The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c16.s5: (5) Coinage of Budhagupta

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c16.s5

Language: English

c16.s5.t1 Silver Coinage of Budhagupta — 12 parts

(5) Coinage of Budhagupta

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There is no doubt that the Gupta empire regained much of its lost prestige during the reign of Budhagupta (*c.* 475-495 A.D.).¹ Though this emperor had a fairly long reign, his coinage, both in gold and silver, is very scarce. For a long time only a few silver pieces of this ruler were known, and it was thought that he had issued no gold coinage at all. The present writer had once suggested that the coins of Prakāśāditya may be ascribed to Budhagupta, as it was very unlikely that a powerful king, who had issued silver coinage, would have refrained from minting gold pieces. Mr. S. K. Saraswati had suggested that the coin in *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXI. 23 should be attributed to Budhagupta, as the legend under the left arm reads *Budha* rather than *Pura*.² This coin, being somewhat blurred at the legend, no definite opinion could be expressed about the reading of the disputed word. If the upper horizontal line is taken as a part of the letter, it can be taken as *bu*; if it is taken as an extended serif, it appears like *pu*. The lower letter could be taken as a blurred *ra*, if the flan was assumed to have moved a little while striking; otherwise it appeared like a misshapen *dha*.

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¹ If the reading of the date 180 on one of his silver coins were definite, his reign would extend to 499 A.D.

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² *Indian Culture*, I, p. 692.

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Two new coins discovered in 1948, however, made it quite clear that the legend under discussion was *Budha* and not *Pura*. Both these coins are in the Banaras Hindu University, one in the cabinet of the Bhārata Kalā Bhavana, and the other in the College of Indology. The reading on the former is absolutely distinct. It is now clear that Mr. Saraswati was right in suggesting that the legend under the left arm should be read as *Budha* and not as *Pura*.

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The *biruda* of king Budhagupta on all the three gold coins, where his name appears on the obverse, is *Śrī-Vikrama*. There are, however, some other Archer type coins, which have this same *biruda* on the reverse, but which give no name of the issuer on the obverse. The coins show a general resemblance to the coins of Budhagupta in type, size and weight, and it is likely that they may have been issued by the same ruler. We have a parallel case in the Archer type of Kumāragupta I, where neither the name Kumāra nor the letter *Ku* occurs on the obverse of the variety C, only his *biruda* appearing on the reverse. In his Tiger-slayer type also, the letter *Ku* is present in one variety on the obverse and absent in the other. We cannot, however, altogether exclude the possibility of the coins without the name Budha on the obverse and with the *biruda* Vikrama on the reverse being issued by a hither-to-unknown Gupta emperor of the 5th or the early 6th century A. D. These coins were once attributed to Chandragupta II, because of the reverse *biruda* Vikrama, which was adopted by him; but the heavy weight of these coins,—142 grains,—makes this ascription extremely improbable. It is therefore best to assume that the heavy weight Archer type coins with the legend Vikrama on the reverse were issued by Budhagupta, who is now definitely known to have adopted that epithet. The alloy in one of these coins, *B.M.C.* No. 552, was found to be 23%. The coins of Budhagupta are thus not more impure than those of Skandagupta.

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Budhagupta confined himself only to the Archer type, which shows no variations in details. The king is always facing left, holding the bow at the top. In class I, the name of the king Budha is engraved under the left arm; in class II, this feature is absent. There is a circular legend on the obverse, but it has not yet become possible to decipher it, as it is fragmentary and indistinct. Initial letters appear to be *paraha*; it may have begun with *Parahitakārī*.

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We now proceed to describe the coins illustrated.

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(With the legend *Budha* on the obverse)¹

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¹ *J.N.S.I.*, XII. p. 112.

