The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s6: (6) Samāchāradeva Narendravinita
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s6
- Language
- English
(6) Samāchāradeva Narendravinita
c18.s6.1
Only two coins of king Samāchāradeva are known so far; but they have been a centre of several controversies. The difference of view starts with the reading of the name as well as of the *biruda*. While on his Archer type, the name could be clearly read as Samacha, that on the *Rājalilā*¹ type seemed to be Yamadha. The latter reading was proposed by J. Allan and accepted by R. D. Banerji.² In the palæography of this period, *ya* and *sa*, and *dha* and *cha* are similar and can be confused with each other by careless engravers; and since the *biruda* on both the coins is the same, it will be reasonable to assume that the correct reading on the obverse of the *Rājalilā* type is also Samacha, standing for Samāchāra. The latter *rā* is not quite distinct; but its traces can be seen above the Bull standard in the Archar type (Pl. XIXA. 6) and below the feet of the female on the left in the *Rājalilā* type (Pl. XIXA. 7).
c18.s6.2
¹ A person sitting at ease on a couch with attendants on either side is said to be in the *rājalilā* pose.
c18.s6.3
² A.S.I., A.R., 1913, p. 259.
c18.s6.4
The *biruda* on the reverse of both the coins was read as Narendrāditya by J. Allan, N. K. Bhattasali, and R. D. Banerji;¹ the last mentioned scholar had carefully examined these two coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta and opined that the legend was *Narendravinīta*. A careful examination of the better photographs reproduced in the *I.M.C.*, I, Pl. XVI., Nos. 11 and 13, shows that the legend clearly consists of six letter, as is also shown by the photographs reproduced in the *B.M.C.*, *G.D.*, Pl. XXIV. 4 and 5. It is clear that after *Narendra* there are three more letters, the last two of which cannot be mistaken for a carelessly engraved *tya*. Banerji’s conclusion based upon a microscopic examination of the coins that the last three letters are *vinīta* is borne out by a scrutiny of the facsimiles in the *I. M. Catalogue*² also.
c18.s6.5
¹ *B.M.C.*, *G.D.*, p. 150; *J.A.S.B.*, N.S., 1923 pp. 54-6; *A.S.I.*, *A.R.*, 1913-4, pp. 259-60.
c18.s6.6
² Dr. R. C. Majumdar has rejected this reading in favour of *Narendrāditya* in *History of Bengal*, I, p. 52. He however does not explain the presence of six letters in the legend on the reverse.
c18.s6.7
The identity of king Samāchāra eluded the scholars for a long time, because he was not known from any other sources till *c.* 1909. J. Allan, who read the reverse legend as *Narendrāditya*, was half inclined to identify Samāchāra with Śaśāṅka, because according to Buhler, *Narendrāditya* was another name or *biruda* of that king.³ Bhattasali agreed with the view that *Narendrāditya* was Śaśāṅka, but thought that Samāchāradeva was possibly the father⁴ of Śaśāṅka. This is a difficult view to accept because the type would then be a joint one. Joint coinage is not known in the Gupta age. Hoernle thought that the ruler might be Narasimhagupta II.⁵ The most fatal objection against identifying this ruler either with Śaśāṅka or with Narasimhagupta is the circumstance that the vertical legend on the obverse indicated the personal name in the Gupta numismatic tradition, and so the personal name of the issuer will have to be taken as Samāchāra and not Śaśāṅka.
c18.s6.8
³ *B.M.C.*, *G.D.*, pp. lxiv, cvi. In the body of the book, Allan has separated the coins of Samāchāra from those of Śaśāṅka.
c18.s6.9
⁴ *J.A.S.B.*, N.S., 1923; pp. 54-6.
c18.s6.10
⁵ *J.R.A.S.*, 1893; p. 147.
c18.s6.11
It is interesting to note that the name Samāchāra never occurs on any side of any coin of Śaśāṅka. If that was his personal name, why should it not make its appearance at least on some of his pieces?
c18.s6.12
At Nalanda a seal was found of king Samāchāradeva,¹ and a copper plate issued by him was discovered at Ghugrahatti in Faridapur district of Eastern Bengal, written in 6th century characters. Both the coins and the plate show some common palæographic features. On the coins the medial ā of mā is denoted by a superscript angular stroke, and of chā by a short perpendicular stroke to right. The plate also shows both these peculiarities. It is interesting to note that Ghugrahatti, where the plate was found, is situated only 30 miles from that place on the bank of the Arunkhali in Jessore district, where the Rajalīlā type coin of Samāchāradeva was recovered along with a coin of Śaśāṅka. We may therefore well presume that Samāchāradeva of the coins is identical with Samāchāradeva of the Ghugrahatti plates and also of the seal found in Nalanda. It would appear that in spite of his Śaiva persuasion, as suggested by the Bull standard on his Archer type, Samāchāra was interested in Buddhism and perhaps patronised the Nalanda establishment like kings Susthitavarman, Avantivarman and Harshavardhana, whose sealings also have been recovered at Nalanda.
