Silver rupee, Ahalya Rai (1765-95), n/o Shah Alam II, 1771/RY15, Indore State, India

Sun facing on obverse within inscriptions, mint name / Inscriptions on reverse, naming Shah Alam, regnal year 15 (1774) and date 1185 AH = 1771 AD. Malharnagar mint. 23mm, 11.37 grams. KM 75.

High grade example, struck on a large flan. The sun-face is very crude and unusual.

The Indore State was a prominent princely state in central India ruled by the Holkar dynasty from the early eighteenth century until Indian independence. Founded by the Maratha leader Malhar Rao Holkar, the state grew into one of the most influential Maratha powers and became a key member of the Maratha Confederacy. Its capital was the city of Indore, while the rulers often maintained residences at Maheshwar. After the Maratha defeat in the early nineteenth century, Indore became a princely state under British paramountcy but retained considerable internal autonomy. The state was known for progressive administration and economic development, particularly under rulers such as Tukoji Rao Holkar II and Yashwantrao Holkar II. In 1948, following the end of British rule, Indore acceded to the newly independent Dominion of India and became part of the state of Madhya Bharat.