Transoxiana, "Bukhar Khudah" under Abbasid, 775-785 AD, Zoroaster, Zeno-215220

Description

This coin was issued in
Bukhar Khudahs
,
as
Abbasid
Provincial Government
,
in the name of
Abbasid Caliph Al Mahdi
(AH 158-169,
775-785 AD
)
in the period of
coming Islam in Transoxiana
.
The style is a Sassanian Drachm, but the Caliph's name was struck in Arabic letters.
Very interesting coin, indeed.
Bukhar Khudahs
(before 681-890s) were
a local Sogdian dynasty
, which ruled the city of
Bukhara
from an unknown
date to the reign of the Samanid ruler Isma'il ibn Ahmad, who incorporated Bukhara into the Samanid state.
The word "
Bukhar
" means Bukhara, while "
khudah
" means "lord".  Thus the word means "
the lord of Bukhara
".
The
first ruler
mentioned with the title of Bukhar Khudah is named Bidun, who was killed in
681
by the Umayyad
general Salm ibn Ziyad during the
first Arab attempts
to conquer Transoxiana.  In
706
, a civil war erupted in Bukhara
and its surrounding cities and towns.  The ruler of the nearby Wardana had seized most of the principality, and
declared himself as the Bukhar Khudah. During the fighting between the
Arabs and Sogdians
, the Wardana Khudah
was killed.  Bukhara was shortly after
captured by Qutayba
, and
installed an Arab garrison
to secure against rebellion.
Later, in
712 / 713
, in order to spread Islam in Bukhara,
Qutayba built a mosque
in the city's citadel, and even
encouraged the natives to convert by paying them.  But, Islamization proceeded very slowly, the rulers of Bukhara
would
remain Zoroastrian
until their downfall.
[The above explanations are quoted from Wikipedia etc.]
Silver
Zoroastrian Sassanian style
Drachm.   Struck with worn dies, as usual.
It looks very worn, but in reality, the designs were clearly punched on the planchet with the worn dies.
I have visited in Bukhara City 30 years ago.   It is a nice and interesting city.
I will add two snap shots of the
Ark
(
39.7778, 64.4091
) and
Kalyan Minaret
(
39.7763, 64.4151
) in the city
from google street view system.
Provenance : Ex Mr. Robert Tye, Great Numismatist, in Yorkshire, UK in 1994.
Catalog number is MN-76 and Zeno-215220.
MN catalogue is "Oriental coins and their values, Non-Islamic States & Western Colonies.  AD 600-1979.",
written by Michael Mitchiner, published by Hawkins Publications in London in 1979.
Zeno on line catalogue is "Zeno. Ru - Oriental Coins Database".
Size : 25 x 25 mm.     Weight : 2.55 gr.
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