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Title	Iran, Samarkand, AR Double Dirhem, Timur Gurkan, Mahmud Jagatai, 1390-1400 AD
Obverse	Inscription, "Kalima"
Reverse	Name and Titles of Mahmud and Timur with Tamgha (3 Circles)
Type/Denomination	AR Double Dirhem
Weight	1.54 grams
Origin	Samarkand
Period	1390-1400 AD
Description	This silver double dirhem was minted in Samarkand in 794 AH (c. 1392 AD) during the reign of Timur Gurkan. This coin was produced between 1390 and 1400 AD under Mahmud Jagatai, who was under the authority of Timur. The obverse bears the inscription "Kalima" and the reverse bears the name and titles of Mahmud and Timur with the tamgha symbol, which consists of three circles arranged in the form of a triangle. Timur Gurkan or "Tamerlane" was the ruler of the Timurid dynasty from 1369-1405 AD. Timur means iron, and Tamerlane is a westernized version of "Timur-i-Leng" or "Timur the Lame." He was injured as a young man, but his injury did not stop him from conquering land from India to Turkey. Samarkand in Transoxiana (Uzbekistan) was the capital of his empire, and he desired to restore the city to its former glory. Though Timur was a ruthless conqueror, he also fostered the arts. His empire, however, did not survive long after his death, ending by the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Publisher	Hillsdale College
Donor	Alwin C. Carus
Collection	Medieval, Islamic
Accession Number	20051199
Catalog Number	M. 1892

Iran, Samarkand, AR Double Dirhem, Timur Gurkan, Mahmud Jagatai, 1390-1400 AD

Description