Surat Nawab Hafiz ud-din Ahmad khan( AD 1763-90), Surat, Rupee, RY 7, Rare.

[sarwar khan]

The important port of Surat, on the western coast of India, was an important centre for foreign trade and the principal harbour for the Mughal Navy. Historically, the port and castle, together with the immediate hinterland, were governed by two Imperial officials. The Qiladar (Castellan) or fort commandant and the Mutsadi ("Clerk of the Crown") or Governor. The latter office being the senior of the two and usually held by a Mughal noble.

During the early decades of the eighteenth century, when the Mughal power was in its decline, the local governors like many of their contemporaries elsewhere in India, assumed near independent powers. Surat's "man of the hour" was a certain Tegh Bakht Khan. Together with his two younger brothers, he gained control of the historic port in 1733, making himself independent of the Mughal power in all but name. Tegh assumed the title of Viceroy and Nawab, later securing formal recognition from Delhi. Unfortunately, he had to contend with the powerful Sidi faction, the traditional African commanders of the Mughal Navy, making their own bid for power. 'Ali Nawaz Khan, an official who had once occupied the post of Mutsadi, led another faction continuing an intrigue with Mughal officials and commanders to secure his reinstatement.
The latter eventually assumed control after the death of Safdar Khan, Tegh's younger brother in 1758.

After tegh's death, Mir Moin ud-din Muhammad 'Alias Mian Achchan became the nawab of surat . In 1759 AD Battle eventually ensued, the British taking control of Surat. The Mughal court were no less eager to be rid of their quarrelsome sailors and readily agreed to the appointment of the HEIC as Qiladars of the Castle and Commanders of the Imperial Navy in 1759. For the remainder of Achchan's reign, system of joint ruler obtained over Surat, with the British and the Nawab sharing power. At his death in 1763, no formal appointment of a Nawab forthcoming from Delhi, the British recognised his son as hereditary ruler and severed connections with the Imperial Court. Nawab Hafiz ud-din ( AD 1763-90) , He ruled the surat for 27 years as independent under British protection.After the death of Hafiz ud-din his son Nasir ud-din Muhammad Khan seated on the throne with less power's, In the first year of his regin Britishers taken more interfering in the state affairs. Eventually on 9th January 1799 , Surat nawab Entered into agreements with the Government of Bombay in which he surrendered his ruling powers, in return for a hereditary pension, sovereign rights over his private properties and the continuation of his hereditary styles and titles.

Details about the coin :-

Ruler :- Nawab Hafiz ud-din Ahmad khan bahadur( AD 1763-90)
Obv :- Julus maimanat manus Sanah 7, Zarb Surat
Rev :- Shah Alam Badshah ghazi sikka mubarak with AH Date (AH Off flan)
Denomination :- Rupee
Minted at Surat
Rarity :- Rare

Issue year :- 1297/8 AH, 1879/80 AD date guessed on the basis of RY which clearly saw in this coin.

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[Figleaf]

I think you are quite right to see Surat as India's window to the world and the world's window on India. The history you describe is in small a reflection of the history of all of India: a gradual, but unstoppable unravelling of Mughal power, local factions rolling over each other to assume control (=get rich quickly). The British were just stepping into the power vacuum and, just as gradually, taking control of a country much larger than their own, where they were a tiny minority of the population.

Peter

[asm]

The history of the coinage of Surat is very turbulent at this point in time. The British had, a few years before, taken control of the mint, accusing the Nawab of misconduct and impure coins and then placed their own man to control the mint. In RY 6, they seem to have restarted the mint and issued 5 rupees and 10 rupee coins (probably Nazarana) nbefore normal coinage was resumed.

Amit