Component-I (A) – Personal details:

Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Prof. V. Sakunthalamma Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. & Prof. Susmita Basu Majumdar Dept. of AIHC, University of Calcutta.

Prof. Suchandra Ghosh Dept. of AIHC, University of Calcutta.

Prof. Susmita Basu Majumdar University of Calcutta.

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Component-I (B) – Description of module :

Subject Name Indian Culture

Paper Name Indian Numismatics

Module Name/Title Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian Coins

Module Id IC / NMST / 10

Pre-requisites Ancient Indian Economic History and Monetary system

Objectives To understand the Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian Coins of Ancient and its importance

Keywords Indo-Scythian / Indo-Parthian / Coins / Numismatics

E-text (Quadrant-I) :

1. Introduction

The history of the Indo- has to be reconstructed largely on the basis of numismatic evidence as the names of the rulers are furnished by their coins. Scythian is a generic term which refers to a group of people, originating in and then migrating to south and west. was the earliest of the Indo-Scythians to rule in a part of India. The other Scythian clan was that of Vonones and his associates who reached India through , the other was Maues who had crossed the Pamirs and entered into India. However in the middle of the first century BCE, it was Azes, once a co-ruler of the Vonones group who assumed sole power and extended the rule of the Scythians in India.

The earliest kingdom was established by c. 158 BCE in a region of extreme north western section of the subcontinent. This included the Darel and Swat on the Indus. The area was then known as a part of Chipin. When precisely and under what circumstances Maues arrived in India is uncertain, but the expulsion of the Scythian (Saka/Sai) peoples from Central Asia is referred to in the Han Shu, where the cause given is their confrontation with the Ta Yüeh-chih, themselves undergoing an enforced migration. That the route from the Pamirs into the Gilgit valley was used in Maues’ time is confirmed by the discovery of inscriptions in the Chilas/Gilgit area bearing his name The extension of the Saka rule to -dheri area is suggested by an inscription found in that locality which talks of the great king, the Great Moga. Moga has been universally identified with Moa or Maues of legends on several varieties of coins. The group of Maues was ousted from the area and also perhaps from to the west of the Indus by the Indo-Greek ruler Hippostratus.

2. Maues :

Maues’ coins do not bear portraits, and on his issues and those of subsequent rulers the deities depicted represent more an association with particular regions rather than dynastic relationships. A clearer picture of the chronology and relationships between the Indo-Greek kings and Maues has been obtained from hoard evidence and monogram sequences. The

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order of kings has been confirmed by the identification of overstruck coins, since the issuer of the undertype must be either earlier than or contemporary with the king who overstruck his coins. Overstriking can take place when there is a shortage of metal for a new coinage, but it sometimes signifies hostile incursion by a new ruler. Maues’ encroachment into Indo- Greek territory doesn’t appear to have been violent, he didn’t restrike their coins, and only one uncertain overstrike on his exists. He issued silver coins for three principal provinces. He adopted many coin types of his Indo-Greek predecessors.

In Hazara and Kashmir, his eastern province, he struck the beautiful “Female City deity enthroned right in the obverse and Nikephoros left in the reverse]”. The bronze denominations bear types that show either the king mounted on horseback (which becomes the commonest silver type for subsequent Indo-Scythian monarchs) or mainly non-Greek deities. This was probably the first province occupied by Maues, and one seemingly not previously occupied by the Indo-Greeks.

In Taxila province (to the west of Hazara), he struck his commonest silver issue “Zeus left - Nike right”. The bronze coin types are predominantly animals (bull, elephant) which had appeared on the city’s coinage even before the Greek occupation. Other coins show Greek (Apollo, tripod, Zeus-Nikephoros, Artemis) or Parthian (horse, bowcase) influences. By far the commonest bronze is an imitation of the Bactrian king Demetrius I .

In the northwest region his silver coins bear the type of “Artemis and driver in two-horsed chariot - Enthroned Zeus” , the design of the reverse is similar to one of Antialcidas (c.130– 120). Some of his drachms are square, imitating those of the last major Indo-Greek king in the region, Philoxenos (ca. 125-110). Here the bronze coins are scarce and show either Zeus, Nike, a lunar deity, or other uncertain male/female deities.

