The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c7.6

c7.6

We have already observed that the art of the Gupta coinage is thoroughly Indian. This statement requires a little further consideration, because Smith has strenuously advocated the view that many of the motifs of the Gupta coinage show foreign inspiration. In most cases, however, Smith’s views are untenable. Those conversant with the Bhāgavata religion and aware of the great importance it attached to Viṣṇu and his mount Garuḍa, will hardly attach any weight to Smith’s contention that the Gupta emperors, who were Bhāgavatas, borrowed the Garuḍadhvaja from the Eagle of the Roman aurei.¹ The Besnagar pillar shows that Garuḍadhvaja was quite a common motif with the Bhāgavatas long before it was introduced upon the Roman aurei. Peacock was the mount of god Kumāra or Kārtikeya, after whom Kumāragupta I was named; one can therefore well understand why peacock should figure prominently on his gold and silver coins. We would therefore be hardly justified in supposing that the fan-tailed peacock device on the silver coinage of this emperor is borrowed from a rare coin of Julia Augusta, a daughter of Titus, who died sometime between the years 81-90 A. D.² Smith admits that the interval of time between this princess and Kumāragupta I is very considerable, but still persists in thinking that her scarce coinage, which is not known to have reached India, must have supplied the prototype. The motif of the king or the goddess feeding peacock is also a purely Indian one; the resemblance, if any, between it and that of Juno feeding a peacock, occurring on some Roman coins, must be regarded as purely accidental. The Horseman and the Lion-slayer types show such common motifs intimately connected with the usual life of Hindu kings, that one can hardly agree with Smith in thinking that they were borrowed from some rare Roman types.¹