UMAYYAD: AE fals (1.06g), al-Daybul, AH117, A-199D, citing the kalima divided as usual on Umayyad copper coins, with the reverse marginal legend bism Allah duriba hadha al-fals bi l-dâybul sanat sab ashara wa mi a, no marginal legend on the obverse, some porosity and erosion from having been in the salty soil in Sind, expertly cleaned by the consignor, Fine, RRRR. This is the third and last of the fulus from the Sind group, and the third known from al-Daybul. Same dies as the examples in our Auction 37, Lots 246 & 247. The city of al-Daybul was abandoned by the 13th century, and was located at a site known as Bhambore. The ruins of the original mosque, built by order of the governor of Sind, Muhammad b. Qasim, contained an inscription dated the equivalent of 727 (AH108/109), some 16 years after the Arab conquest of the town. The site is now a national historic park, about 4 km west of the town of Gharo. The modern Port Qasim is located about halfway between Karachi and Gharo, and was also named after Muhammad b. Qasim (about 1972). The river beach within the historic park is known as Debal Beach. From the consignor: Whatever its ancient history is, the port has considerable significance in Islamic and Arab history due to the fact that pirates who had seized Arab ships sailing between Lanka and Basra were launched from the port of Daybul. Arab conquest of Sind under Muhammad bin Qasim was a consequence of that incident and the refusal of the Sind ruler to pay reparations. Daybul was founded in the 1st century CE, and at one point in time was an important trading city in Sindh. During Abbasid rule, stone structures including a city wall and a citadel were built, but an earthquake in 893 AD reportedly destroyed the port city of Daybul. The port of Daybul had immense significance in trade since the 8th Century CE onwards. It was an important port for export of indigo pink salt (a product of the sub-continent) which was used in medicines and textiles and it was the port from whence silk and other Chinese products were exported to Arabia, Abyssinia and Egypt. Thus it was linked with the ancient Silk Road. Ships taking those products would move up the Persian Gulf hugging the Persian coast till Basra and on the return trip would bring down Damascene steel products, particularly swords, lances and body armor pieces. Similar ships would travel down the African coast to Zanzibar or hug the coast of the Red Sea up to Egypt. Silver coins from the mint of Daybul are extremely rare and so far only dirhams dated AH95 are known. In the Mughal period of Akbar very rare rupees were issued from the same town, Dewal Bandar. However, the copper Fals dated AH117 is a new discovery. Copper coins are much less preserved than other metals and particularly so in the moist and salty environment of Daybul port city. This specimen is a testament to Arab rule over the area until the date of issuance of this coin.
