The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s9: (9) Ancient Imitations of Gupta Gold Coins in Eastern Bengal

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c18.s9

Language: English

(9) Ancient Imitations of Gupta Gold Coins in Eastern Bengal

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A fairly large number of rude imitations of Gupta gold coins have come to light in Bograh, Tipperah, Dacca and Faridpur districts of Eastern Bengal. 17 of these have been noticed and described by N. K. Bhattasali in *J.A.S.B., Num. Supp.* 1923, pp. 57-64. Some others are also occasionally offered for sale by coin dealers; the Patna University cabinet has got two of them.

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The obverse of these coins shows the king standing holding a bow and an arrow. The standard in front of the king is surmounted by a counch or spiral penon;¹ on one coin there is also a small horse on the obverse. In most cases the obverse bears no legend; in some cases the letter *Śrī* makes its appearance, followed by what look like the traces of a legend. The goddess on the reverse is standing to r., wearing a flowing robe; on the right there are in some cases traces of an inscription. In some cases the goddess is shown to be eight-handed; in others she has only a pair of hands.

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¹ The view that it may be a horse standard (*B.M.C., G.D.*, p. 154) does not seem to be correct; on the solitary coin, where this horse standard is said to appear, the object is indistinct (*B.M.C., G.D.*, XIV. 7).

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The attribution of these coins is a matter of some uncertainty. N. K. Bhattasali attributed them to the later Guptas of Magadha.¹ There is a horse on one of these coins (Pl. XIXA. 13). King Ādityasena of this dynasty is known to have performed a horse-sacrifice; he may, therefore, be presumed to have issued coins of this variety. Bhattasali admits that the vast majority of the coins of this type show no horse upon them; but he argues that this is so because they were issued by his successors, who had performed no horse-sacrifice. All these coins, with horse and without horse, undoubtedly belong to the same series, as shown by their type, weight and border of thick dots. N. K. Bhattasali, therefore, thought that the series should be attributed to Ādityasena and his successors of the Later Gupta dynasty of Magadha.

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¹ J.A.S.B., N.S., 1923, pp. 62 ff.

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There are, however, serious difficulties in accepting this view. These coins are never discovered in Magadha, the home province of the Later Guptas; they are all found in Eastern Bengal in the districts of Bogra, Tipperah, Dacca and Faridpur, which were never included in the dominion of the Later Guptas. It is, therefore, difficult to accept the view that these coins were the issues of the Later Guptas of Magadha.

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The findspots of the coins as well as their association with those of Samāchāradeva and Śaśāṅka in some finds show that the rulers who issued these rude pieces, held sway in Eastern Bengal. They were considerably influenced by Gupta numismatic traditions, but were not slavishly following them, as is shown by the eight-armed goddess on the reverse. In their weight and border of thick dots, they imitate the half-Śatamāna type of Śaśāṅka. We may, therefore, well attribute them to some local rulers in Eastern Bengal, who ruled after the death of Śaśāṅka. To judge from the uniformity of type, these rulers may well have belonged to one and the same dynasty. S. K. Chakravarti thought that the legend on B. M. No. 620 read Sudhanya standing for Sudhanyāditya. This ruler was, according to him, the founder of this dynasty, who performed the horse-sacrifice; other coins without the horse were issued by his successors, who had not performed the Aśvamedha.¹ The legend, however, is very indistinct; and the reading Sudhanya is very doubtful; Sudhanyāditya as a biruda is hardly known to us from any other source. It is, therefore, not easy to accept the reading Sudhanyā, unless it is confirmed by a clear specimen.

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¹ Transactions of the International Numismatic Congress, 1936, p. 408. N. K. Bhattasali reads Sudhanya and Sukrama on two coins in the Dacca Museum; Num. Supp., 1923, p. 58 n. But as the coins are not illustrated, it is not possible to check the readings.

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Pṛthuvīra is another name read on one of the coins of this series. This reading is quite clear. King Pṛthuvīra is, however, otherwise unknown to us.

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We can, therefore, only assert at present that some members of a local ruling family in Eastern Bengal, who succeeded Śaśāṅka, issued these coins. One of them had probably performed a horse-sacrifice and the name of another was Pṛthuvīra.

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The heaviest of these coins weighs 92.5 grains, (No. 621 of the B.M.); the lightest, (one of the pieces in the Dacca Museum) weighs 75 grains; but the average weight is 85 grains or 50 rattis; i. e. the weight of a half Śatamāna. Most of these coins are heavily debased.

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(With horse)

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(1) Gold; .85"; 86.5 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl.XXIV. 17. *Obv:* Within a border of thick dots, king standing to l., holding bow in l. hand and arrow in r.; a horse below the l. arm. A standard behind the r. hand, its top being indistinct. *Śra* in front of the king's face. *Rev:* Within border of thick dots, eight armed Goddess standing to r. In the first r. hand held up in her front, there is some object, perhaps a fruit. On the r., traces of what looks like a degraded legend. (Pl. XIXB. 1)

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Variety B

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(Without horse)

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(2) Gold; .85"; 92.5 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. XXIV. 18. *Obv:* As above; but no horse. The standard is surmounted by a counch, (*śaṅkha*) or has a spiral penon above it. (Pl. XIXB. 2)

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Variety C

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(Goddess two-armed)

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(3) Gold; .8"; 95 grains; Patna University Collection. *Obv:* As on No. 2. The figure of the king is better and the bow is quite distinct. The standard is crude and appears to be a *Garuḍadhvaja*. *Rev:* Goddess is two armed and holds a fillet in r. hand. No trace of circular legend. Behind the goddess, some indistinct object. Border of dots. (Pl. XIXB. 3)

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Variety D

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(With issuer's name)

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(3) Gold(base); .9"; 88.3 grains; *Num.Ch.*, 1934, Pl.III.5. *Obv:* Within a border of thick dots, a very crude representation of king standing to l.; holding apparently bow in l. hand, bent and raised, and offering oblations by the r.; a standard before the king.¹ Legend on l. in three lines. Śrī Prithu Vi[ra] Between the feet, the letter ja.