Lakshmi Rameshwar Rao – Sher Shah Suri (1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān, was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. Sher Shah took control of the Mughal Empire in 1540 CE. After his accidental death in 1545 CE, his son Islam Shah became his successor.
The influence of his innovations and reforms extended far beyond his brief reign; his arch foe, Humayun, referred to him as “Ustad-I-Badshahan”, teacher of kings. In the seven years of his reign he never lost a battle.
A dam was a small Indian copper coin. The coin was first introduced by Sher Shah Suri during his rule of India between 1540 and 1545, along with Mohur, the gold coin and Rupiya the silver coin. [1] Later on, the Mughal Emperors standardised the coin along with other silver) ( Rupiya and gold (Mohur) coins in order to consolidate the monetary system across India. A rupee was divided into 40 dams. It is believed that this coin is one of the possible sources for the English phrase “I don’t give a dam[n]″, due to its small worth.
He standardized the silver coin to the weight of 178 grams and named the currency as rupee based on the ancient Sanskrit term for silver. The word Mohur was introduced by Sher Shah Suri during his brief rule. The history of the rupee traces back to ancient Indian subcontinent. Sher Shah Suri issued the Rupiya coin and fixed standard weights and measures all over the empire. This coin introduced by Sher Shah Suri weighed 178 grains and was the precursor of the modern rupee.
Lakshmi Rameshwar Rao
(The writer has a Masters in Adult Education from Jamia Milia Islamia. She has many years teaching experience at the school level as also ten years of experience in book publishing and some published writing in newspapers and more students’ books. Lakshmi has retired and lives in Hyderabad.)
