The coins of Muslim dynasties bearing the names of the Holy Imams (A.S.)

By: Muhammad Husain Tehrani
Coins during the Safawid period in Iran possess the short Nad-e-Ali (A.S.) on them. The coins of Shah Ismail Safavi's early period have complete Shia Kalima. Names of Twelve Imams (A.S.) are mentioned on all coins of the Safawid period in Iran except the 3rd king in line.
But Shah Ismail II who deviated from the Shia Isna Ashari Islam and wrote on his coins: "Ze mashreq taa bay maghreb gar Imaam ast Ali wa aalay ooo maa ra tamaam ast"
This rule of complete Shia Kalima on Safawid coins continued till 1135 A H when Shah Sultan Hussain was defeated by the Afghan intruders who occupied Iran for seven years. During this period of forced occupation of Iran complete Shia Kalima was not minted. But when Nadir Shah Afshaar liberated Iran from this forced occupation, the Shia Kalima on coins which continued till the rule of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajaar (1193 - 1211 A.H).
In India we have the Shia Muslim kings who had minted Shia doctrines on their coins.

Adil Shahs of Bijapur
Ali Adil Shah I (965 -988 A.H.) who had mentioned " Asad Allah al ghalib Ali Ibne Abi Talib " on his coins.
Ibrahim Adil Shah II (988- 1037 AH) who had " Ghulaam-e-Murtaza Ali Ibrahim abla bali" (abla and bali are old Persian words meaning weak and friend)
Ali Adil Shah II (1068-1083 A.H.) who had "Ghulaam-e-Haider-o- Safdar Ali Adil Shah "

Nizam Shahs of Ahmadnagar
Murtaza Nizaam Shah I (973-997 A.H.) who had Shia Shahada on his Gold Coins and also Burhan Nizaam Shah II ( 1000-1003 A.H.).
Murtuza Nizaam Shah II (1009-1019 A.H.) had "Murtaza". "Murtaza" is one of Hazrat Ali's epithets.

Qutb Shahs of Hyderabad (Golkonda)
Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah (957-988 A.H.) had "Fuloos-e- ja iz Ibrahim Quli Sa'aadatmand-e-Ali Golkonda" which means valid fuloos of Ibrahim Quli happy in the faith of Imam Ali ( A.S.).
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (988-1020 A.H.) had some small gold coins minted with " Fakhr- e-Ali.

Shaheed Tippu Sultan of Mysore
Shaheed Tippu Sultan was a very genius and revolutionary Muslim ruler in India who confronted the military occupation of India by the British colonialists. He had the whole system of his monetary changed to mint the names of Shia Imams (A.S.) on his coins. He named the different denominations of his coins as per the names of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), Shia Imams (A.S.) and names of planets.
Ahmadi after Holy Prophet ( S.A.W.), for big gold coins =4 Pagoda
Siddiqa, after Hazrat Fatima Zahra (S.A.), for smaller gold coins = 2 Pagoda
Ali al-Faruq after Imam Ali (A.S.) al Farooq bain al haq wal Baatil ( smaller gold coins) = 1 Pagoda.
Haidari = Double Rupee Silver coin after Hazrat Ali ( A.S.)
Imami = 1 Rupee Silver after the Shia Imams (A.S.)
Abedi =Half Rupee Silver after Imam Zainul Aabedeen ( A.S.), 4th Shia Holy Imam.
Baqeri = Quarter Rupee Silver after Imam Muhammad al Baqer (A.S.), 5th Shia Holy Imam.
Ja'fari = One Eight Rupee Silver after Imam Ja'far as Saadiq (A.S.), 6th Shia Holy Imam.
Kazemi = one sixteenth Rupee Silver after Imam Musa e Kaazim (A.S.), 7th Shia Holy Imam.
Khizri = one by 32th Rupee Silver after Hazrat e Khizr (A.S.), the Prophet who is still alive.
Tippu Sultan minted copper coins with planets names:
Mushtari = Double paisa copper (struck after Mauludi Era being used ) after Jupitar.
Zohra = 1 Paisa copper after Venus.
Bahram = 1/2 Paisa copper after Mars.
Akhtar = 1/4 Paisa copper after Star in Persian.
Qutb = 1/8 Paisa copper after Pole Star in Arabic.
Tippu Sultan demonstrated his religious beliefs and his interest in astronomy in his coins.
The Abbassid Dynasty - -202 - 205 A H Silver Dirham coin of was minted by the Abbasid caliph Mamun to commemorate the arrival of Imam Reza (A.S.), the eighth Holy Imam in Khurasan.

Afghanistan
There are many crude copper coins issued from Afghanistan with Hand (Panja) of Hazrat Ali ( A.S.) and also the double headed sword ( Zulfiqaar) of Hazrat Ali ( A.S.).