Taj-ud-Din Firuz Shah – Bahmani Sultanate 1 Tanka – Gulbarga Silver Coin of Southern India Medieval Islamic Dynasty

Bahmani Sultanate, Taj-ud-Din Firuz Shah, Reign: 1397–1422 CE, Denomination: 1 Tanka, Composition: Silver, Weight: 10.83 grams, Diameter: 27 mm, Mint: Gulbarga (Ahsanabad), Date: 818 AH,  References: Rajgor# 2570, GG# BH63, About Very Fine, Scarce.

Obverse: Arabic inscription gives the royal titulature “Sultan al-Ahd wa’l-Zaman al-Wathiq bi-Ta’yid al-Rahman Abu’l-Muzaffar,” with 818 AH indicated.

Reverse: Arabic inscription identifies Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah with the titles “Taj al-Dunya wa’l-Din Firuz Shah al-Sultan.”

Taj-ud-Din Firuz Shah ruled the Bahmani Sultanate from 1397 to 1422 CE and was one of its important early rulers. His reign was marked by military campaigns against the Vijayanagara Empire, including major conflicts over the strategically important Raichur Doab. He also expanded Bahmani influence and strengthened the kingdom’s position in the Deccan. Firuz Shah was a notable patron of Persian culture and scholarship, attracting scholars, administrators, soldiers, and artisans from across the Persianate world. Gulbarga remained the Bahmani capital during his reign and developed as an important political, cultural, and architectural centre.

Coinage Note: This silver Tanka was struck at Gulbarga, also known as Ahsanabad, during 818 AH (1416 CE). Its elegant Arabic calligraphy records Firuz Shah’s elaborate royal titles and reflects the sophisticated coinage of the Bahmani Sultanate. The Tanka served as an important silver denomination for commerce, taxation, and high-value transactions within the Deccan.