The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c16.s3: (3) Narasimhagupta

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c16.s3

Language: English

(3) Narasimhagupta

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Recent discoveries have now conclusively shown that Purugupta had two sons, Narasimhagupta and Budhagupta.² Narasimhagupta, who was probably the elder, succeeded his father. He had, however, a short reign, because we find his son Kumāragupta II on the throne in 473 A.D. Kumāragupta also had probably a brief rule, for we find his uncle Budhagupta ruling from *c.* 476 to 495 A. D. Kumāragupta's son Viṣṇugupta also eventually became a king. Whether he had to wait till the death of his grand-uncle Budhagupta, or whether he ruled contemporaneously with him over a part of Gupta empire, we do not know. We have indicated his hesitating preference for the last alternative in Chap. I., p. 9.

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² M.A.S.I., No. 66. pp. 64-66.

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If, however, we reject the theory of the division of the Gupta empire and assume that Narasimhagupta and Kumāragupta of relatively purer gold coinage are different from the rulers of the same name who issued coins in baser gold, we can suggest the following succession table, which also is not free from difficulties.

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1. Purugupta, brother of Skandagupta; *c.* 468 to 470 A.D.; known from the Bhitari seal; no gold coins unless we attribute the Prakāśāditya coins to him.

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2. Narasimhagupta Bālāditya I, son or Purugupta; *c.* 470-472 A.D.; mentioned in the Bhitari seal; issued gold coins, here described as of class I, in purer gold with 29% alloy; introduces the fashion of a letter between the feet; *gre* on his coins; traces of circular legend.

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3. Kumāragupta II, son of Narasimhagupta I; *c.* 472 to 475 A.D.; supplanted by his uncle in 475 A.D.; issued gold coins of the class I with 21% alloy; these are few in number and have circular legend, but no letter between the feet.

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4. Budhagupta, brother of No. 2; *c.* 475 to 496 A. D.; few gold coins with the personl name; alloy 23%; circular legend present but no letter between the feet.

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5. Prakāśāditya; relationship not known; may be placed between *c.* 496 to 500 A. D. if not identical with Purugupta; circular legend; letters *ru* and *ma* under the horse; alloy 23%.

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6. Vainyagupta; relationship unknown; *c.* 500 to 510 A.D. or *c.* 496 to 510 A.D. if we identify Prakāśāditya with Purugupta. Date 508 supplied by the Gunaighar plate; circular legend; the letter *bhā* between the feet; alloy 27%.

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7. Bhānugupta; relationship unknown; *c.* 510 to 518 A.D.; his general Goparāja was killed in Eraṇ in 510 A.D. probably in the Hūṇa war; no coins known.

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8. Narasimhagupta II Bālāditya; relationship unknown; perhaps identical with Narasimhagupta of the fragmentary Nālandā seal; *c.* 518 to 532 A.D.; eventually overthrew Mihirakula in *c.* 530; issued gold coins, here called of class II, with 46% alloy and the letter *gre* between the feet but with no circular legend.

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9. Kumāragupta III; son of No. 8; *c.* 532-540 A.D.; perhaps identical with the Kumāragupta of the fragmentary Nālandā seal and the ruler in Damodarpur copper plate, dated 543 A.D., where name is not quite legible but has been taken to be Kumāragupta by some scholars; issued numerous gold coins of class II with 46% alloy having the letters *go* and *ja* between the feet, but no circular legend. Coins mostly from the Kālighāt hoard.

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10. Viṣṇugupta, son of No. 10; *c.* 540 to 550 A.D.; perhaps identical with Viṣṇugupta of the fragmentary Nālandā seal; many gold coins of base gold with 57% alloy in the Kālighāt hoard; letter *ru* between the feet and no circular legend. In Berhampur in Cuttuck district one gold coin of this ruler was found along with 47 gold coins of Prasannamātra,¹ who ruled sometime between *c.* 550 to 650 A.D.

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¹ A.S.I., A.R., 1926-7, p. 270.

