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. Dr. Amiteshwar Jha Director (Research), IIRNS, Anjaneri, Nasik. Prof. Susmita Basu Majumdar University of Calcutta. 1 Component-I (B) – Description of module : Subject Name Indian Culture Paper Name Indian Numismatics Module Name/Title Western Kshatrapa Coinage: An Introduction Module Id IC / NMST / 12 Pre-requisites Knowledge in Ancient Indian Economic History and Monetary system Objectives The foremost objective is to familiarise the students with a series of coins that was struck in Western India continuously for a period of about 400 years from c. 1st century CE – beginning of 5th century CE by the Western Kshatrapas Keywords Western Kshatrapas / Nahapana / Coins / Numismatics E-text (Quadrant-I) : 1. Introduction The “Western Kṣhatrapas” (or “Western Satraps” as the western numismatists refer to them) collectively refers to the rulers from a number of families who ruled in Gujarat, Saurashtra and Malwa between 1st and 5th century CE. Early writers writing in 19th CE described them as memembers of a Sah or Sena dynasty, obviously due to their failure to correctly read the ending simha with which names of many of the kings ended. The appelation “Western” is used because they ruled in the western region and to distinguish them from the Kshatrapa rulers of north-western India and Mathura, and they are called Kshatrapas because they invariably use the titles ‘kshatrapa’ and ‘mahakshatrapa’ on their coins and in inscriptions. The Western Kṣhatrapas were of Saka origin. In the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea their state is called "Ariaca" which is probably derived from the reference to the “Arian” (that is, Scythian) origins of the Indo-Sakas. These “Arians” were the successors to the Indo- Scythians, though their exact relationship to the earlier Indo-Scythians and Indo-Greek rulers is not known. The Western Kṣhatrapas were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled a vast empire covering northern part of the Indian subcontinent and huge tracts of land in Central Asia. In the Deccan region, the Satavahanas were also contemporaries of the early Kṣatrapas. The Western Kshatrapas were finally conquered and by the powerful Guptas towards the end of 4th and beginning of the 5th century CE. The term Kshatrapa is probably of Persian origin – it was a title akin to “governor”, meaning “protector of the land”. In India the title slowly changed its meaning. Initially it may have implied vassalage to a higher power, but later the words kshatrapa along with mahakshatrapa were used by the Western Kṣatrapas as royal titles along with some others 2 like “Raja” and “Svami”. Interestingly, the adoption of the newly created title “Mahakshatrapa” (literally meaning “Great Kshatrapa”), came to reflect the higher rank of the ruler, and the title “Kshatrapa” became the title roughly equivalent to the ancient Roman “Caesar” or more modern “Heir Apparent” or “Crown Prince”. The “Kshatrapa” was probably expected to receive the more senior title of a “Mahakshatrapa” after the death of the current Mahakshatrapa. This arrangement might have been inspired by the Roman practice of having an “Augustus” (“Senior Emperor”) and “Caesar” (“Junior Emperor” or “heir apparent”). 2. Kshaharata family of Western Kshatrpas There were two main families / dynasties of the Western Kshatrapa rulers – the Kshaharatas and the Kardamakas. The first of these was the Kshaharatas. Only three rulers namely Abhiraka, Bhumaka, and Nahapana of this family were known till recently and another ruler whose name has been read as Horumunata on some recently published coins can now be added to this list. The exact relationship between these rulers is not known except for the fact that they all use the same family name Kshaharata. 2.1 Coins of Abhiraka and Bhumaka The first two rulers, Abhiraka and Bhumaka issued coins only in base metal like copper, lead, and copper-lead alloy. Coins of Abhiraka are clearly inspired by the Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian coinage. It has winged Nike with Greek inscription Saharaou Satrapou Aubirakou one one side and Lion and Wheel / Ploughshare and Wheel pillar standard and Brahmi inscription Kshaharatasa Kshatrapasa Abhirakasa jayatasa on the other. By his coin type he appears to have been related to the Indo-Parthian coins of the Gondopharid rulers of the early 1st century CE. What was the relationship between Abhiraka and the next Kshaharata ruler Bhumaka, we do not know. But what is certain is that Abhiraka was immediately followed by Bhumaka which is proved by the coins of Abhiraka that have been counterstruck by Bhumaka. Coins of Bhumaka are found in much larger numbers as compared to Abhiraka and are known in copper as well as lead and copper-lead alloys. The most common type issued by him has the motifs of thunderbolt and arrow and Kharoshthi inscription Kshaharatasa Kshatrapasa Bhumakasa jayatasa and the lion-wheel / ploughshare-wheel standard and Brahmi inscription Kshaharatasa Kshatrapasa Bhumakasa jayatasa on the reverse. Many of Bhumaka’s coins are poorly struck and bear only fragmentary inscriptions. 