Al-Mustaqbal University / College of Arts and Humanities<br />Prepared by: Asst. Lecturer Haider Jabbar Hassan<br />Email: [email protected]<br /><br />Women Who Issued Coins in Their Own Names<br /><br />The Islamic era witnessed the emergence of some women in very important roles. Some of them even reached the throne. Perhaps the earliest woman to rule was Arwa bint Ahmad Al-Sulayhi (477–532 AH), queen of the Sulayhid dynasty. She was the first queen in Islamic states, known as the second Balqis and titled Al-Sayyida Al-Hurra. She assumed power after the death of her husband Ahmad bin Ali and continued throughout her rule to issue coins in his name.<br /><br />First – Coins of Lady Atika bint Yazid, wife of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (65–86 AH)<br />She was the first woman in the Islamic era whose name appeared on currency, on a fals bearing the image, name, and titles of her husband, Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The mint location is "Land of Atika," where the name Atika appears. This land lies outside Bab al-Jabiya in Damascus and is attributed to Atika. She also had a palace there, and it is where Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan died.<br /><br />Second – Coins of Lady Zubayda, wife of Harun al-Rashid (170–193 AH)<br />Her name was inscribed on coins during the reigns of both al-Rashid and her son al-Amin. Her coins are among the rare Islamic coins, including:<br /><br />A dirham dated 181 AH<br /><br />A second dirham minted in al-Deir in 182 AH, considered a commemorative coin<br /><br />Third – Coins of Queen Razia bint Iltutmish (634 AH)<br />Coins were minted in the name of Sultanah Razia, also bearing her titles:<br />“The Great Sultan, Glory of the World and Religion, Queen, Daughter of Iltutmish, Victory of the Commander of the Faithful.”<br />She issued a dirham in the year 634 AH.<br /><br />Fourth – Coins of Sultanah Shajar al-Durr (648 AH)<br />The sultanah minted dinars and dirhams bearing her name and title. She also issued a fals preserved in the Iraqi Museum, minted in Damascus in the year 647 AH, bearing the inscription “Shajar al-Durr.”<br />A very rare oval-shaped dinar dated 642 AH is preserved in the British Museum.<br /><br />Coins of Queen Tulin Bek Khanum (773 AH)<br />Fifth – A fals attributed to Queen Tulin Khanum, a member of the Mongol family, was minted in Saray in the year 773 AH.<br /><br />Coins of Sati Bek (739 AH)<br />Sixth – Another woman whose name appeared on coins.<br /><br />Women of Sumatra<br />Seventh – Among the women who ruled were four queens of the Aceh region in northwest Sumatra (1496–1838 AD):<br /><br />Saifah al-Din Taj al-Alam<br /><br />Taqiyyah al-Din Nur al-Alam<br /><br />Zakiyyah al-Din 'Inayat Shah<br />Zayn al-Din Jamalat Shah<br />They ruled from the year 1051 AH / 1641 AD until 1111 AH / 1699 AD. Also, Nur Jahan's name appeared on coins during her husband's reign.<br />Al-Mustaqbal University—The Premier University in Iraq.<br/><br/><a href=https://uomus.edu.iq/En/Default.aspx target=_blank>The Official Website of Al‑Mustaqbal University</a>