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As against the above order of succession it may be pointed out that we cannot with confidence differentiate between two rulers of the same name, merely because there is a greater alloy in one class of their coins than in another; Kumāragupta I issued pure silver coins along with silver-coated pieces. It is doubtful whether we can distinguish between Narasiṃhagupta and Kumāragupta of the Bhitari seal and the rulers of the same name in the fragmentary Nālandā seal. If we analyse the account of Bālāditya's prolonged and desperate fight with Mihirakula given by Yuan Chwang, it appears very doubtful whether a king beset with so many difficulties could ever have issued copious currency even in base gold. Viṣṇugupta could as well have ruled at *c.* 500 A.D. and yet his solitary coin can well be found along with 47 coins of Prasannamātra in the Berhampur hoard. A Gupta king ruling between 540 and 550 A.D. is not likely to have issued even debased gold currency as copious as that of Viṣṇugupta.

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We are not yet in a position to confidently propose any theory about the succession of the later Gupta emperors, which can meet with general acceptance. We therefore prefer to follow the tentative chronology suggested in Chap. I.

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Narasimhagupta Bālāditya ruled as an emperor from *c.* 470 to 472 A.D. He has to be differentiated from his homonym, who has been credited with the expulsion of Mihirakula by Yuan Chwang in *c.* 530 A. D. Though he had a short reign and lived in troubled times, his coinge is not scanty; we have so far found about 50 pieces issued by him.¹ Most of these coins were found in the Kālighāṭ hoard, though one was found in Nadea district of Bengal. The trouble through which the empire was passing during the reign of this emperor is reflected by the alloy of 54% in most of his coins. Obviously the treasury was depleted owing to the internecine struggle. A few coins of his, however, have only 21% alloy. All his gold coins are issued to the *suvarṇa* standard of 144 grains, and some are even four or five grains heavier. Their size varies from .8" to .95".

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¹ *J.A.S.B.*, p. 1889, pp. 17-18.

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The coinage of Narasimhagupta is confined to the Archer type only. It can be divided into two classes, class I where the metal is relatively purer and there is a circular legend on the obverse, and class II, where the metal is base, the execution crude and the circular legend non-existing. Both the varieties have the letter *gre* or *gu* between the feet. The gold in the *B.M.C.* coin No. 560 of class I was found to be 79% and that in the *B.M.C.* coin No. 565 of class II 54%.

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It is, however, not impossible that the coins of the class II may have been issued by Narasimhagupta Bālāditya, the opponent of Mihirakula, and that the coins of the class I only may be the issues of Narasimhagupta, the son and successor of Purugupta. As the latter had a short reign of about three years, he is not likely to have left us a numerous coinage. The coins in the Kālighāṭ hoard may all have belonged to Narasimhagupta II, the opponent of Mihirakula. It is important to note that none of the coins of class I have so far been traced to this hoard. In the present state of our knowledge, it is difficult to state whether this possibility is more probable than the other view that all the coins bearing the name of Nara are to be attributed to the son of Purugupta and nephew of Skandagupta.

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It is Narasimhagupta, who first introduces single letters between the feet of the king. On the coins of this ruler the letter *gre* or *gu* appears on the coins of both the varieties. Such letters occurred on the late Kushāṇa coins, but were discontinued by the early Gupta emperors. Why they were introduced by Narasimhagupta and continued by most of his successors and what was their significance is not yet known. The letter occurring on the coins of this emperor appears to be *gu* or *gre*.

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We shall now proceed to describe the coins of Narasimhagupta, illustrated in the plate.

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CLASS I

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(With circular legend on the obverse and lesser alloy)¹

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¹ *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXII, 7-9.

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(1) Gold; .9"; 144.5 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXII. 7. Obv: King, nimbate, standing to l. and holding bow in l. hand and arrow in r. and wearing *dhoti*, sash and jewelry; Garuḍa standard on l. Legend, under the l. arm of the king, *Nara*;² circular legend incomplete and uncertain.³ Between feet, *gre*.

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² So far no coins have been found giving any letters outside the bow-string like *simha* or *gupta*.

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³ Mr. Allan states that the portion on the left reads *Narasimhagupta* on this coin (p. 137); the facsimile given in the *Catalogue*, which is reproduced here, enables us to read only the letter *sa* just below Garuḍa; the preceding two letters look like *Napa* rather than *Nara*.