Ancient
Coins and Inscriptions:
Their importance in building the history of
ancient India
S. G. Dhopate
The barter system is the exchange of
available surplus commodities by the individuals. For example, a potter
may exchange his pottery which is surplus with him, for grains with
farmer, milk and milk products with cowherd, skins and bones with
hunter or cloth with weaver. Another form of exchange similar to above
system is acquiring needed commodity by offering cattle such as cows
and sheep. The first system must had been in practice even in prehistoric
period of mankind. It is in practice till today in certain parts of
various countries world over. The exchange of cattle has a documentary
evidence from the Rigvedic verses which are the oldest literatures
of the world. During the Vedic sacrifices cows were offered to the
Brahmins as Dakshina. Many purchases are mentioned by offering cows.
A Rishi in a dialogue with another Rishi refused to part his golden
Indra idol even at price of 10,000 cows. In one sacrifice each
Brahmin was given for Dakshina a cow to one of whose horn was tied
a gold globule. Here in the verse this globule is termed as
NISHKA. As several Brahmins received Dakshina in this form it is clear
that all the gold pieces must had been of uniform weight, otherwise
a variation in the weight would have been a cause for injustice. This
is the oldest document of offering metallic piece as a means
of exchange. Moreover as there is a provision for tying the piece
they might had also been used as the ornaments.
Thus in Vedic, post Vedic as well as
other all classical ancient Indian literatures up to the period of
Mahabharat there are references of Nishka and also of Shataman
and Hiranyapind as the means of exchange of uniform weights. They
were certainly used as money but at present we can not conform
them as coins.
Harappan Mohonjodaro excavations have
reported silver pieces with CUNIFORM marks. They were some 12-13
pieces with fractions and multiples of a certain unit. A stone weight
preserved in British Museum obtained from Egypt is in a form of recumbent
ox with an inscription of TETA, the Egyptian ruler of 4500
years B. C. Another ancient wall painting in Egypt shows a treasure
in the form of gold rings being weighed against a weight in a shape
of an ox. However the survey does not furnish us the information regarding
the beginning of coinage and acceptance of coins by the masses.
Two reasons must had been the cause
of popularity of coins. 1)While offering a cow or a sheep a half and
quarter part, i. e. their fractions would have posed the problems
during the transactions. 2)A farmer might had been in need of cloth
or pottery occasionally but the weaver or the potter would have been
in need of grains regularly. In this case farmer might have
refused to bargain every time for the commodities offered by the weaver
or the potter. These and some other difficulties might be the
cause for the introduction of universal means like metallic pieces.
Interestingly it is noteworthy that a Sanskrit word PACU and
similar Latin word PACUS or PECUNIA having a meaning cattle, were
and still are used to denote money (in Sanskrit DHANA). The present
day English word PECUNIARY (i. e. related to money) is reminiscent
of early transaction of barter system.
With the passage of time the integrity
in offering pure and genuine metal pieces might have been under dispute
because of adulterations of silver and copper in gold and copper
in silver. This dispute was brought to end by the rulers or by the
treading authorities by
stamping a mark of authenticity and thus initiated the minting the
coins.
The earliest such small round and thick piece of silver having a H
type mark is reported in
1901 from Crete, (ancient Greek colony). Its estimated date is 1200
years B. C. In the context of India it is a bent bar coin having somewhat
rectangular shape on which are Sun like figures on both sides. They
are reported from North West region of India, Taxila. Their approximate
date is 700 years B. C.
The Punch Mark Coins are the indigenous
ancient coins of India. They are issued in silver metal having uniform
weight around 3.4 to 3.6 gm., on obverse of which are generally five
Punches of figures of sun, moon, hill, river, bull, standard, and
so many. On the reverse side is a single punch. They are uninscribed
, having no portrait of a king and also the date.
At Taxila on Bhir mounds excavations
was discovered a hoard of silver coins having 1170 pieces.
In this two as if freshly strucked coins of Alexander and one coin
of Phillip Aridatus associated with 1167 punch marked coins which
were worn out due to their long time circulation. This discovery is
a landmark in the history of Indian coinage because we know the date
of Alexander rule which is known from other sources as c. 350 B. C.
The very fact is a conclusive proof of minting coins in India before
the entry of Alexander. As already stated earlier their antiquity
goes back to C. 700 years B. C.
Historically known Indian Empire is
of Mahapadmanand of Nand dynasty. It is considered that coins issued
here onwards are uniform in verity. Chandragupta Mourya with the ambitious
efforts of Kautilya Vishnugupt succeeded Nandas
and became the emperor of vast territory of India. Kautilya in his
treatise on Arthashastra elaborated the extraction of Metals from
ores, the manufacture of metallic alloys and minting of coins. For
the silver coins he has used a term KARSHAPANAS. These are the punch
mark coins called by the numismatists. Of course it is only a prediction.
