Indian Antiquary Vol 50

SR No.: 032542
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 264

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
SEPTEMBER, 1921
his government. But Fryer seems to have dipped his brush in the black colour too frequently while painting a picture of Shivaji's country. Grant Duff 91 says-The Muhammadan writers, and one contemporary English traveller, describe his country in the worst possible state; and the former only mention him as a depredator and destroyer; but those districts taken by him from Bejapoor which had been under the management of farmers and direct agents of government, probably experienced great benefit by the change.
254
Besides land-revenue and customs-duties, a small income was derived from mints. The Peshwas did not permit free coining but the goldsmiths usually obtained license for mints under certain restrictions. This must have been the practice in the pre-Peshwa period also. Shivaji never tried to control the currency and plainly told the English Ambassador, that he "forbids not the passing of any manner of coins, nor on the other side can he force his subjects to be losers; but if their coin be as fine an alloy and as weighty as the Moghul's and other princes he will not prohibit."93 The result was that all sorts of foreign coins were current in Shivaji's kingdom and even in his own treasury could be found few or no coins of the Raiagad Mint. Sabhasad says, that Shivaji had no less than 400,000 of Shivarai Hons at the time of his death, but these Shivarai Hons were in all probability of Bijayanagar origin, for only 2 or 3 Shivaji Hons have yet been discovered. Sabhasad enumerates no less than 32 different kinds of gold coins and 6 different kinds of silver coins while giving an account of Shivaji's treasures. These were :
GOLD COIN
Licensed Mints.
1. Gambar.
2. Mohar.
3.
Putli.
4.
Padshahi Hon.
5. Satlamis or Satramis.
6. Ibhrami.
7. Shivarai Hon.
8. Kaveripak.
9.
Sangari Hon.
10. Achyutrai Hon.
11. Devrai Hon.
12. Ramchandrarai Hon.
13. Guti Hon.
Dharwari Hon.
14. 15. Falam (Fanem). 16. Pralkhati Hon.
1. Rupees.
2. Asrafis.
3. Abashis.
83 Fryer.
17. Pav Naiki Hon. 18. Advani Hon. 19. Jadmal Hon.
20. Tadpatri Hon.
21. Afraji Hon.
22. Tribaluri Hon.
23. Trisuli Hon.
24. Chandavari (Tanjori) Hon.
25. Bildhari Hon.
26. Ulaphkari Hon.
27.
28.
20.
Mahamad Shai Hon.
Veluri Hon.
Katerai Hon.
Devajvali Hon.
30.
31. Ramnathpuri Hon. 32. Kungoti Hon.
SILVER COINS
4.
Dabholi Kabri.
5.
Chonli Kabri.
6. Bassora Kabri.
92 Grant Duff, Vol. I, p. 188. Sabhasad, p. 96.