FACT-CHECKING "TRUE INDOLOGY"

Three weeks ago, this factual tweet on a famous Mughal gold coin featuring Rama & Sita, minted 50 years into Akbar's reign, went viral. It also received its fair share of criticism.

In this thread, I investigate & fact-check this censure. Let's go! https://twitter.com/futterwackening/status/1305868628877807617

One criticism — made repeatedly — argued that:

1. It was not Akbar who had issued this Rama-Sita coin, but his Rajput general Man Singh of Amber.
2. Man Singh managed Akbar's affairs as regent during his illness.
3. The claims above were made by a researcher named Nisar Ahmad.

I traced these assertions to this viral tweet by the handle @TIinExile, which discusses a similar Rama-Sita half-rupee silver coin, also minted in Akbar’s 50th regnal year.

Let's unpack these assertions one by one.

Man Singh of Amber, known by his title "Mirza Raja", was one of the highest nobles in Akbar's court. A close companion of the Mughal emperor, he was prized as one of the "Nauratan" — the nine jewels.

He also led the Mughal army against Rana Pratap, defeating him at Haldighati.

But there is *absolutely* no evidence that Man Singh issued this gold half-mohur Rama-Sita coin, or the silver half-rupee.

As numismatist John S Deyell suggests, a centralized department controlled all Mughal mints under the mint-master at Fatehpur, a title Man Singh never held.

The coins themselves bear the imprint of Akbar.

Both gold & silver versions note the term "Ilahi", the name of Akbar's regnal era, which began with his accession to the throne in 1556 CE. They also note the year 50, i.e. 1605-06 CE & the Persian month in which they were struck.

Further, there is *absolutely* no evidence that Man Singh ever managed Akbar's affairs.

The Rajput general actually spent a large part of his career _away_ from the Mughal court as he was deputed as governor of the subahs of Kabul (1586-87), Bihar (1587-94) & Bengal (1594-1605).

Man Singh *did* occasionally visit Akbar's court when summoned, but he never exercised control over the emperor or his mint-master.

The gold Rama-Sita half-mohur was struck in the month of Farvardin, i.e. Aries (March-April 1605), while Man Singh was away, governing Bengal.

The silver Rama-Sita half-rupee, based on the same design as the gold coin, was struck in the month of Amardad, i.e. Leo (July-August 1605).

Akbar fell gravely ill only in late September 1605. He passed away in October. He was, therefore, healthy when he issued both coins.

Man Singh was nowhere near Akbar, the emperor's mint-master, or any of mints which could produce superior-quality gold coins in Farvardin 50 Ilahi (March-April 1605).

Akbar was also healthy at the time.

How then could Man Singh have "issued" either of the Rama-Sita coins?

However, @TIinExile had suggested that a researcher named Nisar Ahmad claimed that Man Singh had "issued" this coin.

I was curious what evidence Prof. Ahmad used to make such a claim, so I checked his writings on the matter.

BUT NEITHER OF THEM MENTION MAN SINGH AT ALL.

I found two articles by Prof. Ahmad on the Rama-Sita coins, exploring Akbar's motives behind their production. Neither of these mention Man Singh at all.

1. "The Ramayana Scenes on the Medieval Coins" in BP Sinha (ed.), Sri Rama in Art, Archaeology & Literature (Patna, 1989).

1. "The Ramayana Scenes on the Medieval Coins" in BP Sinha (ed.), Sri Rama in Art, Archaeology & Literature (Patna, 1989).

[Contd.]

1. "The Ramayana Scenes on the Medieval Coins" in BP Sinha (ed.), Sri Rama in Art, Archaeology & Literature (Patna, 1989).

[Concluded]

2. "Rama-Sita Coin Type of Akbar: A Fresh Account" in WH Siddiqi (ed.), Studies in Archaeology and History (Rampur, 2003) — earlier published in the journal Bharati Vol. 22 (Varanasi, 1995-96).

2. "Rama-Sita Coin Type of Akbar: A Fresh Account" in WH Siddiqi (ed.), Studies in Archaeology and History (Rampur, 2003) — earlier published in the journal Bharati Vol. 22 (Varanasi, 1995-96).

[Concluded]

Please read through these essays. Man Singh isn't mentioned EVEN ONCE.

Of course, it *is* entirely possible that Prof. Ahmad has a newer essay on the subject, that I am unfamiliar with & which explicitly mentions Man Singh as the one who "issued" these Rama-Sita coins.

If this is the case, I request @TIinExile to share this reference with me.