Iran Local Histories
Seyed Reza Hosseini
Abstract
A B S T R A C T
As the most prominent city in the Kohgiluyeh region (located in southwestern Iran), “Deh Dasht” has always maintained a geographical and historical connection with the southeastern parts of Khuzestan (particularly the city of Behbahan), throughout its centuries-long history. ...
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A B S T R A C T
As the most prominent city in the Kohgiluyeh region (located in southwestern Iran), “Deh Dasht” has always maintained a geographical and historical connection with the southeastern parts of Khuzestan (particularly the city of Behbahan), throughout its centuries-long history. Despite Deh Dasht’s strategic importance and its decisive role in certain political developments in southwestern Iran in recent centuries, no dedicated research has been conducted on its coinage history and there is no reference to the activity of Deh Dasht Mint during the Islamic era in most numismatic sources. However, 9 extremely rare coins from the mentioned mint were recently discovered, all dating back to the first half of the “Safavid Era” (AH 907–1135), and introduced by a specialized website. This author seeks to adopt a descriptive-analytical approach to introduce these coins and elucidate their main characteristics to highlight the significance of Deh Dasht Mint and the reasons for its operation during part of the tenth century AH. According to our findings, the mentioned coins are silver, weighing approximately one mithqal, with a nominal value of “Two Shahies” (= one Mahmudi), and were minted in AH 949, coinciding with the mid-reign of “Shah Tahmasp I”. Historical evidence suggests that these coins were produced around the time of the quashing of the Then-Governor of Dezful when Safavid troops were deployed near Kohgiluyeh. As the principal city of the region, Deh Dasht was an optimal location for establishing a temporary mint to supply part of the monetary needs of the King’s army. Consequently, a number of highest-value silver Safavid coins were struck in the township of Kohgiluyeh. The inscriptions on these coins, written in Naskh script, include “The name of the Reigning King,” “The names of the Imams” (Peace be upon them), and the “Triple Shahada” (testimonies) or solely “Ali Wali Allah”. Thus, in addition to their monetary function, these coins also served to announce the reassertion of Safavid Shiite Sovereignty over the southwestern regions of Iran.
