12. Zabulistan: From the Alkhan-Nezak crossover to the Turks

Toward the end of the 6th century a new group of coins began to be struck that picks up directly from the issues of the Nezak kings in regard to typology and style (showcase 11). The incorporation of the tamga of the Alkhan led to the name of Alkhan-Nezak crossover. This group is the result of the political changes that shook the world of the Huns following the Alkhan king Mihirakula's loss of power in India (showcase 9) and the Hephthalite's loss against the Sasanians and West Turks (showcase 10) around 560 CE, two reversals that brought a new balance of power in the areas north and south of the Hindu Kush.

The images of the new rulers, who toward the end of the 6th century succeeded in again pushing the Sasanians out of Zabulistan, are very closely related to the likenesses of the Nezak kings despite the fact that the prominent bull's head on the crown is missing (Nos. 1–5). The new crown, which developed from the later Alkhan crowns, is composed of three crescent moons in which a flower or trident is set. On a later issue, where the king is shown with a flower in his hand, the decoration of the crown has been reduced to one crescent moon (No. 6). The legend attempts to copy the old Nezak phrasing, but it is now only decoration. The images on the reverse are also taken from Nezak coinage.

Beside the drachms, a rich body of copper coinage was produced, signaling a shift in the currency system. The prominent double bordered edge on a copper coin type (No. 4) is borrowed from Sasanian imperial coinage and shows that this issue could not have been struck before the 592/93 CE.

After the middle of the 7th century a new legend appears on the drachms which combines the honorific title "Sri" (His Excellency/Illustriousness) and the title “King”; it is written in both Bactrian and Sanskrit (Brahmi script) (Nos. 7, 8). This change of the legend would seem to have taken place in connection with ascension of a Turkic dynasty of kings who according to literary sources took over power of Kabulistan from the ruling Nezak kings sometime after 661 CE (showcase 13). The Arab intellectual and historian al-Biruni (973–1048 CE) records the name of the first Turkic Kabul Shah as Barha Tegin.

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A second coin series takes up the old Nezak type from Zabulistan and stand in connection with the Turk Shahi’s ascension to power. Initially even the winged bull's head crown and the legend of the Nezak were used; only the new tamga hints at a change of power (No. 9). Later they used a new likeness of the ruler, showing the king with a winged snake crown in combination with a rosette and crescent moon (Nos. 10–13). A new inscription appears in Bactrian: the title "Ser", which is also recorded as "Ser of the Turks" in Bactrian documents from Rob starting at the end of the 7th century.

The discovery of 17 coins (compare No. 13) in 1996 together with a Bactrian inscription in the Buddhist stupa of Tangi Safedak (Yakaulang district, Central Afghanistan) (Figs. B, C) are of great importance for the chronological placement of these types of drachm. The inscription (Fig. C), dated to 714/15 CE, was produced during the building of a stupa donated by Alkhis, the ruler of Gazan (probably Ghazni, the capital of Zabulistan). Therefore, the coins must have been in circulation by the time of their deposit in 714/15 CE, and since all but one belongs to the same type the mint was probably located not too far away. Based on the inscription naming Alkhis as lord over Gazan/Ghazni, it would seem likely that these coins were minted in Ghazni. Medieval Arabic sources tell us that the lords of Ghazni maintained close connections with the fertile valley surrounding Tangi Safedak on the middle course of Band-e Amir and grazed their herds there, about six of seven days travel from Ghazni (Fig. D).

Coins

1. Alkhan-Nezak (end of 6th / first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with crescent moon crown, left Alkhan tamga; Pehlevi pseudo-legend

2. Alkhan-Nezak (end of 6th / first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with crescent moon crown, left tamga; Pehlevi pseudo- legend

3. Alkhan-Nezak (end of 6th / first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with crescent moon crown, left Alkhan tamga, right ear; Pehlevi pseudo-legend

4. Alkhan-Nezak (end of 6th / first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with crescent moon crown, left Alkhan tamga, right shell; Pehlevi pseudo-legend; double border

5. Alkhan-Nezak (first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with crescent moon crown, left Alkhan tamga, right fish; Pehlevi pseudo-legend

6. Alkhan-Nezak (first half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with large crescent moon at the top, within it a trident, flowers in the right hand, left Alkhan tamga; Pehlevi pseudo-legend

7. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with large crescent moon at the top, within it a trident, left Alkhan tamga; Bactrian inscription "His Excellence, the King"; with a subsequently added countermark

8. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with large crescent moon at the top, within it a trident, left Alkhan tamga, right spear with flag; Brahmi inscription "His Excellence, the King"

9. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with deformed skull and winged bull's head crown, right tamga; Pehlevi inscription "King of the Nezak" (corrupted)

10. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with winged crown, on top a rosette in crescent moon, right tamga; Bactrian inscription "Sero"

11. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with winged snake crown, on top a rosette in crescent moon, right tamga; Bactrian inscription "Sero"

12. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with winged snake crown, on top a rosette in crescent moon, right lily and tamga; Bactrian inscription "Sero", with a subsequently added countermark with tamga

13. Turk Shahi (second half of 7th c. CE)

Bust with winged snake crown, on top a rosette in crescent moon, left three-headed snake, right tamga; Bactrian inscription "Sero"

Context

A. Symbol (tamga) of the Turk Shahis of Zabulistan

B. Remnants of the Buddhist stupa at Tangi Safedak, in the middle course of Band-e Amir (Yakaulang district, Bamiyan province, Afghanistan). Beginning of the 8th century. (© Tropix.co.uk/Jonathan Lee)

The stupa lies on a terrace on the north slope of the hill and is largely still covered with earth. An Antique settlement as well as a Buddhist cave complex was located in the immediate vicinity.

C. Bactrian donor inscription on the outside of the east wall of the stupa at Tangi Safedak. Probably around 714/15 CE. (© Tropix.co.uk/Jonathan Lee) "It was the year 492 (local, Bactrian era, probably 714/15 CE), the month Sbol, when I, Alkhis, son of Khuras, lord of Gazan, established this stupa as a pious foundation… ." In the stupa donated by Alkhis, the lord of Gazan (the city Ghazni, capital of Zabulistan), a stone box was discovered that contained beside other objects 17 coins (compare Nr. 13). The coins must have been in circulation by the time that they were deposited there, which according to the inscription was probably in the year 714/715 CE.

Mediaeval Arab sources tell us that the lords of Ghazni put their livestock to pasture in the valley of Band-e Amir.

E. Clay sculpture of a royal couple from the Buddhist monastery of Fondukistan, Niche E. End of the 7th / beginning of the 8th century CE. (© Kabul, National Museum of Afghanistan / Vienna, WHAV).

The monastery of Fondukistan, supposedly constructed at the end of the 7th or beginning of the 8th century, is located on an important road that leads from Kabul via Kapisa into the Bamiyan Valley. Under the base of the sculptures a clay urn was found which contained a golden bracteate with an image of a ruler, three drachms of the Turk Shahis (one of which was countermarked, compare Nr. 7), and a countermarked drachm of the Sasanian king Khusro II from his 37th year of rule (= 627/28 CE). The subsequently added countermarks show that the urn must have been deposited after 689 CE.

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