MNREGS workers find Aurangazeb era coins in farmer’s field in Siddipet

20 silver coins and two rings found at farmer Challa Malla Reddy's field.

Siddipet: The Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) workers have unearthed 20 silver coins of the Aurangazeb era, the sixth Mughal emperor, at an agriculture field in Narsaipally village of Maddur mandal on Wednesday. The coins and two silver rings were packed in a rock-made box in the field.

The workers were roped into level an agricultural field under the MNREGS scheme on Wednesday when a worker stumbled upon the box. However, one of the workers took the box to her home without sharing the information with others. However, the police have visited her house on Thursday following the information given by other workers and recovered them.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Historian BV Badragirish has said that the coins were minted between 1670 and 1690 by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He said that all the coins were one rupee coins and minted at Surat, Zafrabad (current Bidar) and Glokonda Mints. The name of Bidar town located in Karnataka state changed to Zafrabad during Aurangzeb’s rule. However, it was reverted following his demise. Since Aurangzeb had completed conquering South India in 1687, the historian said that the coins minted in Golkonda mint would have been minted post-1687.

Talking about the rings found along with the coins, he said people used to wear coins on rings, which were practiced among several tribes until recent years. Since saving the valuables by burying them was practised during those days to save them from bandits. They were unearthed more than 350 years after they were hidden there. Historians have found Aurangazeb Alamgir Badshah written on one side of the coin in Persian language and Holy Quran verses written on the other. Mir Muneer and Fazal Ilahi couplets written in Persian language were found on the coins. Alamgir, meaning the conquer of the world, is a title Aurangzeb held. “Each of these coins were weighing 11.36 grams”, another archeology enthusiast Kolipaka Srinvas said.