Railway
In 14th-century India, the token currency of bronze (or copper) coins was introduced by:
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Answer: Option B — Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Detailed Solution
Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced a token currency of bronze (or copper) coins in about 1329-1330 CE.
About the token currency:
- He issued bronze (or copper) coins, which were to be accepted at the same value as the silver tanka.
- A token currency is one whose face value is greater than the value of the metal it contains; it depends on the authority of the state.
Why he introduced it:
- There may have been a shortage of silver in the world at that time.
- He needed large amounts of money for his ambitious plans, such as his military expeditions and his administration.
- He may have been inspired by the paper currency used in China under the Mongol (Yuan) ruler Kublai Khan, and in Persia.
Why it failed:
- The state did not control the minting of the new coins, and they were easy to copy.
- People began to make the coins in their own houses on a large scale.
- According to Barani, "every Hindu house became a mint".
- People paid their taxes in the new coins, while keeping gold and silver coins for themselves.
- Merchants refused to accept the token coins in trade, and the value of the coins fell sharply.
- Trade and commerce were disrupted.
Withdrawal:
- After about three or four years, the Sultan withdrew the token currency.
- He announced that the state would exchange all bronze coins for silver or gold coins.
- Huge numbers of token coins were brought to the treasury and exchanged, which caused a great loss to the treasury.
- Heaps of these coins are said to have lain near the royal palace for many years.
Other experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq:
- The transfer of the capital to Daulatabad (1327).
- Increasing the land revenue in the Doab.
- The Khurasan and Qarachil expeditions.
Historians' views:
- His schemes were imaginative and in advance of his times, but poorly executed.
- He has been described as a "mixture of opposites".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Alauddin Khalji and Iltutmish did not issue a token currency.
Quick tip
Remember: token currency = Muhammad bin Tughlaq (about 1329-30; bronze/copper coins at par with the silver tanka; failed due to forgery; "every Hindu house became a mint").
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Delhi Sultanate — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Delhi Sultanate, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Delhi Sultanate ruled much of northern India from 1206 to 1526 under five dynasties: the Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties. This topic covers its rulers, administration, market and revenue reforms, architecture and the foreign invasions of the period. Typical questions cover the founder of each dynasty, Alauddin Khalji's market reforms, Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency and transfer of the capital, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq's public works. The First Battle of Panipat (1526), in which Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, ended the Sultanate. Keep the five dynasties in order with their founders. Practise the Delhi Sultanate questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.