AN OFFICIAL RECORD OF RECONCILIATION OF HINDU MUSLIM NATIONS – ATTEMPTED IN COINS ISSUED AT MAHMUDPUR (LAHORE) BY SULTANS

AN OFFICIAL RECORD OF RECONCILIATION OF HINDU MUSLIM NATIONS
ATTEMPTED IN COINS ISSUED AT MAHMUDPUR (LAHORE) BY SULTANS
Coins carry history which is normally forgotten. The city of Lahore had the name of Mahmudpur in the times of Sultan Mahmud Ghazni. A recollection of those times occur in the area to this day known as Mahmud Booti. The first coin struck here by Sultan Mahmud carried the legend:

Mahmud (998-1030) Silver dirham, bilingual type, Mahmudpur (Lahore)
Weight: 2.81 gm., Diameter: 19 mm., Die axis: 7 o’clock
Arabic legend: Shahada followed by yamin al-daula wa amin mahmud al-milla
(Mahmud guardian of the faith), al-qadir above, billah at left
Date in the margin: AH 418 (= 1027-1028 CE) /
Sanskrit legend in Sharada letters: avyaktameka muhammada avatar nripati mahamuda
(the Invisible is One, Muhammad is the manifestation, Mahmud the king) 

Mahmud Ghazni bi-lingual Lahori coin

Very soon after that Sultan Masud the son of Sultan Mahmud 1041-1050 AD started the HORSE AND BULL series, which were carried for quite some time by the other Sultans too. The Horse represented the Muslims, the Bull represented the Hindus.

Ghaznavid control largely continued in the existing administrative system. Thus Ghaznavid coins issued in North western India have bilingual legends written in Arabic and Sharda scripts . Some carry Islamic titles together with the portrayal of the Shaiva Bull, Nandiand the legend Shri samta deva. The reference in the latter remains ambiguous . A dirham struck at Lahore carries a legend in the Sharda script and a rendering in colloquial Sanskrit of the Islamic Kalima.
Ghaznavid Lahori coin Horse

A thousand years gone and except for limited times, no reconciliation took place. The Muslims were broad minded enough to be large hearted. That is why millions embraced Islam. We see the same relevance today as both nations are still at war with each other. Give peace a chance! Shanti Maharaj Shanti! Be calm seek tranquility.

Ghaznavid Lahori coin Bull

4 thoughts on “AN OFFICIAL RECORD OF RECONCILIATION OF HINDU MUSLIM NATIONS – ATTEMPTED IN COINS ISSUED AT MAHMUDPUR (LAHORE) BY SULTANS”

  1. Quaid was obviously right, we are two nations. The two nation theory is in the Quran itself. No disrespect to anybody’s religion.

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