His Artemis : Bull coins are typologically based on the Artemis : Bull pieces of Artemidorus. Maues probably conquered Gandhara to the west of the Indus from the Indo-Greek ruler Artemidorus.

It has been suggested that Maues possibly attempted to unify his currency system, since in the final phase of his reign he introduced a new bronze type with “Poseidon - yakshi [female fertility figure] amongst vines” being issued in all three provinces.

One remarkable coin issue of Maues bears the type associated with Kashmir province but a monogram associated with Taxila and struck jointly in his name and that of Queen Machene. Since Machene is not a Greek name, it is quite possible that this issue commemorated an alliance (probably through matrimony) between Maues and a powerful Indo-Scythian family in Taxila. A rare issue was even struck that bore just these two reverse types without a portrait, the usual determinant of what are regarded as Indo-Scythian coins.

Maues ruled in the region of western (Taxila and Charsadda) and numismatic evidence shows that this was reconquered from Maues by the Indo-Greek ruler Apollodotus II and Indo-Greeks, thus, continued to rule in this area for sometime till the coming of another Scythian called in c.55 BCE when they were finally driven away from this region. The brunt of the defeat was taken by Hippostratus who was then ruling in western Punjab. Apollodotus II (c.80–65 BCE) ruled for a long time and had both western and eastern Punjab under his possession. Hippostratus (c.65–55 BCE) succeeded him in western Punjab.

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That his territory in Punjab was taken over by Azes I is also corroborated by the Ambala hoard which stops with coins of Hippostratus.

3. Vonones group and Azes, and Azes II

3.1 Historical Background

Vonones declared independence after a short phase of the Arsacid rule and minted coin as a supreme ruler though having an associate. Spalyrises served as an associate of Vonones and later on ruled independently in . In no time Azes I became his co-ruler and Spalrises as a senior ruler had his name written in Greek whereas Azes’ name was in Prakrit. From a co-ruler Azes I graduated into an independent king. He issued coins with the title ‘’. Large part of north-west India was united during the rule of AzesI and his huge output of coinage suggest a great increase in wealth. He might have reached the north-western section of the from Arachosia through the Gomal pas and through the regions watered by the Gomal, Tochi and Kurram rivers. That an era was introduced in his name in 58/57BCE is evident from inscriptions which are dated in the era of ‘The Great King Azes’. This was known earlier as Vikrama era but now we know that it owed its origin to the first Indo-Scythian king, Azes I

These rulers followed a system of joint rule and the accepted numismatic sequence for them following G.K. Jenkins is Vonones/Spalahores, Vonones/Spalagadames, Spalyrises/Spalagadames, Spalirises, Spalirises/AzesI, AzesI, Azilises and AzesII. Azes I and Azilises succeeded to the realm of Maues. The coinage of these two Scythian kings forms a uniform series of issues that succeeded Maues’s coinage and was itself followed by the coinage of Azes II. Scythian coins issued in the name of Azes are generally subdivided into coins of Azes I and Azes II. Recent study by Robert Senior argues that there was only one Azes but this has not been unanimously accepted. The presence of two Azes has been argued on the basis of the following points:

a) The basic criterion has been that the mounted horseman shown on the obverse of most coins carries a spear on Azes I’s coins but a whip on the coins of Azes II.

b) Other criteria for differentiating between coins of Azes I and those of Azes II are based on control marks, metrology and coin types. Coins of Azes I are characterized by different ranges of control marks from those used by Azes II.

c) Azes II coins are highly debased. There was evolution from broad thin flans to smaller thick flans of Azes II’s coins.

d) Use of royal title is another criteria. Azes I normally used Rajarajasa and Azes II changed it to Rajadirajasa though this change did not occur simultaneously in all the coin series.

3.2 Extent of the kingdom of Azes I and his coin types

The extent of his kingdom can be understood from the reverse devices of his coins. His presence in the area of (Charsada in district) is attested by his City goddess of Pushkalavati : bull type of coins of Azes I indicate his presence in the area of

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Pushkalavati. The tetra drachms of Azes I bearing the mounted king: armed Pallas (Pallas Athena holding an aegis and a thunderbolt) type can be located in the Bajaur territory following its use by a contemporary family of subordinate rulers of the same region. These territories were conquered from the Indo-Greek ruler Hippostratus. That his territory in Punjab was taken over by AzesI is also corroborated by the Ambala hoard which stops with coins of Hipostratus.

