The Coinage of Assam: Ahom Period (Volume II)

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Since the early nineteenth century, Ahom coins have been popular both among collectors as well as historians. The coins are beautifully struck from fine metal, with a unique and attractive octagonal shape. Numerous articles have been written about the series, and these have been listed in the extensive bibliography However, we believe it would be useful to draw together all the research undertaken to date and present them in a book format. With this aim we brought out this piece of work. In addition, we have included a number of new varieties for the first time, and we have given further analyses and historical evidence we also tried to indicate areas of historical research, where the numismatic evidence presented, can shed fresh light, Coins are important contemporary documents, and they can provide useful insights to historians in their researches.

In the preparation of this book, we have received valuable help from learned institutions, scholars and collectors. To them all we extend our gratitude Dr. J.N.Das, the Director of Department of Historical And Antiquarian Studies, Guwahati and Mr. Iliharali, the Preservation Officer, were most helpful, Mr. R.C.Das, Director-in-charge of the Assam State Museums, Mr. Samiran Baruah and Ms. Banti Devi gave us much help. Both these institutions were very generous in allowing us to examine and use illustrations of the numerous manuscripts, coins and copper plates in their collection. Mr. Danish Moin of Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies, Anjanen (Nashik) helped us in deciphering the Persian legends on certain Ahom coins. We would also like to thank Mr. Joe Cribb, Keeper of coins and Medals of the British Museum, London, Mr. Mark Blackburn of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and Mr. Shailendra Bhandare of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, for their help and permission to publish coins in their care Internationally acclaimed collector Mr. JP Goenka and also Mr. LK. Kejriwal gave us unrestricted access to their excellent collections of Ahom coins. Dr. NCChowdhury, Mr. AMitra, Kolkata and Mr. Gidhalal Jhaveri in Mumbai were also very Ind in allowing us to photograph coins in their collection. Our thanks to Professor INPhukan, who has kindly consented to write the Foreword and who has made some helpful suggestions. A.OP (India) Pvt. Ltd. have maintained the very good standard in printing of this book. Finally, we thank our wives for their forbearance with our endless quest for numismatic enlightenment.

This book was first published in October 2004 and was immediately popular among numismatists, historians and general readers. This was evident in the way stocks were exhausted in a very short space of Time. A second edition was not possible till now, largely due to the untimely demise of my co-author Mr Nicholas Rhodes and because of other books in various stages of planning and preparation. However, now, when it has finally seen light of the day, the book is available with much more information than could have been possible earlier.

The Coinage of Assam (Ahom Period) was regarded a deeply insightful numismatic literature by academicians to have provided a complete picture of the Ahom coinage for the very first time. The Ahom rule bad left a deep impact on the broader Assamese society and culture so much so that further political changes could not intrude upon the society's pride, its heritage and culture as ingrained by the Ahoms They had organized the administration such that well-defined responsibility lay upon royal officials, which was effective in protecting the Assamese from various threats including the Mughal invasion and maintain the infrastructure of their wet-rice economy. Though collapse of the kingdom hurt the locals such that they withdrew themselves from many areas, they did not permit themselves to forget the past when Assam was a land of plenty.

Over the last few years, frequent discoveries of coin boards both posed new questions and opened exciting possibilities. Among the finds were coins from outside the traditionally known boundaries of the Ahom Kingdom. This proved the existence of coins during the Ahom rule and also their use in trade with other kingdoms. This edition includes details of such discoveries and more At this juncture, I express my gratitude to the readers and the academicians who had reviewed the first edition in different journals, helping me to rectify the shortcoming of that version. I hope this revised edition will be able to meet expectations of most, if not all the readers.

**Contents and Sample Pages**