rupiya

Rupiya (sometimes spelled rūpiyā) is a historic term for a silver coin that originated in the Indian subcontinent and has given rise to the modern name “rupee.” The word derives from the Sanskrit “rūpya,” meaning “wrought silver” or “shaped.” First issued by the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century, rupiyas were standardized as a weight of 180 grains (≈11.66 g) of silver. They circulated widely across northern India and later in the Mughal Empire, where the coin became a principal monetary unit.

During the Mughal period the rupiya was minted in both silver and copper, with denominations such as the dam (copper) and the mohur (gold). The imperial administration fixed the exchange rate between rupiyas, dams, and mohur, facilitating trade throughout the empire and its neighboring states. After the decline of Mughal authority, regional kingdoms and the British East India Company continued to issue rupiya-style coins, often adapting the design to local needs.

In the 19th century, the British introduced the “rupee” as the official currency of British India, standardizing its weight and composition. Following independence, several successor states retained the name for their national currencies, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Sri Lankan rupee, Nepalese rupee, and the Indonesian rupiah, which traces its etymology to the same root.

Today, the term “rupiya” is primarily of historical interest, referring to the pre‑modern silver coinage that laid the foundation for contemporary South Asian monetary systems. Its legacy persists in the linguistic continuity of currency names across the region.