Lot 290

Mughal, Aurangzeb (AH 1068-1118, 1658-1707 AD), Gold Mohur, 10.85 gms, 18.74 mm, Kashmir Mint (fully visible at bottom on rev), AH 1089, RY 2(2), ex- Paul Stevens Collection, c/o Ashmolean Museum; ex- Nicholas Rhodes Collection, During the reign of Aurangzeb (AH 1068–1118 / 1658–1707 AD), Kashmir remained a strategically important Mughal province administered by a succession of imperial governors (Subedars), with fourteen individuals serving during his reign, including Lashkar Khan, Ashraf Khan, Ibrahim Khan, Islam Khan, Saif Khan, Iftikhar Khan, Qiwam-ud-Din Khan, Mubariz Khan, Muzaffar Khan, Hafizullah Khan, Nawazish Khan, Fazil Khan, and Abu Nasr Khan, while Ibrahim Khan and Saif Khan each held office more than once. Aurangzeb visited Kashmir only once, in 1665 AD / 1075 AH and 1076 AH, accompanied by his daughter Roshanara Begum, and thereafter governed the province through his appointed officials. Kashmir prospered through its renowned shawl, silk, saffron, and fruit industries, and the Kashmir Mint continued striking coins in Aurangzeb's name. His reign strengthened imperial administration and promoted Sunni Islamic policies. In 1671 AD / AH 1081/1082, Governor Iftikhar Khan became notorious for the persecution of the Kashmiri Pandit community, reports of forced conversions, and the destruction of some temples. In 1675 AD / AH 1085 - 1086, a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits led by Pandit Kirpa Ram sought the protection of Guru Tegh Bahadur. His refusal to accept Aurangzeb's religious policies led to his arrest and execution in Delhi, an event that profoundly transformed Mughal–Sikh relations and paved the way for the later militarization of the Sikh community under the Khalsa. Following Aurangzeb's death in 1707 AD / AH 1119, Mughal authority gradually weakened, and Kashmir eventually came under Afghan Durrani rule in 1752 AD / AH 1165 - 1166, Zeno # 145324, KM # 315.28, very fine+, extremely rare.