Understanding Muhammad bin Tughlaq's Currency Innovations

Muhammad bin Tughlaq, a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century, was known for his ambitious and often controversial administrative reforms. One of his notable experiments involved currency.

During the Delhi Sultanate period, the standard currency system typically involved silver coins called Tankas and copper coins called Jittals. The value exchange between silver Tankas and copper Jittals varied over time.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq attempted to introduce a token currency. Due to a shortage of silver and other economic reasons, he decided to issue coins made of cheaper metals like copper and brass, assigning them the same value as the silver Tanka. This was a revolutionary idea for the time, similar to modern-day fiat currency.

The question asks about a copper coin he introduced in place of the silver coin. This refers to his token currency experiment where copper/brass coins were intended to circulate with the value equivalent to the silver Tanka. While the specific name for this token currency might have varied, the metal used was copper (or brass), and it was meant to functionally replace the silver Tanka in transactions.

Let's examine the given options:

• Rupak: 'Rupak' is not a term typically associated with the currency of the Delhi Sultanate. It is closer to 'Rupiya' or 'Rupee', which were terms introduced later, particularly during the reign of Sher Shah Suri and consolidated by the Mughals.
• Rupee: The 'Rupee' was a silver coin first introduced by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century, long after Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign.
• Jittal: The 'Jittal' was the standard copper coin used during the Delhi Sultanate period, existing alongside the silver Tanka. While Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency might not have been explicitly called 'Jittal' in all historical accounts, it was a copper-based coin introduced to function in place of the silver Tanka. Among the given options, Jittal is the only recognized copper coin from that era that fits the context of a currency reform involving copper replacing silver in function (as a token currency).
• Tanka: The 'Tanka' was the standard silver coin of the Delhi Sultanate, which Muhammad bin Tughlaq's copper/brass token currency was intended to replace in value. So, Tanka itself is the coin being replaced, not the replacement coin.

Considering the options and the historical context of Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency experiment where copper/brass coins were introduced to substitute for the silver Tanka, the option 'Jittal', representing the standard copper coin, is the most appropriate answer, indicating a currency reform where copper was used to create coins intended to replace the value of silver coins.

The token currency experiment ultimately failed due to widespread forgery and lack of public trust, leading to economic chaos, and Tughlaq eventually had to withdraw the token currency.

Revision Table: Delhi Sultanate Currency

Additional Information on Token Currency

Muhammad bin Tughlaq's decision to introduce token currency was likely inspired by similar practices in China (under Kublai Khan) and Persia. However, his implementation faced several issues:

• The value ratio between copper/brass and silver was not effectively maintained.
• Forgery became rampant because the government did not have a monopoly on issuing these token coins, and the metal used was easily available.
• People hoarded gold and silver and used only the token currency for payments, leading to its devaluation.
• The state treasury suffered losses, and trade was disrupted.

This experiment, while innovative, is often cited as one of the reasons for the economic difficulties during his reign.