Recently, Alexander Akin published a
translation of a paper by Tao Zhifang, entitled “An examination of Yarkand
Khanate coinage”, dealing with some coins issued in southern Xinjiang after the
collapse of the eastern Chaghatayid realm and to a Yarkand khanate (1).The translation was published in the first newsletter
“as-Sikka” of the Islamic coins group and a request was included for information
on the coins presented. I am happy to provide some additional information on the so-called
type one of the Yarkand khanate coinage.
This type of coins has been firstly described and
illustrated by Hoernle at the end of the 19th century (2). He mentioned 7 copper
coins from Kashgar found by MacCartney in the Taklamakan desert in 1897. Their
weight and size ranged from 8.5 to 12.3 g and 23.9 to 30.5 mm. According to Hoernle
the reverse bears the mint name Kashgar in a square surrounded by semi-circles. These
might contain the words: zarb adl followed by an unidentified word, possibly fal(u)s.The
bottom semi-circle contains the word zarb; the right one adl; the top and left one falu/s,
respectively. The obverse contained the date in words read as AH950/AD1543.
The second reference to this type of coins was made by
Masson (3) in a paper describing a hoard of 15th century coins from the city of Osch. The
hoard contained 46 Kashgarian coins. They were dated a century earlier than done by
Hoernle i.e. AH850/AD1446.
In the frame-work of my studies on coins along the
Silk-Road, a decade ago I was generously supplied of photographs by the British
Museum Dept. of Coins and Medals. Amongst them were 4 coins as described by Hoernle.
Looking carefully at the four BM-coins the following
legends can be reconstructed:
Obverse
The obverse contains a legend consisting of 4 lines and
surrounded by a solid inner ring. On no.1 also a part of a dotted outer ring is
visible.The upper line is semi-circular and contains the words “fi el tarikh” (
). Therebelow the
second line that consists of the word
“sanat”. The third line contains the word “khamsin” as can be
distinguished most clearly on
no. 2. Most importantly, on this piece and also on
no. 4 at the fourth line the hundreds are best visible with the words “wa theman
miat“ showing clearly the three dots of the “th” above the
“m”.
Reverse
Three of the four obverse side are struck irregular or
double-struck. In the center-square of no. 2, the “K” of Kashgar is
clearly visible and above it the rest of the word.
The center-squares of Nos 1, 3 and 4
contain above the name of Kashgar another word, as a result of which Kashgar is written
differently from No. 2; “shgar” is not on top of the “K”, but left to
it. The word above Kashgar looks like the word “dangi”.
“Da” and the final “i” are clearly
visible on no. 3, whereas the hook of the “g” is best visible on no.
4. The complete center legend should be read then as “dangi of Kashgar”.
Dangi is the name of the anonymous Central asian copper coins struck by the Timurid and
Shaybanid authorities. This has been adopted apparently also by the rulers of
Kashgar. The semi-circle below the center-square contains the word “zarb”. The
legends in the remaining semi-circles has to be reconstructed by combination. The right
segment of no. 2 contains the word
“adl”; the top and left semi-circles of nos 2
and 3 contain the word
“falus; the “S” is clearly visible
in the left semi-circle of no. 3.
No. 1 has been double-struck; at the upper left a second
center-square with a clearly visible. However, there is a different positioning of the
legends. At the top “dangi” is visible; right below that the “K” and
at the bottom of this second square
“shgar” can be distinguished.
context
Numismatically, the Eastern part of the Chaghatayid realm
is inferior to the Western part with respect to the number of mints and their production
as is evidenced by our present knowledge on Chaghatayid coins, especially from the later
period. (4).
Almaligh the eastern capital, had its zenith of coin
production during the period AH650-680/AD1251-1281. From the 14th century only
silver dirhems from Yesun Timur (dated AH740/AD1340) and Muhammad (in the East) AH 744 are
known. As compared with the Qarakhanid period, during the Chaghatayid period Kashgar
played only a very modest role as a mint. There are known only a few silver pieces
with the S-tamgha from the late 14th century(AH681-91/AD12891) and a number of
copper pieces issued by Masud Khwarezmi, tentatively
dated AH650. Recently, copper coins with the S-tamgha [AH675/AD1276], some of
them overstruck on the Masud pieces, appeared on the market.
