Why is it said that medieval India witnessed many changes in its coinage?

Medieval India, marked by the arrival of Muslim rulers, witnessed significant changes in its coinage system. It acquired a new pattern, and came out mostly with inscriptions in Arabic and Persian.

The Delhi sultans introduced a system in which coins were known by the names ‘tankas’ and ‘jitals’. Coins were mostly made out of gold, silver, and copper.

The Tuglaqs were believed to have made coins that were far superior than those made by the rest. Muhammed bin Tughlaq especially, took personal interest in the matter, yet it ended up as big failures. Later, during the reign of the Lodhis, coins were struck exclusively from copper.

In the south, the coins of the Vijayanagara kingdom proved to be a great success, and inspired coinage for the years to come. They stood out for their design and perfection. In a general pattern, a sacred image was seen on one side of the coin, and the ruler’s name on the other. It was the Devanagari script that was used for inscriptions, and the coins were mainly made in gold and copper.