Afghanistan Kyber Pass Kings of Shahi Silver Jital 650AD to 1287AD Descriptive Folder

The Mountainous regions of Central Asia comprising the eastern parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and northwest India have always known war. Even now, the area high in the Kush Mountains, proves difficult to hold; none of the three nations can exercise any lasting authority in these ancient tribal lands. In the sixth century C.E., the place was known as Gondhara and nominally controlled by the Huns – a people famed for being great horsemen and even greater warriors. Some 200 years later, Gondhara was ruled by a succession of kings called the Hindu Shahi. It was the Hindu Shahi kings who first minted these silver coins, a simple and elegant representation of the diversity of the region. On one side is a soldier on horseback; on the reverse, the bull that is so sacred to the Hindus. Although Muslims and Hindus clashed for centuries over the lands, they agreed on one point; this is a beautiful coin, perfectly capturing the history and diversity of the region. The bull and horse design was used as a template by both Muslim and Hindu rulers for over six centuries.