Kashgar entered apparently Islamic numismatics only
again centuries later with the issue of the pieces of Yakub (AH1290/AD1873).
Historical context
The history of the later Chaghatayid period in the East
is preserved fragmentary and mainly based on the work of the historian Muhammad Haidar
Dughlat. His work has been referred to by several western Centralasia historians like
Grousset (5) and Spuler(6) .
Whereas around 1363 the Chaghatayids in the western part
of Transoxania were succeeded by the Timurids, Timur did not succeed in
submitting the eastern part, Moghulistan, where since about 1366 the Dughlat
Emir Qamar ed-din and Chudaidad his nephew possessed the real power.
Around AD1446 the power of the former Chaghatayid realm
in Moghulistan was still contested by several factions. There was a civil war between Esen
Buqa II (1429-62) and his brother Yunus and later since 1487 between Yunus’s two sons
Ahmed and Mahmud. Although Esen Buqa II died in 1462, it lasted it until about 1472
before Yunus was master in his apinage. In his later years Yunus even reconquered some
areas on the Timurids and he died around 1486 in Tashkent. Thereafter, Moghulistan was
divided between his 2 sons. Mahmud received the western part with Tashkent as capital and
Ahmed received the eastern part.
However, in the south-western Tarim including Kashgar,
Yarkand and Khotan, the real power remained in the hands of the Dughlat clan.
Chudaidad’s grandson Sayyid Ali was for more than 20 years (1433-57) the local ruler
of Kashgar. The struggle between Yunus’s son Ahmed and the Dughlat clan about Kashgar
and Jengi Hisar lasted until 1499 and ended undecided. After Ahmed’s
execution by the Uzbegs in 1508 regional rulers like Abu Bekir Dughlat and the governor of
Hami Muzaffar Khan were practically independent till 1516 when the central authority was
restored by Said Khan. According to some sources Said was the son of Ahmed, whereas
toothers belonged to the Alacha family (7) Although around 1531 the power of the Dughlat
clan was much reduced by Said Khan and his brother Mansur, some Dughlats still
possessed mighty positions as evidenced by the historian Mohammad Haidar Dughlat who
served under Said as commander in Ladakh. Only in 1541 he left the service of
Abd-er-Rashid who succeeded his father Said in Kashgar. Only at the end of the sixteenth
century when the Chaghatayids have been restricted to Kachgaria, Yarkand is mentioned
as the capital.
Figure was from the original Hoernle paper. Seen note below.
Conclusion
When the reading of the date as AH850/AD1446 is correct,
these Kashgarian dangi were minted during the reign of Esen Buqa II (AH837-67/AD1433-62)
by the Dughlat ruler Sayyid Ali, well before the establishment of the afore-mentioned
Yarkand khanate supposed to be established in 1514. They bridge partly the large gap
in Kashgar’s numismatical history. Further identification of the
legends, especially the reverse, might be completed by the discovery of new specimens.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to Mr. J. Cribb, Dept. of coins
and medals, British Museum, for providing the photographs of the Hoernle coins.
References
1.Tao Zhifang (1999) An Examination of Yarkand Khanate
coinage, Xinjiang Numismatics, No. 1, 19-20 (Translation by A. Akin in As-Sikka 1.1 11-14,
Newsletter of The Islamic Coins Group Website)
2.Hoernle, R. (1899) Central Asian Antiquities J. Asiatic
Soc. Bengal, Part 1 Extra-number 1, i-xxxii +1-44, plate II, fig. 26a-d.
3.Masson, M.E. (1960) Klad Mednych Monet XV veka iz Osha.
Epigrafika Vostoka XIII, 110-123. Maier, T. (1998) Sylloge Numorum Arabicorum
Tuebingen, XVb, Mittelasien
5.Grousset, R. (1960) L’Empire des Steppes, Paris
6.Spuler, B. (1966) Handbuch der Orientalistiek, fuenfter
band Altaistik, fuenfter Abschnitt: Geschichte Mittelasiens, Leiden/Köln.
7.Hayit, B. (1971) Turkestan zwischen Russland und China,
Amsterdam.
[1] Published also in the ONS Newsletter
