The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.508.3

v3.c20.508.3

Two informers reported that the six *jītal* pieces were a grain short of standard purity, and the minister, Maqbūl Khānjahān, whose anxiety to hush the matter up suggests his complicity, sent for Kajar Shāh, the mintmaster, who was the principal offender, and directed him to devise a means of establishing, to the king's satisfaction, the purity of the coin. Kajar Shāh arranged that the coins should be melted before the metal was assayed, approached the goldsmiths whose duty it would be to conduct the experiment in the king’s presence, and desired them secretly to cast into the crucible sufficient silver to bring the molten metal to the standard of purity. They objected that in accordance with the ordinary precautions on such occasions they would be so denuded of clothing that they would be unable to secrete any silver on their persons, but offered to do what was required if the silver could be placed within their reach. Kajar Shāh accordingly arranged that the necessary quantity of silver should be concealed in one of the pieces of charcoal used for heating the crucible, and the goldsmiths succeeded in conveying it into the vessel without being observed, so that the king was hoodwinked and the metal, when assayed, was found to be of the standard purity.