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Tye 21.2, Deyell 52
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Shahis [?] (ca. 900-1,200 A.D.). AR jital, possibly minted unofficially, north of the Shahi realm, 18 mm.
Obv: Recumbent bull facing left, trishula on its rump, Sri Samanta Devah followed by two vertical pellets, in Nagari script, above.
Rev: Horseman bearing lance facing right, Bhi above to left and Ma [?] above to right, both in Nagari script.
Tye rarity rating Scarce.
The history of the Shahi dynasties is almost unknown. The Hindu Shahi dynasty succeeded an earlier Buddhist Shahi dynasty, and was founded in 870 A.D. by Kallar, a Brahmin vazir to the last Buddhist king. The kingdom included portions of Kabulistan (the eastern territories of Greater Khorasan centered around Kabul, now in Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara (now in northern Pakistan), with capitals at Kabul and Ohind (in Gandhara). They lost Kabul to the Saminids around 988 A.D. and lost Ohind to Mahmud of Ghazni around 988 A.D. The coins bearing the legend Sri Samanta Deva (= Lord Feudatory Chief) were issued further east and later (albeit, with overlap) than those bearing the legend Sri Spalapati Deva (= Lord Commander of the Army).
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