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The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s3: The Horseman Type

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c11.s3

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The Horseman Type

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The horseman type is one of the new types introduced by Chandragupta II. He was probably skilled in horsemanship and may have therefore chosen the king as horseman as a new motif for his coinage. It became the most favourite type with his son Kumāragupta I. Prakāśāditya is the only other Gupta king, who continued this type, but in combination with the Lion-slayer motif.

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The coins of this type vary in size from .75" to .8". Vast majority of them are issued to the weight standard of 121 grains, but there are a few which weigh 124 and 127 grains also. Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Ayodhya and Bayana are among the recorded find places of this type. There are 12 coins of this type in the British Museum, 4 in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 35 in the Indian Museum and 11 in the State Museum, Lucknow. The Bayana hoard contained 82 coins.

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In this type the king is shown as riding a caparisoned horse either to right or to left. He is sometimes shown as carrying weapons like the sword or the bow,¹ but some times he is without them. The reverse in all cases except one² shows goddess seated on a wicker-stool, holding a noose in r. hand and lotus in the left.

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¹ Smith had once thought that the king was holding a lance in one case, but he later abandoned this view. The end of the sash was mistaken for a javelin; *J.R.A.S.*, 1889, p. 85.

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² This coin, where the goddess is standing, will be described in the Addenda and illustrated on Pl. XIX.

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Both the king and the goddess in this class are sometimes nimbate (Pl. VII. 12, 14) and sometimes not (Pl. VII. 13.). A few coins show a crescent near the top on the obverse (Pl. VIII. 4.), but the majority are without it. On one rare coin, we have a crescent both on the obverse, behind the king's head, and on the reverse at the place of the symbol.¹ The posture of the goddess on the reverse is strikingly similar to that on the Lyrist type of Samudragupta. The lotus, which she holds in her left hand, has usually a long stalk and the artist, in some cases, has enhanced its beauty by adding leaves and buds to it (Pl. VII. 15). The left hand usually holds a noose, but in one case it is scattering coins (Pl. VII. 3).

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¹ J. N. S. I., Vol. IX, Pl. VII. 1.

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Smith had classified the coins of the Horseman type according to the direction of the horse, Horseman to right and Horseman to left. Mr. Allan also divided them into two classes, but his class I consists of coins without symbol on the reverse and class II of those which have a symbol. Symbol however is a minor element on the reverse and it would therefore be better to classifiy the coins with reference to some characteristic peculiarities of the obverse. A horseman is primarily a warrior, and we think that the weapons which the king is carrying should not be left out in the classification of these coins. It would therefore be on the whole satisfactory to follow Smith in dividing the coins into Class I, consisting of those where the horseman is to left, and Class II of those coins where he is to right. Varieties in each class will be determined with reference to the weapons.

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In variety A of class I, we find the king riding to left but carrying no weapons (Pl. VII. 11-12). In variety B (Pl. VII. 13-14), he carries a bow in his right hand, which is sometimes visible at its upper end and sometimes at its lower one. In variety C (Pl. VII. 15) there is a sword hanging by his left side.

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In Class II also we have similar varieties. But as the king is riding to right, the sword hanging by his left side could naturally not be shown on any specimens; so the variety C of class I is absent here. In variety A (Pl. VII. 1-3) the king is without any weapons, and in variety B (Pl. VII. 4-5), he carries a bow in his right hand.

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We now give a full description of this type.

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*Obv*: King sometimes nimbate, riding a full caparisoned horse to r. or l.; (wearing *dhoti*, sash (flying behind), earrings, armlets, necklace, without weapons in some cases and with weapons in others.) Crescent on some specimens. Legend beginning at I or II, *Paramabhāgavata*¹ *mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Chandraguptaḥ*, (Pl. XXI. 15), ‘The great devotee of Viṣṇu, the emperor Chandragupta.’

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¹ Kittoe had read the legend as *Paramabhaṭṭāraka* instead of *Paramabhāgavata* on a clear specimen of this type in the Bharsar hoard. Very probably it was a mistake in reading. That epithet does not occur on any other coins of the present ruler. See *J.R.A.S.*, 1889, 109.

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*Rev*: Goddess sometimes nimbate, seated to l. on wicker-stool, noose in r. hand and lotus in l., the stalk in some cases showing leaves. Legend *Ajitavikramaḥ*² (Pl. XXIII. 53). Symbol on some coins.

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² A Horseman type coin in the Bodleian collection with the legend *Kramajita* (for *Kramāditya*, *N.Ch.* 1891, Pl. II. 6) was attributed to Chandragupta II by Smith (*J.R.A.S.*, 1889, 86). The circular legend on the obverse seems to have begun with *Paramabhāgavata* and so this circumstance would support the view that the coin was issued by Chandragupta II. But the legend is indistinct on the left and king’s name cannot be made out. *Kramāditya*, the legend on the reverse, was not used as his epithet by Chandragupta II and the heavy weight of the coin, 140. 5 grains would suggest that it was an issue of Skandagupta, who had adopted the *biruda* of *Kramāditya* and whose legend on silver issues often begins with *Paramabhāgavata*. This coin has been reproduced in this book on Pl. XIV. 15.

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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 10

Class I

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(King to left)

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Variety A

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(King without weapons)³

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³ *B.M.C.*, *G.D.*, Pl. IX. 15-17; X. 1-2, 13.

