The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s1.t2: King and Lakshmī Type
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c15.s1.t2
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King and Lakshmī Type
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The nomenclature of the King and Lakshmī type has given rise to a controversy. The legend on the obverse has not been well preserved and the object in the hand of the lady is not distinct. So the interpretation of this type has given rise to two views. V. A. Smith first described the type as the King and the Queen type on the analogy of Chandragupta-Kumāradevī type of Chandragupta I.² Mr. Allan suggested later that the type can be better described as the King and Lakshmī type.¹ Mr. Jagannath² have recently argued in favour of the earlier view of Smith.
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² *J.R.A.S.*, 1889, p. 110; *J.A.S.B.*, 1884, i. p. 199.
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¹ B.M.C., G.D., pp. xcviii-c.
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² J.N.S.I., VIII. pp. 48-51.
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It is difficult to decide definitely in favour of one of these views in preference to the other. But it appears more probable that the lady is intended to stand for Lakshmī rather than the queen. It is true that she is not nimbate, but Lakshmī appears without a halo on several Gupta coins³ (e.g. Pl. IV. 13; Pl. V. 1-2, 5, etc).
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³ See also, B.M.C., G.D., Pl. VII. 10. 13-16; 19; Pl. XII. 11-12.
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If the personages on the obverse were the king and the queen, their names would have been given there as on the coins of Chandragupta I.⁴ Such is not the case. The view of Smith that the letter near the king’s head *Ska* is standing for *Skanda* and that the letters near the lady’s head were perhaps *priyā* forming part of the queen’s name is untenable.⁵ The former letter is clearly *nva* of the word *sudhanvī*; *Priyā* cannot be read with certainty near the lady’s head on any specimen. It may be further pointed out that on the King-and-Queen type of Chandragupta I and Kumāragupta I, the king is always on the right and the queen on the left, and it is the former who is offering a present to the latter. On the present type of Skandagupta, he occupies the place on the left and it is the lady who is offering him some object, to which he is looking with intense interest and curiosity. The recipient is generally inferior in status, as is also shown by the Chakravikrama type of Chandragupta II. The lady being superior in status should therefore be presumed to be a goddess, *viz.* Lakshmī. It is possible to argue that Lakshmī having been shown on the reverse, her appearance again on the obverse is superfluous. The king's expression is not one of humility and devotion and so the personage before him, who has no halo, can hardly be Lakshmī. On the whole, however, it appears more probable that this type is intended to illustratrate graphically the poetic idea of Skandagupta being chosen as her lord by the goddess Lakshmī, which we find expressed in his Bhitari inscription. Ladies of fashion no doubt often held a lotus in their hand, but that would not stand in the way of our identifying the lady here with Lakshmī. The Garuḍa standard in the centre and the bow and arrow in the king's hands would probably suggest that the scene is one of the battlefield and that the mint-master intended to give a visual representation of the goddess Jaya-Lakshmī making her appearance on the battle-field and offering him some object indicative of success and sovereignty,—possibly paṭṭabandha or diadem.
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⁴ The die of the solitary coin of the King-and-Queen type of Kumāragupta I probably had the names of the royal couple; they may not have come on the flan.
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⁵ J.A.S.B., 1894, i, p. 170.
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The mystery of this type can be solved only by our getting better specimens, which will enable us to read the circular legend and identify the object in the lady's hand.
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We shall now deseribe the type.
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*Obv:* On l. king bare-headed with curly hair, standing facing r., wearing waist-cloth and usual jewelry, holding by l. hand bow by the middle with string outside; r. hand rests on hip holding an arrow; on r. goddess Lakshmī facing l., not nimbate, wearing usual jewelry; behind her a lotus with a long stalk in her l. hand; she holds up some uncertain object in her r. hand at which the king is looking with great curiosity. Garuḍa standard between the king and the goddess, parallel and just next to the bow-string. Legend is uncertain; it begins with *Jayati* and ends with the letter *nva* in front of the forehead of the king. It may have been the same as in the Archer type, variety A, *Jayati mahītalam*....¹ sudhanvi(*ī*). (Pl. XXV. 11).
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¹ To judge from the scanty remains of the intervening letters, they should have been *Skandaguptaḥ*; the metre also will support this restoration.
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*Rev:* Goddess Lakshmī, nimbate, seated on lotus, facing to front holding noose in r. hand and lotus in l. resting on the l. knee. Symbol on the l. Legend, *Śrī-Skandaguptaḥ* (Pl. XXVI. 24).
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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 2
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(1) Gold; .75"; weight not known; Bibl. Nat.; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XIX. 9.
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*Obv:* As above. The object being presented to the king is uncertain; it may be the end of a diadem. The circular legend is uncertain, but traces of *ya* appear on the queen’s head; *nvī* between the head of the king and Garuḍa.
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*Rev:* As in the general description. Legend, *Śrī-Skandagupta*. (Pl. XIV. 12)
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(2) Gold; .75"; 128.8 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XIX. 6.
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*Obv:* As above. Faint traces of *Jaya* above the head of the goddess.
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*Rev:* As above. (Pl. XIV. 13)