Amjad Ali Shah – Indian Princely State of Awadh Silver Rupee Broad Flan Mulk Awadh Bait us Sultanat Lakhnau Mint

Indian Princely State of Awadh, Amjad Ali Shah (as king AH 1258-1263 / 1842-1847 AD), Denomination: Rupee, Composition: Silver, Weight: 10.47 grams, Diameter: 23.37 mm, Broad Flan, Coin Issue Year: AH 1261/3 RY, date below ilah, Mulk Awadh Bait us Sultanat Lakhnau Mint. KM # 336,  About Very Fine, Extremely Scarce.

Amjad Ali Shah, the fourth King of Awadh, ruled between 1842 and 1847 AD during a politically fragile phase in the history of the Awadh princely state. Ascending the throne after the death of his father, Nasir-ud-Din Haidar, his reign was marked by increasing British interference under the East India Company, which steadily eroded the sovereignty of Awadh. Although Amjad Ali Shah held royal authority in name, real administrative control was increasingly influenced by British residents stationed at Lucknow.

Despite political constraints, the cultural life of Awadh continued to flourish. The court remained a center of Persian literary traditions, refined etiquette, and ceremonial grandeur. Silver rupees issued in his name, such as this broad flan Lakhnau mint issue dated AH 1261, reflect the continued assertion of royal legitimacy and Islamic titulature. The inscription “Mulk Awadh Bait us Sultanat Lakhnau” emphasizes Lucknow’s status as the seat of sovereignty. Today, these coins are extremely scarce and represent the final decades of independent Awadh before its annexation in 1856.