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(1) Gold; .8"; 120.9 grains; Lucknow Museum; *B.M.C.*, *G.D.*, Pl. IX. 17.

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*Obv*: King not nimbate, riding to l. wearing coat and trousers, sash fiying behind him. Legend, beginning at I, Parama, from V, mahārājādhirāja-śri-Chandraguptaḥ; the last letter is between the head of the king and that of the horse on most specimens of this class. *Rev:* Goddess nimbate, seated on wicker-stool to l., noose in r. hand, and lotus in l.; notice the bud and leaves of the lotus stalk. Symbol on l. Legend, Ajitavikrama. (Pl. VII. 11.)

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(2) Gold; .8"; 127 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIII. 11. *Obv:* As above. The king is nimbate and bare-bodied and his muscular torso is very graceful. Hair on the head falls in tresses behind. The circular starry ornament on the haunch of the horse is beautiful and its hair is plated.) *Rev:* Wicker stool is rather high and the goddess, who is nimbate, raises up her r. foot. Leaves of the lotus stalk visible; symbol on l. Legend, (*A*)jatavikrama, partly truncated. (Pl. VII. 12.)

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(King carrying bow)¹

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¹ Ibid, Pl. X. 6-7.

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(3) Gold; .8"; 118.8 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIII. 8. *Obv:* The upper end of the bow visible between the head of the horse and the head of the king. King not nimbate. *Rev:* Goddess is nimbate and slightly bent forward. Symbol on l. Legend blurred and truncated. (Pl. VII. 13.)

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(4) Gold; .75"; 121.5 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIV. 5. *Obv:* The king is nimbate and wears cap and holds bow in the r. hand, whose lower end is visible above the haunch of the horse. Legend from I, Para; from VII, dhirāja-śri-Chandraguptaḥ.

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*Rev*: This side is blurred. Goddess is nimbate and sitting straight. A dotted line between her and the legend *Ajatavakrama*. Symbol blurred.

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(King with bow and sword)¹

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¹ B.M.C., G.D., Pl. IX, 15; X.6.; *N.Ch.* 1889, Pl. II.5; 1910, Pl. XIV. 4-5.

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(5) Gold; .8"; 121.6 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XII. 14. *Obv*: Sword can be clearly seen dangling by the l. side of the king, who is not nimbate. The upper end of the bow is visible between the heads of the king and the horse. Legend from I, *Paramabhāgavata*, from V, *mahārājādhirāja-śri-Chandra.pta*, partly truncated. *Rev*: Goddess is nimbate. Lotus stalk has leaves and buds. Symbol on l. Legend, *Ajitavikramaḥ*. (Pl. VII. 15.)

Class II

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(King to right)

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Variety A

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(King without weapons)²

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² B.M.C., G.D., Pl. IX. 14; X. 4-5, 11-13.

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(6) Gold; .8"; 121.8 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIV. 10. *Obv*: King not nimbate riding to r. Legend from III, partly truncated, *Paramabhāga(vatamahārājādhirā)ja-śrī-Chandraguptaḥ*; *ptaḥ* is at I. *Rev*: Goddess is not nimbate. Lotus is full blown and graceful and its stalk has no leaves or buds. Symbol on l. Legend, *Ajitavikramaḥ*. (Pl. VIII. 1.)

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(7) Gold; .8"; 121.4 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIV. 13. *Obv*: The king is not nimbate. The horse is in full gallop. Legend, from I, blurred, *Paramabhāgavatamahārājādhirāja*, on l., traces of *Chandraguptaḥ*.

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*Rev:* Goddess is nimbate and she wears a cap. Symbol on l. Legend *Ajitavikrama*.

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(8) Gold; .75"; 119.6 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XIV. 8.

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*Obv:* The mane of the horse is plaited and its plume can be distinctly seen. A pearl string behind the cap of the king, who is not nimbate. Legend, at XII, *Paramabhagavata* faint traces of letters at X.

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*Rev:* Goddess, nimbate, is scattering round coins by her r. hand. Perhaps traces of a symbol on l. Legend *(Aji)tavikrama*. (Pl. VIII. 3.)

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(9) Gold; .8"; weight not known; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. X. 4.¹

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¹ J.A.S.B., N.S., p. 83, Pl. III. 7.

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*Obv:* King’s hair is tied in a knot at the top of his head; he is not nimbate. Crescent behind the head. Legend from XII, partly truncated; *Paramabhāgavatamahā(rājādhi)rā* (at VI) *śri-Chandraguptaḥ*; the subscript *ta* is very big.

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*Rev:* Goddess is nimbate. Noose is blurred and the stalk of the lotus is small. Symbol on l. Legend, *Ajitavikramaḥ*. (Pl. XIII. 4.)

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Variety B

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(King with bow)²

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² B.M.C., G.D., Pl. X. 8-9.

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(10) Gold; .8"; 123.6 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. X. 9.

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*Obv:* King is not nimbate. Notice the armlet on king’s l. arm and the beads on the strap passing the tail of the horse. Upper end of the bow visible between the head of the king and that of the horse. Legend off the flan on r., from VIII *rāja-śri-Chandraguptaḥ*, truncated.

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*Rev:* Goddess is nimbate. Three bands of the wicker-stool are distinct. No symbol. A line between the goddess and the legend, *Ajitavikrama*. (Pl. VIII. 5.)