2.2 Coins of Nahapana The next Kshaharata ruler was Nahapana who is not only known to us from his numerous coins but also from several inscriptions recording endowments and benefactions of his son in law Usavadata (or Risabhadata) at Nashik and his minister Ayama at Junnar. The Nambanus mentioned in Periuplus and king Naravahana or Navavahana or Nirvahana etc mentioned in the Jaina literature are also identified with Nahapana. It was Nahapana who greatly expanded the Kshaharata kingdom and he seems to have controlled Southern Gujarat, western Malwa and Northern Konkan, from Broach to Sopara and the Nasik and Poona districts. He bears the titles of Raja Kshatrapa and Raja Mahakshatrapa. Although his date has been a subject of great debate, it is now generally 3 accepted that he ruled in the second half of 1st century CE, and the years 41 to 46 mentioned in the inscriptions are most probably his regnal years. Silver Coins It was Nahapana who started a silver currency in western India bearing the bust of the king on the obverse and weighing about 2.1-2.2 gm, a coin type which was continued not only by the rulers of the next family of Western Kshatrapa rulers but by many other dynasties in the region for the next 400-500 years. Probably the silver coins of the Indo-Greek ruler Apollodotus II were the most likely prototype or source of influence for Nahapana’s silver coins. These coins have been found in Gujarat and north Maharashtra and many a times along with the coins of Nahapana. The silver coins of Nahapana have the bust of the king wearing a flat cap to right, and Greek inscription Rannio Saharatas Nahapanas, which is actually a transliteration of the reverse Prakrit inscription, on the obverse. On the reverse are seen thunderbolt, arrow, a pellet between the two and inscriptions in Brahmi and Kharoshthi which read Rajño Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa and Raño Chhaharatasa / Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa respectively. The Greek inscription on the obverse is many a times found slightly corrupt and the Kharoshthi inscription on the reverse is found at times variously shortened. Nahapana’s Silver Coins Counterstruck by Gotamiputra Satakarni Nahapana was involved in a long struggle for supremacy with the Satavahanas. A large number of his coins have been found overstruck by the Satavahana ruler Gotamiputra Satakarni. As many as 9270 coins out of a total of 13250 coins of Nahapana found in the Jogelthami hard near Nashik in 1907 were counterstruck. The counterstriking devices used for these coins have a 3 or 6 or 10-arched hill symbol with the Brahmi inscription Raño Gotamiputasa Siri Satakanisa for one side and Ujjain symbol for the other. These counterstriking devices were used without any consideration of the obverse or reverse which means that either of the devices could be used for overstriking any side but on no coin the same device is found struck on the obverse and reverse both. On some counterstruck coins inscriptions give the name of Siva Satakarni. Siva Satakarni was perhaps the immediate predecessor of Gotamiputra Satakarni and this would suggest that Nahapana’s struggle with the Satavahanas had in fact started before Gotamiputra Satakarni. Base Metal Coins of Nahapana Apart from the silver coins, Nahapana issued many types of coins in baser metals like copper, bronze, arsenical bronze/ potin and lead. Many of these were in fact influenced by Satavahana coin types and were issued in those regions which earlier belonged to the Satavahanas and issued in typological continuation of the Satavahana coin types. In fact, in the Nevasa-Paithan and adjoining regions of Maharashtra many Satavahana coin types have been found overstruck by Nahapana and then Nahapana issued his own coins in the same typology with his own motifs and inscriptions in those regions. Here we shall learn about some of these coins. One of the types issued in lead and perhaps copper also has the bust to right on the obverse and arrow and thunderbolt on the reverse. 4 These are rectangular coins and have the same Brahmi inscription Rajño Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa on both the sides. Another type issued in round and rectangular shapes and probably in arsenical bronze has Elephant standing right with laterally placed thunderbolt and arrow above its back and Brahmi inscription Raño Kshatrapasa Nahapanasa on the obverse and tree with bicellular leaves in railing on the reverse. These were probably copied from Satavahana coin types at Nasik. On some coins the arrow is seen placed upright in front of the elephant. At Junnar, Nahapana issued arsenical bronze and lead coins that are in continuation of a Satavahana coin type issued there.