From the Indo-Greeks Azes I also conquered Sind Sagar Doab, including Taxila. The figure of standing Zeus holding a Nike used by him has been attributed to this area. The drachms of Azes I displaying Pallas Athena hurling a thunderbolt on one side can be assigned like the Indo-Greek drachms with the identical device to an area to the east of the Jhelum.

Azes I had for sometime Azilises as his co-ruler. Later Azilises succeeded him as a supreme ruler. Azilises could hold together the territories conquered by Azes I including the original seat of power, Arachosia. The coins bearing the figure of ‘seated Herakles’ on the reverse were products of the Arachosian mint. The pieces displaying humped bull on one side were probably struck at Pushkalavati. The tetra drachms with the reverse device as Pallas Athena holding an aegis and hurling a thunderbolt can be assigned to an area to the west of the Indus. Thus he too issued a large number of coins which is evocative of his control over areas of north-west India. Apart from consolidating the kingom of his predecessor, his rule extended to . This is evident from one of his reverse types depicting goddess Lakshmi being anointed by two elephants which was later on copied by , the Scythian Kshatrapa of Mathura. Moreover the device three elephants with rider used in his coins is based on the identical type used by local rulers of Mathura with the name ending in datta or mitra. This shows that he extended the Scythian hegemony till Mathura at the cost of these local rulers. The control of the region to the east of Jhelum was taken from the Indo-Greek rulers Strato II and III.

Azilises was succeeded by Azes II in about the first quarter of 1st century CE. He has been for some time an associate of Azilises. His rule however saw contraction in the territorial extent of the kingdom. Arachosia was no more a part of the Indo-Scythian kingdom as Isidore of Charax in his Stathmoi Parthikoi, a text of 1st century BCE-1st centuryCE, mentions that Arachosia was within the . The coins issued by him shows that he continued to rule to the regions of both west and east of Indus. Some tetra drachms of the Pallas type , attributable to the west of the Indus refer to king Azes (II) in the Greek legend in the obverse and to Strategos( general) Aspavarman, son of Itravarman in the Prakrit legend on the reverse of his coins. The coins struck jointly by the king and the general imply some administrative responsibilities assumed by the latter. We have no evidence of his rule in Mathura.

The existence of two Azes was also evident from an inscription from Bajaur. It was engraved during the time of king Azes and his subordinate local ruler Vijayamitra and dated in the year 63 of an era named after the dead king Azes. Thus the reigning king Azes was certainly different from the dead king of the same name. It is also indicated by the divergence in workmanship of the issues bearing the name Azes. Moreover Azes I’s coins are characterized by the king on horseback holding spear while Azes II used king on horseback holding whip device. Azilises on the other hand used both the types and thus could safely be placed between the two. Thus the Indo-Scythians ruled in the north-west

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India giving space to local dynasties like the Apracharajas till they were supplanted by , the founder of the Indo-Parthian kingdom. These rulers carved out their kingdom from the Indo-Greeks but continued to represent the Greek deities on their coins following them.

4. Indo-Parthians

The Indo-Parthians succeeded the Indo-Scythians in the Indo-Iranian borderlands and numismatic evidence enables us to understand their penetration into the territories once ruled by the Indo-Greeks and the Indo-Scythians.The first ruler important ruler who began to carve out a kingdom by expanding his control from Seistan through Arachosia and north to the valley and over Gandhara and the neighbouring regions was Gondophares. In fact the group of Gondophares captured by and large the kingdom of the Azes group. He may have begun his rule towards the end of Azes II’s reign.

We have a concrete evidence, in addition to coins, regarding the presence of Gondophares in north-west India. This is the Takht-I Bahi Kharoshti inscription now in the Lahore museum. It is dated in the 26th year of Maharaja Guduvhara (Gondophares) and in the 103rd year of an unstated era. The era could be ascribed to the Azes era of 57BCE and we know that the era of 57BCE, known as the Vikrama era, owed its origin to the first Indo-Scythian king AzesI. The conversion is then 103-57=46CE. Thus his first year of reign was 20CE.

