The numismatic collection of the Kokand State Museum-Reserve‌‌

By the second half of the 18th century, there were three independent states on the territory of Central Asia. The Manghit dynasty ruled in Bukhara, the Kungrats in Khiva and the Mings in Kokand. In the early 19th century, the khans of Kokand also conquered the cities of Tashkent, Shymkent, Turkestan and Aulie-Ata, the lands of Semirechye, the Kazakh steppes along the Syr Darya, areas south of the Alai Range and territories stretching to Lake Balkhash. The expansion and development of the khanate made it necessary to institutionalize the ruler as the head of an independent state. For this purpose, his status was made as important as that of the Emir of Bukhara, the administrative system was improved, and most importantly, the state began to issue its own coins. That was how the centralized state was formed. According to research into numismatic material, the first coins were issued in the reign of Norbutabi (1766 – 1798).

The study of Kokand coins can help specify the reign of a particular khan, his title, the political and economic situation of the country and the state of domestic and foreign trade. For instance, in 1826, the national liberation movement under the leadership of Jahangir Khoja began in Kashgar. The Khan of Kokand, Muhammad Alikhan, supported this movement, helped to liberate Kashgar, which earned him the title of gazi. Since 1828, he issued coins under this name. The legend on the obverse read “Muhammad Alikhan Gazi”, the reverse had on it the inscription “Zarbi hokandi latif”.

There are other similar coins associated with Kashgar that need be explained. As is known, in 1864, the Khan of Kokand, Sultan Sayyid, sent Yakubbek to Kashgar. There Yakubbek established the independent state of Yettishahar (Country of Seven Cities) and began to mint gold, silver and copper coins, on which he put the name of his grandfather – Mallakhan. The legend on the obverse reads “Sayyid Muhammad Mallakhan Bahodir”, that on the reverse is “Zarbi dorussaltanat Hokandi latif”. These coins became a puzzle for numismatists, because when they were minted, Mallakhan had already died. In addition, the coins were minted in Kashgar, but had the legend “Zarbi Hokand”, while the years were not 1858 – 1862, when Mallakhan ruled, but 1867 – 1877, when Yakubbek lived.

In general, the numismatic collection of the Kokand State Museum-Reserve makes it possible to notice that every Kokand ruler sought to produce his own coins. Gold and silver coins were minted even by Shohmurodkhan, Khudoykulikhan, Nasriddinbek and Polatkhan, who ruled for only several months. The gold coins weighed 4.43 – 4.58 grams, and each was equivalent to 21 silver coins. The silver coins weighed 2.60 – 3.01 grams, each equal to 45 – 60 rupees. In the middle of the 19th century, Kokand gold cost 3 roubles 60 kopecks, and 1 coin was equivalent to 20 silver kopecks.

On February 19, 1876, the Khanate of Kokand was conquered by the Russian Empire and abolished, while its territory was turned into the Fergana Region. The political events led to the abolition of the local monetary system. The coins minted by the khans were replaced by the monetary units of the Russian Empire.

You can learn more about the topic in the book-album “The Collection of the Kokand State Museum-Reserve” (Volume XLIII) in the series “The Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections”.

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