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(1) Gold; .8"; 144.5 grains; College of Indology, Banaras Hindu University. *Obv:* King, nimbate, standing to l. wearing *dhoti* and ornaments, holding in l. hand bow at the top with string inside, and arrow in right hand. Garuḍa standard behind the r. hand. Below l. arm, *Budha* written perpendicularly, but rather blurred. Circular legend, beginning at I, *Para*. *Rev:* Goddess Lakshmī, nimbate, seated on lotus holding a noose in r. hand and a lotus in l. Symbol on l.; legend on r. blurred, *Śrīvikrama*. (Pl. XV. 9)

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(2) Gold; .8"; 144.8 grains; Bhārata Kalā Bhavana, Banaras Hindu University. *Obv:* As above, but the letters under the arm *Budha* are quite distinct. No traces of the circular legend. *Rev:* As above, but the lotus on which the goddess is seated is partly off the flan. Legend blurred. (Pl. XV. 8)

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(3) Gold; .95"; weight not recorded; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXI. 23. *Obv:* King, nimbate, standing to l., holding bow at the top in l. hand and arrow in r.; Garuḍa standard in front of the king. Under l. arm, below crescent, *Budha*, the last letter being slightly blurred owing to the flan having moved during striking. *Rev:* Goddess seated on lotus, facing, holding a noose in r. hand and a lotus in the l.; symbol blurred. Legend, *Śravakama*, blurred. (Pl. XV. 10)

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(Without the king's name on the obverse)

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(4) Gold; .9"; 142.7 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXI. 24. *Obv*: As above. Circular legend *Para*. No legend under the l. arm. *Rev*: As above. Legend, *Śrivikramaḥ* quite clear, (Pl. XV. 11)

Silver Coinage of Budhagupta

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The silver coinage, which was in abeyance during the reigns of Purugupta, Narasiṃhagupta and Kumāragupta II, was resumed by Budhagupta. He is seen issuing coins only in the Madhyadeśa type. No coins of his of any of the Western Indian types have so far come to light. Most probably the Guptas had lost their control over Western Provinces by this time. It is true that the Valabhi ruler Droṇasiṃha, who was coronated in the last quarter of the 5th century, is described as being installed by the sole lord of the circumference of the whole earth, who had personally come for that purpose. It seems most probable that this sole lord of the whole earth is most likely the emperor Budhagupta. The invitation that was extended to him on this occasion, however, appears to be due to the prestige that the Guptas were still enjoying in the former provinces of their empire. It appears very doubtful whether Budhagupta had any effective control over Mālwā, Gujarat and Kathiawar at any period of his reign. The absence of his silver coins of any of the Western Indian types appears to be significant.

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The Madhyadeśa type of Budhagupta is exactly similar to that of Kumāragupta or Skandagupta. The features of the face are slightly different; the nose is aquiline. The date is given in front in numerals. There are no traces of any Greek letters. The reverse shows the device of the fan-tailed peacock and the legend is *Vijitāvaniravanipatiḥ-śri-Budhagupto divam jayati* (Pl. XXVI. 20). ‘Budhagupta, who has conquered the earth, wins heaven.’

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The average size of the coins is .55" and weight 33 grains. One specimen, however, weighs 38.5 grains.

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Only six silver coins of Budhagupta have been found so far. Five of them were procured by Cunningham at Banaras in 1835 and the sixth was obtained later by the same archæologist at Sarnath. All the Banaras coins were dated in 175. The date 180 has been read on the sixth piece, but the so-called symbol for 80 is doubtful.¹

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¹ *I.A.*, XVIII, p. 227.

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COINS ILLUSTRATAD : 4

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(1) Silver; .55"; 38.3 grains; *B.M.C.,G.D.*, Pl.XXIV.13. *Obv:* Bust of the king to r.; date in front in symbols inscribed perpendicularly, 100,70,5, rather blurred. *Rev:* Fan-tailed peacock with neck to .; circular legend blurred; (XII) *Vijitavanaravanapata-śra-Budhagupto divam jayata*. Letters Budhagupto are clear from VII onwards. (Pl. XVIII. 26)