Representation of a Gold Medal struck at the command of Shah Jehan A.H. 1064

This material is held atRoyal Asiatic Society Archives

Scope and Content

Sheet of blue card with the dedication: "To the Right Honorable C.W.W.Wynne, President, and to the Members of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain, This Representation of a Magnificent Indian Golden Medal or Coin (of 70 oz wt), Taken from a richly Gilt Copper Facsimile of the Original is most respectfully Inscribed by their obedient servant Wm Yule, Major E.I.C." The card measures 56cm by 44cm and is dated Edinburgh, 1st May, 1834. Besides the dedication the card bears details of the inscriptions on both observe and reverse sides of the coin, with equivalent English translation and Romanised Arabic. The coin was cast in the reign of Shah Jahan I, A.H. 1064 (1653).
Please note, the card has suffered water damage and is in a fragile condition.

Administrative / Biographical History

William Yule was the son of George and Elizabeth Yule; his family were farmers in East Lothian, Scotland. He was appointed a cadet in the Bengal Army in December 1780, aged sixteen, and sailed for India the following March. He was Assistant Resident in Lucknow and Delh,i and Postmaster in Lucknow in 1800. In October 1806 he was promoted to Major, retiring in 1808. He was offered the Lieutenant-Governorship of St Helena in 1807, but did not accept. In 1811 he married Eliza, eldest daughter of William Paterson of Braehead. He died at 25 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh on 6 October 1839.

Charles Watkin Williams Wynn was President of Royal Asiatic Society from 1823-1841.

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram (1592 – 1666), better known by his regnal name, Shah Jahan I, was the fifth Mughal emperor of India and reigned from 1628-1658. He was known for his contributions to architecture.

Access Information

Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Acquisition Information

The material was given by William Yule.

Note

William Yule was the son of George and Elizabeth Yule; his family were farmers in East Lothian, Scotland. He was appointed a cadet in the Bengal Army in December 1780, aged sixteen, and sailed for India the following March. He was Assistant Resident in Lucknow and Delh,i and Postmaster in Lucknow in 1800. In October 1806 he was promoted to Major, retiring in 1808. He was offered the Lieutenant-Governorship of St Helena in 1807, but did not accept. In 1811 he married Eliza, eldest daughter of William Paterson of Braehead. He died at 25 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh on 6 October 1839.

Charles Watkin Williams Wynn was President of Royal Asiatic Society from 1823-1841.

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram (1592 – 1666), better known by his regnal name, Shah Jahan I, was the fifth Mughal emperor of India and reigned from 1628-1658. He was known for his contributions to architecture.

Archivist's Note

This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.

Conditions Governing Use

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Custodial History

The Society's donations register states that the material was donated by Major William Yule through the Right Honourable Sir Gore Ouseley. It is not known why the document was made.

Related Material

The Society has publications by Henry Yule within its collections. Details can be found in our Library catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.

Additional Information

Published

gb891-sc15