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The Tajiks are descended from the Persian-speaking Iranian stock that once predominated in Central Asia. They were part of the empires of the Persians and of Alexander the Great and his successors, and in the 800s-900s they were conquered by the Arabs and were thus converted to Islam. The Tajiks were ruled by the Uzbek khanate of Bukhara from the 1400s to the mid 1700s, at which time the Afghans conquered those Tajiks living south of the Amu Darya. Russia took over much of Tajikistan in the 1860s. Tajikistan was part of the Turkestan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) within the Russian SFSR during the Russian Civil War. The Turkestan SSR was part of the Russian SFSR when the Soviet Union was founded on January 1, 1923. Tajikistan was created as the Tajikistan Autonomous SSR within the Uzbekistan SSR on May 13, 1925, and Tajikistan became a separate Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union on December 5, 1929. Tajikistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on September 9, 1991.

Tajikistan's monetary history followed that of the Soviet Union until it gained its independence in 1991. Russian Rubles (RUEP) were used in Tajikistan until 1918. The Russian Ruble Sovnazki (RUFS) replaced the Tsarist Ruble at par in 1918. The Russian Ruble of 1922 (RUFR) was introduced on January 1, 1922 and replaced the Ruble Sovnazki at the rate of 1 Ruble of 1922 equal to 10,000 Rubles Sovnazki. The Soviet Ruble of 1923 (SUB) replaced the Ruble of 1922 at the rate of 1 Ruble of 1923 equal to 100 Rubles of 1923.

The Chervonetz (SUC) was introduced on December 27, 1922, which was backed 25% by gold, and eventually replaced the Ruble Sovnazki as a unit of account. The Gold Ruble (SUG) was introduced on March 7, 1924 equal to 1/10 Chervonetz and 50,000 Rubles of 1923 (i.e. it took 50,000,000,000 Soviet Gold Rubles to get one Tsarist Gold Ruble). A New Ruble (SUN) replaced the Gold Ruble on December 29, 1947 at the rate of 1 New Ruble equal to 10 Gold Rubles. On January 1, 1961, the Hard Ruble (SUR) replaced the New Ruble at the rate of 1 Hard Ruble equal to 10 New Rubles. The Ruble is divisible into 100 Kopeks, and has been issued by the State Treasury and by the State Bank (Gosbank).

After Tajikistan gained its independence, it continued to use the Russian Ruble (RUR) until May 10, 1995 when it issued its own Ruble (TJR) at par with the Russian Ruble. The Tajikistan Somoni replaced the Tajikistan Ruble on January 1, 2001 with 1 Somoni equal to 1000 Tajik Rubles. The Tajik Ruble was divisible into 100 Tanga, and the Tajik Somoni is divisible into 100 Diram. The National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan is the sole note-issuing authority for Tajikistan.

Here is a 1 Ruble note dated 1994. The note is the first note issued by the newly independant country after gaining its independance from the Soviet Union. The note is brown on multicolored underprint. The obverse shows the coat of arms to the upper left. The reverse shows Majlisi Olii, or Tajik Parliament with the national flag. This note has a watermark of multiple stars.

• Krause# Pick-1a

This 1994 issued note is valued at 2 Rubles. The note is deep blue on multicolored underprint. The obverse features the National Coat of Arms to the upper left. The reverse depicts Majlisi Olii, or Tajik Parliament, with the national flag above. This note carries a watermark of multiple stars.

• Krause# Pick-2a

This note is a 10 Ruble note dated 1994. The note is deep red on multicolored underprint. The obverse shows the coat of arms to the upper left. The reverse shows Majlisi Olii, or Tajik Parliament with the national flag. This note has a watermark of multiple stars.

• Krause# Pick-3a

Here is a 20 Ruble note dated 1994. The note is purple on multicolored underprint. The obverse shows the coat of arms to the upper left. The reverse shows Majlisi Olii, or Tajik Parliament with the national flag. This note has a watermark of multiple stars.

• Krause# Pick-4a

• Krause# Pick-6a

• Krause# Pick-10a

This note is dated 1999 and valued at 5 Diram. The note is blue on tan underprint. The obverse features Arbob Culture palace in the center. The reverse depicts the Shrine of Mirzo Tursunzoda. Mirzo Tursunzoda was born in 1911 and died in 1977, and was an important poet and a prominent political figure in Tajikistan. The note has a watermark of two mountains over a rectangle.

• Krause# Pick-11a

Tajikistan 20 Diram 1994 P-12a

• Krause# Pick-12a

Tajikistan 50 Diram 1999 P-13a

• Krause# Pick-13a