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Primary sourceArtifact1028

Silver jitals of Mahmud of Ghazna, bilingual Arabic and Sanskrit

1028

A pair of silver coins minted in the name of Mahmud of Ghazna, Al-Biruni's patron, with inscriptions in Arabic and Sanskrit. It connects to Al-Biruni's later study of India.

Shows the coinage of Al-Biruni's patron Mahmud, with a Sanskrit legend relevant to Al-Biruni's Indian studies.

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Two small round bronze-colored coins on a grey-green fabric background. The left coin shows Arabic script in its center and around its rim. The right coin shows Sanskrit-style script in a central field with a ring of inscription around the edge.
Silver jitals of Mahmud of Ghazna with bilingual Arabic and Sanskrit, recorded as minted in Lahore, 1028. Image uploaded by Uploadalt, 2009. Wikimedia Commons.

About this source

What it is

This image shows two small round coins, called silver jitals, linked by their file name to minting in Lahore in 1028 under Mahmud of Ghazna. The left coin has Arabic script in its center and around its rim. The right coin has Sanskrit-style script in a central field, with a ring of inscription around the edge. The record date conflicts (1208 in one note, 1028 in the file name), so the 1028 date should be checked against other sources.

Why it matters

Mahmud was the patron of Al-Biruni, the scholar who later wrote a detailed account of India around 1030. A coin with two scripts shows that rulers in this period dealt with more than one language and culture. The coin is a small object from the world Al-Biruni was studying, not a record of his own words.

Look closer

  • Why might a ruler put two languages on one coin?
  • What can the Arabic side tell you about who held power?
  • What does a coin leave out about the lives of the people who used it?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Al-Biruni on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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