha". Coins of Asad are very rare, never published or listed anywhere.

These coins are derived from the earlier "Sri Tapana" pre-Islamic Multan coins we are also selling on our site. These probably have the destinction of being among the very first Islamic coins struck in India. These early Islamic types were first discovered some 10 years or so ago, and were never properly studied or published. They are often attributed to the Habbarid rulers of Sindh and Multan, but the names on these coins do not correspond to the names of the known Habbarid rulers, and these coins are probably . I am currently working on an article on these coins which will be hopefully published in this summer's issue of JONS.


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