The Silah Dinars in the Aghlabid Era: Political and Artistic Dimensions

This study examines the ?ilah dinars (Dinars of Connection) issued during the Aghlabid period (290–296 A.H) as a model of medieval Islamic coinage that transcended its traditional economic function to become a political and propagandistic instrument. The significance of this research lies in uncovering the role of coinage in consolidating Aghlabid legitimacy, affirming their local identity, and securing recognition from the Abbasid Caliphate. The central research problem concerns how coinage inscriptions and decorative motifs were employed to articulate the balance between local authority and symbolic allegiance to the Abbasid Center. The study aims to introduce these ?ilah dinars and analyse their functions; while also tracing the formal and artistic developments they underwent during the Aghlabid era. Methodologically, the research adopts the critical historical approach in analyzing primary sources and international collection catalogues, alongside the descriptive-analytical method in studying the inscriptions and ornamental features. The findings reveal that the ?ilah dinars served as an integrated medium for expressing both local legitimacy and symbolic loyalty to the caliphate, extending far beyond their role as instruments of economic exchange.