Akbar, Silver, Rupee, Ahmedabad mint, Allahu Akbar type, Complete Set of 12 Persian (Parsi) months with mint name, Ilahi Year and Ilahi Month name on rev. About Extremely Fine, Rare as a set of 12 complete months. Ex S.M. Shukla Collection.
The name of the New Solar Era founded by Akbar, the Great Mughal Emperor (AD 1556-1605) is popularly known as Ilàhi Era but its official name was Tàrikh-i-Ilàhi. Abul Fazl, the author of Ain-i-Akbari informs about this new era in his book: His Majesty had long desired to introduce a new computation of years and months throughout the fair regions of Hindustan in order that perplexity might give place to easiness. He was likewise averse to the era of the Hijira (Flight), which was of ominous signification, but because of the number of shortsighted, ignorant men who believe the currency of the era to be inseparable from religion. In 992 of the Novilunar year the imperial design was accomplished. Amir Fathullah Shirazi, the representative of ancient Sages, the Paragon of the house of wisdom, set himself to the fulfillment of this object, and taking as his base the recent Gurgàni canon began the era with the Accession of His Imperial Majesty. The years and months are natural Solar without intercalation and the Persian names of the Months and days have been left unchanged. The days of the months are reckoned from 29 to 32 and the two days of the last are called Ruz o Shab. The list of all the 12 months with their respective days is appended herewith: 1: Farwardin (31), 2: Ardibihisht (31), 3: Khurdàd (32), 4: Tir (31), 5: Amardàd (31), 6: Shahrevar (31), 7: Mihr (30), 8: Abàn (30), 9: Azar (29), 10: Di (29), 11: Bahman (30), and 12: Isfandàrmuz (30).
