The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c13.s9: Kārtikeya Type
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c13.s9
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Kārtikeya Type
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¹ The types of the Gupta gold coins are usually named after the motif on the obverse; so this type has been usually called ‘Peacock type’, as the emperor is feeding that bird on the obverse. But as the type is obviously intended as a numismatic homage to Kārtikeya, whose figure appears on the reverse, we have thought it advisable to name it as the Kārtikeya type.
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Kumāragupta was named after Kumāra or Kārtikeya. The Kārtikeya type, obviously an innovation of the emperor, was intended to pay homage to that deity. The idea to introduce this type appears to have occurred late in the reign, for its specimens are not numerous. The Bayana hoard, which contained 628 coins of Kumāragupta, had only 13 specimens of this type, as against 183 of the Archer type and 305 of the Horseman type. Smith no doubt refers to a hoard of 200 coins found near Allahabad, consisting mostly of the Peacock type coins of Kumāragupta I.) But Cunningham, who had reported the discovery of this hoard to Smith, had seen only four specimens of this hoard and was not in a position to classify its contents or note their types.² It may, therefore, be well doubted whether the hoard really consisted of about 200 coins of the Peacock type. The Jhūsī (Allahabad) hoard³ of about 20 to 30 coins is said to have contained eight coins of the Peacock type. The Bharsar hoard⁴ had only one coin of this type and the Kotwa hoard had two.⁵
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² *J.A.S.B.*, 1884, p. 152.
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³ *Ibid*, p. 152.
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⁴ *Ibid*, 1852. p. 401.
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⁵ *Ibid*, 1889, p. 46.
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On the obverse of this type, we see the king feeding a peacock,¹ the mount of Kārtikeya, whose figure appears on the reverse. The obverse legend is not yet possible to decipher completely. It begins with *Jayati svaguṇair*²*guṇa*³ and ends with *Mahendrakumāraḥ*; ‘Victorious is Mahendrakumāra, by his own merits....’ The reverse shows Kārtikeya,⁴ seated on his mount peacock holding a *śakti* (spear) in his left hand and apparently scattering something by his right hand upon an object which looks like an altar.
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¹ Hoernle's view that we have two peacocks on some coins seems to be untenable; *J.R.A.S.*, 1893, p. 121.
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² Mr. Allan had read this word as *svabhumau* in the *Catalogue*; but a better specimen enabled him later to correct the reading as *svaguṇair*; *N.Ch.* 1935; p. 225.
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³ Dr. H. Shastri had suggested that the intervening word may have deen *śatrunihantā*, (*J.A.S.B.*, 1917, p. 15.), but the specimens in the Bayana hoard show that *guṇair* was followd by *guṇa*.
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⁴ The breasts of the figure are prominent and Smith had thought that it might be a female. But *śakti* in the r. hand shows that it is intended to be Kārtikeya. On some coins, Kumāragupta's breasts are equally prominent; see **Pl. X. 5, 9**.
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Two varieties are distinguished in this type,—Variety A, where the king on the obverse stands upright and Kārtikeya on the reverse is three-fourths to left, and variety B, where the king is slightly stooping and Kārtikeya is facing to front. Variety A is more common than variety B. On one coin published by Dr. H. Sastri, the king on the obverse is seen standing with his legs crossing each other.⁵
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⁵ *J.A.S.B.*, 1917; p. 154, Pl. VII. 2.
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Coins of this type are all issued to the standard of 127 grains.
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We now give a full description of the type.
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*Obv:* King, standing nimbate, bare-headed and bare-bodied, with sash round his waist and falling down, wearing *sakachchha dhotī* and jewelry⁶ and offering to the peacock, facing him, a twig of grapes held in r. hand; l. hand hangs on the hip. Legend beginning at I, *jayati svaguṇairguṇa*... and ending with *Mahendrakumāraḥ* (Pl. XXII. 33), ‘Victorious by his own merit is Mahendrakumāra, [a heap of merit (?)]’
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⁶ There is a curious conical ornament on the head of the king.
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*Rev*: Kārttikeya, nimbate, riding a peacock, holding spear in l. hand resting on his shoulder and apparently scattering something by r. hand over an indistinct object before him. Peacock is perched upon a kind of platform. No symbol; legend, *Mahendrakumāraḥ*; (Pl. XXIV. 60).¹
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¹ Pl. XXIV. 60, however, includes the additional letter *śri*.
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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 4
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Variety A
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(King standing upright and Kārttikeya three-quarters to left)²
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(1) Gold; .8"; 126.3 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XXVI. 1.
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*Obv*: Peacock is only partly visible on the coin, but the twig of grapes is distinct. Legend from I, *Jayati svaguṇairguṇa*..., at X, *Kumāra*.
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*Rev*: Kārttikeya seated on peacock three-fourths to l.; r. hand is opened out above an altar (?). Legend, blurred.
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(Pl. XIII. 11)
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(2) Gold; .8"; 127.² grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XXVI. 3.
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² B.M.C., G.D., Pl. XV. 5-11; J.A.S.B., 1884, i. Pl. IV. 1; J.R.A.S., 1889. Pl. III. 1.
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*Obv*: Peacock is indistinct. Legend, *Jayata svaguṇairguṇa*...; letters that follow are not distinct.
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*Rev*: As above. Legend *Mahendraku*.
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(Pl. XIII. 12)
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(3) Gold; .8"; 126.6 grains; *B.H.*, Pl. XXVI. 6.
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*Obv*: As above; legend, from I, *Jayati svaguṇaiguṇaragra* (?) from X, *Mahandrakumāraḥ*, Variety B
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(King slightly bent and Kārtikeya facing)¹
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¹ B.M.C., G,D., Pl. XV. 12-14.
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(4) Gold; .8"; 127.0 grains; B.H., Pl. XXVI. 12.
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Obv: The king, who is slightly bent forward, has no fruits in his r. hand, which is well above the head of the peacock. He is apparently pointing something to the peacock. Legend is blurred. Jaya.svaguṇarguṇā (ravinda (?)—kumāraḥ.
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Rev: Platform of the peacock fully visible. R. hand is opend out but no objects are seen falling from it. Legend, blurred.
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(Pl. XIII. 14)
Linked texts (1)
- Guṇa — Upamanyu, Sanskrit