In early medieval India, what did the term Jital refer to ?

In early medieval India, the term 'Jital' referred to a copper or bullion coin that served as a standard currency unit. The Jital was particularly prominent during the Delhi Sultanate period. Iltutmish, the Sultan of Delhi, is credited with introducing a standardized coinage system consisting of the silver 'Tanka' and the copper 'Jital'. These coins were essential for small-scale transactions and represented the monetization of the medieval economy. While the Tanka was the higher denomination, the Jital was the fractional unit used by the common people. Historical records, such as the Bamiyan Papers, mention the Jital as a currency denomination alongside other units like the dāng [t1]. This system of coinage based on metal content remained the norm until experiments with token currency, such as those by Muhammad bin Tughlaq, were introduced [c3].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.3366/jj.29605651.12.pdf
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Advent of Arabs and Turks > Tughlaq's Coins > p. 145