Greek coins were in circulation along
with punch mark as the official currency. Later on the Roman coins
especially those of gold and silver were brought in by traders. From
late first century B. C. onwards a trade between the Roman empire
and India was very flourishing. From Rome there used come in chemicals,
wines, high quality pottery, some metal alloys and gold and silver
in the form of coins and bars where as in exchange India was exporting
silk and their articles, spices, precious stones, jewelry etc. This
trade was very favorable for India.
This was a period of Kushan rulers who
entered in India from central Asia and established a large empire
in North India. They started issuing the gold coins. This is the beginning
of golden era of Indian coinage. Their successors were the Imperial
Guptas. Their gold coins are reported in abundance from various hoards.
It is note worthy that all foreign coins discovered have adequate
legends and also the portraits of the rulers. This same system was
followed by Kushan and Gupta kings. But from the study of hoards found
in South India we come to know that majority of them are associated
with Roman
coins along with local coins. It is noteworthy
that though the coins of silver, copper, brass, potin and lead are
found in plenty, gold coins of Satvahana, Kshatrap, Traikutak, Abhir
and Kalachuri rulers who ruled during 250 years B. C. and 5th century
A. D. are not found in any hoard, any where as stray find or even
in any excavation. Suvarna and Dinarias mentioned in literatures and
inscriptions are the terms used for the foreign coins. The first
indigenous gold coin reported from South India is that of Pulakesi
II of early Chalukyas. This coin has a legend Satyasraya in Brahmi
around the VARAH (i.e. bore) motif at the center. Varah is the third
incarnation of Lord Vishnu which was the family deity of Chaukyas.
However they are very rare and Roman and Byzantine coins were very
predominant in circulation which are evident from inscriptions and
the contemporary literary records.
Gadyan coins later on became popular
generally with inadequate or sometimes even without legends.
From various records we come to know that they are issues of copper,
silver and gold. Again in the 10th, 11th and 12th century AD we come
across the coins of Kadambas, Yadavas and Cholas in south. The base
metal coins like those of copper, brass, potin and lead along with
silver were in circulation for day to day use and gold coins were
used as a treasure and also for making ornaments.
Barring few like Rashtrakutas these
coins are issued by all the rulers of South India. There are few coins
with only motifs and no legends or partial legends. Their attribution
is based on their find spots or data available from other sources.
The coins of Vishnukundins and Pallavas are from this category.
Even then Byzantine coins of foreign origin were also in circulation.
Thus for a long period of thousand years or even more, India`s foreign
trade was of surplus nature. With a continuous inflow of gold
in the form of coins or bars by the foreign traders to purchase Indian
commodities transformed India into SUVARNA BHOOMI. Now let us review
some data available from numismatic and epigraphic records.
1) By oral tradition we are familiar
with one Greek monarch Alexander who conquered
The North West region of India. However
Indo-Greek coins obtained in excavations
in this
part brought to our notice as many as 42 Greek rulers.
2) We know only one Satavahana
king based on mythological stories, although the
Puranic statements give the list of about 22 to 30 kings. Inscriptions
in Nashik, Naneghat, Kanheri caves give us the existence of seven
kings and out of them almost all are known from the legends of the
coins they issued. Interestingly few kings not
listed
by Puranas have been made known to us by coins.
3) The contemporary Kshatrap rulers
are known us from their coins and inscriptions found in Maharastra,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Not only that they have helped
in establishing their genealogy, ruling period and a broad history,
from 150 AD to 410 A D.
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4) A tremendous data compiled from these
two sources gives us glimpses of cultural, social and political history
of Satavahana and Kshatrap during a period 250 years BC to 250 years
AD.
5) Some 250 years back from now our fore
fathers were completely ignorant about the rule of Traikutakas
and Shilaharas who ruled in Konkan. It is only because of hard
and time consuming efforts of European and Indian numismatists and
epigraphists who studied these two historical
sources to compile their history.
6) Our history books teach us a lot regarding
the empire of Ashoka and then suddenly jump to the Mughals as the
emperors of India. Never the less several copper plate grants of Rashtrakuta
dynasty which ruled from Manyakheta as their capital in south India
inform us that once upon a time during 8th and 9th century AD the
boundaries of their empire was extended in north India as far as trans
Yamuna territory.
7) Satavahana queens Naganika and Balashri,
Vakataka queen Prabhavati, Chalukyan queen Vinayavati Kadamba queen
Malaldevi who are the towering personalities of ancient Indian history
mentioned in various inscriptions are unknown even to the students
of history.
These are very few examples cited here
in this short essay. As we go deeper and deeper to study this branch
of history more and more fascinating new information we come across
and some times they compel us to change our present concept of a particular
portion of conventional history.
At the same time a history student be
free from any bias. His interpretations should not be twisted
to mislead the readers. Due to the controversial statements by the
scholars, there are many problems which are yet to be settled.
THANKS.
A special essay prepared for the
inaugural day of Indology Group, Pillais` College of Architecture,
New Panavel on July 29, 1998.