This unique exhibition in Mumbai dives into the journey of Indian currency

Long before the rupee came to embody a nation it journeyed across oceans from the bustling ports of Gujarat to the markets of Mozambique As Sarmaya Arts Foundation unveils its grand new exhibition Odyssey of the Rupee that begins tomorrow the currency that once linked India to the world returns to tell its storyFor the Mumbaibased museum known for its immersive storytelling and exhaustive archives this exhibition marks its most ambitious venture yet a 500year chronicle of the Indian Rupee told through coins and maps ldquoOdyssey of the Rupee is not just about currency it is a journey of the Rupiya becoming a global subject of currencyrdquo says Paul Abraham the founder of SarmayaHistory of RupiyaThe history of the Rupiya travels all the way back to the reign of the Mughal emperor Sher Shah Suri when he decided to create a standard weight and denomination of exchange and hence the Dam a copper coin the silver coin called Rupiya whose unique mark was that it should weigh 115 grams and the gold coin Mohur were born ldquoAfter these coins were adopted all the kingdoms from northern Afghanistan to kingdoms in Trichy and Gingee both locations in Tamil Nadu slowly adopted them as a trusted currencyrdquo reveals AbrahamInternationalisation of the RupeeThe show gathers the museumrsquos rarest and most extensive coinage collection charting the rupeersquos journey from the silver tankas of medieval sultanates to the paper notes of modern India But more than a numismatic showcase it is an exploration of how powerful the coin was1840 Indian Rupee used in the Kingdom of Najd Saudi Arabia and Java Indonesia Rupee of the Dutch East India Company right 15 Rupien of German East Africa Peacock Rupee of BurmaldquoThe largescale Western internationalisation of the rupee happened when the East India Company defeated the Mughals and their main motive was to excel at intraregional traderdquo explains Abraham He also mentions how other colonial powers for example the Germans French and Italians were so heavily influenced by Rupiya that they moulded and modified their own versions and used it as a currencyRupiya dominates tradeFrom there the narrative sails outward to the Indian Ocean trade routes where the rupee circulated alongside Arabian dinars and Portuguese cruzados symbols of a world increasingly bound by commerce By the 19th century the coin had become so trusted that it was accepted as far afield as East Africa Java and the Gulf quietly shaping local economies long before globalisation became a word ldquoOne very interesting fact about the power the Rupiya held was that it was found on a small atoll called Cocos and Keeling which lies in the Indian Ocean region and now belongs to Australiardquo explains Abraham The rupee was a form of soft power it proved that Indiarsquos economic and cultural influence extended far beyond its bordersLeft Paul Abraham and Dr Shailendra BhandareCurated by Dr Shailendra Bhandare numismatist and assistant keeper at the Ashmolean Museum University of Oxford the exhibition places the rupee within the grander sweep of world history ldquoThe Rupiya was a symbol of global domination and absolutely fascinating if we take geography into consideration The most interesting coin out of all on display would be the coin during the reign of Emperor Akbar in 1602 minted at Agra as it has the mention of the word Rupiya written on itrdquo notes Dr BhandareThey are political statements as much as economic tools Yet amid all the glitter of silver and gold Odyssey of the Rupee feels grounded in humanity Each coin is a fragment of lived experience through history More than a coin the Rupee was a symbol of greater acceptance which went beyond power and it played a major role in the liberty to maintain a standard of currencyA moment from a coin workshop at the museumTracing the Rupeersquos odyssey this exhibition offers more than a history of money it presents a meditation on power exchange and identity The journey of the Rupiya from Sher Shah Surirsquos mint to the modernday subcontinent has its own evolutionOn November 1 to January 30At Sarmaya Arts Foundation 2nd floor Lawrence amp Mayo 276 Dr DN Road FortLog on to sarmaya_india