The objective of this project is to undertake a fundamental analysis of the history and culture of the Shahi Kingdoms (7th to 10th centuries). Owing to their considerable temporal and geographical scope — extending from Afghanistan to the frontiers of the Tibetan Empire — the Kingdoms played a central role in the history of Central and South Asia.
The Shahi Kingdoms were shaped by a series of pivotal transformations: the emergence of Islam, the expansion of Hindu cults into Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the beginnings of the Buddhist-Tantric tradition. Furthermore, the Kingdoms were located at the crossroads of major commercial routes connecting China, Central Asia, Iran, and India; they were also rich in mineral resources, which significantly contributed to the maintenance of their regional power in the Hindu Kush and Kabulistan.
In addition to the artistic legacy formed within the dynamic interplay of Buddhism, Hinduism, and the nascent Islamic culture, numismatics represents one of the most valuable sources for the history of the Shahi Kingdoms. As part of this project, these coins were the subject of detailed typological analysis. New coin finds—particularly from recent excavations in Afghanistan and Pakistan—have considerably expanded the corpus and offer fresh insights into circulation patterns, economy, and trade networks. The Shahi Kingdoms’ coinage appears to have been closely linked to the silver mines of the Panjshir Valley and the copper deposits of Mes Aynak, which remain among the largest in the world today. Metallurgical analyses of coins and objects are already making available new data allowing for a greater refinement in their classification and attribution.
The study of the technology and exploitation of the mineral sources provides important new information about transnational and regional exchange systems. The iconography and other information displayed on the coins have been invaluable for the study of the political and social history of the region.
The multifaceted program was made possible thanks to generous financing from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, Grant-DOI: 10.55776/P31246) and the Gerda Henkel Stiftung (Germany). We thank the Gerda Henkel Stiftung for continued support throughout exceedingly very difficult circumstances.
