The challenge presented Feb. 20, 1998

When Maharajah Ram Ihtouhem died, he left 3465 gold pieces to be divided equally among his children. Each of his wives had borne the same number of children and this number was 8 less than the number of wives in each harem, which in turn was 4 more than the number of harems and 4 less than the number of gold pieces each child received. How many children did the Maharajah have?
Solution