<P> In the Maldives, the unit of currency is known as the rufiyah, which is a cognate of the Sanskrit rupya . The Indian rupees (₹) and Pakistani rupees (Rs) are subdivided into one hundred paise (singular paisa) or pice . The Mauritian and Sri Lankan rupees subdivide into 100 cents . The Nepalese rupee subdivides into one hundred paisas (both singular and double) or four sukas or two mohors . </P> <P> The word "rupee" is derived from the Sanskrit term rūpya which means "wrought silver, a coin of silver", in origin an adjective meaning "shapely", with a more specific meaning of "stamped, impressed", whence "coin". It is derived from the noun rūpa "shape, likeness, image". The word rūpa is further identified as having sprung from the Dravidian (Tamil) root uruppu, which means "a member of the body". </P> <P> Rūpiya was first named to a silver coin weighing 178 grains (11.53 g) minted in northern India by Emperor Sher Shah Suri during his brief rule between 1540 and 1545 . Suri also introduced copper coins called dam and gold coins called mohur that weighed 169 grains (10.95 g). </P> <P> The Indian rupee was re-introduced in Medieval times, issued and termed as rupiya, the silver coin, by Sher Shah Suri (1540--1545), continued by the Mughal rulers . The history of the rupee traces back to Ancient India circa 3rd century BC . Ancient India was one of the earliest issuers of coins in the world, along with the Lydian staters, several other Middle Eastern coinages and the Chinese wen . The term is from rūpya, a Sanskrit term for silver coin, from Sanskrit rūpá, beautiful form . </P>

Which ruler issued the first rupiya in country