Gondophares also appears in a New Testament context. It is said that St was supposedly sent to the court of Gondophares. He was a skilled carpenter and was employed by Gondophares to superintend the construction of a palace. As far as the chronology is concerned, the tells us that the journey began very shortly after the Crucifixion, currently dated in 30 CE. (Bivar,2007:31). These two indications along with the debasement of coins which was carried out during his rule, enable us to fix the reign of Gondophares approximately between 20-46 CE.

We do not have much precise information about the events of his reign. His coinage is the chief source of information. These could be found from three provinces, distinguished by their module and reverse types. From a beginning in Seistan/, Gondophares perhaps controlled the surrounding provinces particularly that of southern Arachosia.

His silver drachms of Parthian type depicting bust of the king on the obverse and king enthroned crowned by a winged Nike on the reverse are considered as a series intended to supplement the existing Parthian coinage of silver drachms in Drangiana.

In Arachosia the series of copper coins had a royal portrait on the obverse and a winged Nike on the reverse. In this series they revived the Greek practice of using royal portraits.

Lower Indus country was brought under his control and this was crucial in accumulation of future wealth of the dynasty since it gave access to the port of Barbarikon which was also linked to the Silk route. The trade flourished through the Persian Gulf. The bust : Nike type drachms of good silver issued by Gondophares bearing Greek and Kharoshti inscriptions have been assigned to the Lower Indus area, since it was unaffected by the debasement of silver coinage as witnessed in the other contemporary Kharoshti using zones in the north- west.

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Gondophares then brought Gandhara within its control. By issuing billon series of Indian standard, he continued the coin design of king on horseback introduced by his Indo-Scythian predecessor. In west Gandhara which included the city of Pushkalavati, he allowed the Apracharajas to rule. Gondophares pushed on to the east with his conquests and ousted the Mahakshatrapa Rajuvula from the Jammu-Pathankot area. Here he struck copper drachms according to the Indian standard depicting head of the king on the obverse and Athena Alkidemos on the reverse (Cribb, 1985). This coinage follows the very rude coins issued by Rajuvula. This was perhaps the eastern limit of the kingdom of Gondophares.

He was probably succeeded by Abdagases as Taxilan coins of Abdagases describe him as the nephew of Gondophares and thus could be the immediate successor. In fact this reference to Abdagases as Gondophares’ brothers son could be an attempt to establish legitimacy in the absence of a direct heir. Following him we come across a new ruler called . Sases acquired territory in Gandhara and struck coins in the name of the ‘King of Kings, invincible with a discuss,’ a title reminiscent of that of Gondophares but also of Rajuvula. He was probably related to the family of Apracharajas and then he took the rest of Gandhara from Abdagases and the whole province was then divided between himself and Aspavarma, the commander, son of commander Indravarma, cousin of the Apracharaja. The sequence of rulers following Gondophares , in each of the three main coinage areas remains largely debatable. It is interesting to note that Orthagnes and Pacores who never ruled over the former Indo-Parthian territories , in the Indus valley adopted on their coinage in Arachosia the grandiose title ‘Basileus Basileun Megas’ which their predeccessors have used in the Indus valley coinage following the practices of the Indo-Scythian ruler Azes II. Ubouzanes could be placed between Orthagnes and Pacores and after Pacores. Coins of three rulers, Abdagases II, Sarpedanes and Sases were found in a hoard from Jammu area. The most accepted chronological sequence after Gondophares was AbdagasesI, Orthagnes, Hybouzanes/Ubouzanes, Pacores, Sanabares, Abdagases II, Sarpedanes and Sases.

The Indo-Parthian kingdom was quite large and there were geographical variations. In order to keep the kingdom together, Gondophares probably allowed the kshatrapas a large measure of autonomy. He co-operated with powerful forces on the ground and absorbed them in his sphere of influence. He expanded his influence from the Seistan to the River Sutlej. His policy was conquest by a system of absorption allowing local rulers to keep their independence.

The kingdom collapsed as a result of a major invasion by the Kushans under . The overstrikes of Kujula Kadphises over the coins of Gondophares indicate very clearly that Kujula brought to an end Parthian rule in the (Kabul-Begram region) and Gandhara. Apart from the overstrikes, another numismatic link between Kujula and Gondophares has been revealed by a hoard of small silver coins found at Taxila. In this hoard we have coins issued by Parthian rulers and Sarpedanes and by Kujula Kadphises. The Kujula coins were the latest issues.

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