c18.s6.13
¹ Nalanda and its epigraphic Material, M.A.S.I., Vol. 66; pp. 31-2.
c18.s6.14
Though Samāchāradeva is not identical with Śaśāṅka, he did not live far away from him either in space or in time. Śaśāṅka held sway in eastern Bengal; one of the coins of this king was found there is Jessore district, as pointed out above, and in the company of a coin of Śaśāṅka. The Bull standard of Samāchāra and Śiva and Nandī on the coins of Śaśāṅka show that both were Śaivas. Perhaps both belonged to the same dynasty ruling in Eastern Bengal, Samāchāra being a predecessor of Śaśāṅka, ruling in c. 550-575 A.D. He is usually taken to be the latest ruler in the triad of kings Gopachandra, Dharmāditya and Samāchāradeva, who are known from the five charters from Faridpur district and one plate from the Burdwan district; hence the above date is suggested for him.
c18.s6.15
The view that Samāchāradeva was a feudatory of Śaśāṅka is untenable. It presupposed that the term *narendra* in the legend *narendravinīta* refers to Śaśāṅka and that its meaning is one who is humble to Narendra (i.e. Śaśāṅka). There is no sufficient evidence for the first assumption. If we accept the second hypothesis, we shall have to admit that the name of the feudatory occurs on the obverse and that of the emperor on the reverse. This also is without a precedent. It is best to hold that Samāchāra was a very near predecessor of Śaśāṅka.
c18.s6.16
We now proceed to illustrate the two coins of this ruler known so far.
c18.s6.17
(1) Gold; .9"; 148.2 grains; Indian Museum.¹ *Obv:* King, nimbate, standing l. in *tribhaṅga* pose holding bow in l. hand and offering oblations by the r. Necklace round the neck; bull standard behind the r. hand Legend, below the l. arm *samā*; between the feet *cha*.² Probably above the bull there is the letter *ra*. *Rev:* Lakshmi, nimbate, seated facing on lotus, with lotus in l. hand and fillet in the r. which is stretched out. Symbol (?) on left. Legend on the r.; *Śrīnarendravinīta*.
c18.s6.18
¹ I.M.C., I, p. 120 and Pl. XVI. 11; *B.M.C., G.D.*, p. 149, Pl. XXIV. 4.
c18.s6.19
² In *mā*, the medial *ā* is denoted by a superscript angular stroke; in *cha*, it is a short perpendicular stroke to right. Both the methods are followed in the Faridpur (Ghugrahatti) grant of this ruler.
c18.s6.20
(Pl. XIXA. 6)
c18.s6.21
RĀJALĪLĀ TYPE
c18.s6.22
(2) Gold (alloyed); .8"; 149 grains; Indian Museum.³ *Obv:* King, nimbate, seated on couch in the Rājalīlā pose, with head to l., left hand raised and r. resting at side. Female attendant (or queen?) on either side. Between the king's head and attendant on r. written perpendicularly, *Samā*;¹ under the couch, *chā*. *Ra* is probably beneath the feet of the female on r.
c18.s6.23
³ I.M.C., I, p. 122; Pl. XVI. 13; *B.M.C., G.D.*, p. 150, Pl. XXIV. 5; *J.A.S.B.*, 1852, Pl. XII. 1.
c18.s6.24
¹ The first letter can be also taken as *ya*, as R. D. Banerji and Allan had done, but the reading *sa* is equally possible. *Sa* and *ma* could at this period be easily mistaken for each other, as also *cha* and *dha*.
c18.s6.25
*Rev*: Goddess Sarasvatī, nimbate, standing on a lotus bed in *tribhaṅga* posture. Her left hand rests on a lotus with bent stalk; by her right hand she draws up another lotus with long stalk in front of her face (as if to smell it). A lotus bud with a stalk under the r. hand; below it, is a goose (*haṃsa*) with up-stretched neck trying to snatch at a lotus leaf in its front by its open beak.
c18.s6.26
Legend on the l. *Narendravinīta*.
c18.s6.27
(Pl. XIXA. 7)