Bhutan’s Coining Journey: Koch Kingdom’s Connection

Boy, am I really, really excited! I mean, I am finally in no doubt whatsoever that I have it nailed!

Whole lot of writers and historians have theorized - a plethora of conflicting views have been opined, and claims made - as to when and where exactly Bhutan’s coining journey began. The confusion is so total that the publication of my coin book has been on hold for the last 15 years - for fear that I may be putting out a factually flawed book. Not to say that I hope to put out a book without any flaws - but I believe it to be my responsibility to try and ensure that the work I release for public consumption is one with the least bit of inaccuracies. Friends and collectors around the world are running out of patience - they tell me that I should go ahead and publish the book .... they say that I can correct any inaccuracies - by releasing a second edition to the book. I tell them - what is the guarantee that I will live long enough to be able to bring out a second edition? 😂

Anyway, close to ten years back when I first came across the following record, I was hugely amused - that good old Bhutan had been cheated out of Rs.5,000.00 worth of silver - I mean how funny is that? However, beyond the sense of tickle, I did not give it much thought. Then again, few days back, in an effort to review my work on the book so far, I reassessed the Note once again …. this time though, my sense of intrigue went beyond the thuggery - it dawned on me that the Note held far greater meaning than I had given it credit during my first reading. I realized that it held the answer to part of the puzzle: when and where did Bhutan begin it's coining journey?

Letter of Request for the recovery of Rs.5,000.00 worth of silver from the Raja of Cooch Behar

I went into a deep delve: Who was the Maharaja of Bhutan (Druk Desi) who authored that Note addressed to the British Governor General in the year 1785? Records indicate that it was Jigme Singye who served as the 18th Druk Desi - between 1776 to 1789.

The Note is explicit that the silver was sent to the “grandfather” of the “present Raja” for minting. Who was the “present Raja”? According to the official records of the government of Cooch Behar, the “present Raja” would be Raja Harendra Narayan - he ruled Cooch Behar between 1783 - 1839.

I pieced together the genealogy of Koch Kingdom’s Narayani Dynasty and the succession of their reign. It turns out that the “grandfather” under reference to whom the silver was supposed to have been sent, would have to be Raja Dairjendra Narayan - during his second term between 1775 – 1783.

Reign of successive Rajas of the Koch Kingdom's Narayani Dynasty - for the period between 1765 - 1839

This is most revealing! - the Note establishes the fact that THERE WAS NO MINT LOCATED WITHIN BHUTAN - not at least during early part of the reign of Druk Desi Jigme Singye. That is why silver had to be sent to Cooch Behar - for hammering into coins - even at the risk of being occasionally usurped!