The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s2: Archer Type
The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s2
- Language
- English
Contents
- c9.s2.t1 Class I — 10 parts
- c9.s2.t2 Class II — 2 parts
Archer Type
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The coins of the Archer type vary in size from .8" to .9" and in weight from 110 to 120 grains. Their recorded find-spots are Bharsar (Banaras district), Jaunpur, Bodhagaya and Bayana. There are three coins of this type in the Bayana hoard; the British Museum and the Indian Museum possess four each and the Lucknow Museum and the Ashmolean Museum only one.
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The Archer type is an adaptation of the Standard type. The king is usually shown as holding a bow by the left hand and an arrow by the right. In this type, there is a conscious effort to Indianise the Standard type. The notion of a king offering oblations, while dressed in coat and trousers, was foreign to Hindu tradition. The motif was adopted from the Kushāṇa proto-type on account of the persistant conservatism, which is so characteristic of Indian numismatics. We, however, see the mint-masters gradually improving upon the prototype by representing the king as *dhanurdhara* or bowman in the case of the Archer type and as *Kṛitāntaparaśu* or wielder of the battle-axe of Kṛitānta, God of Death, in the case of the Battle-axe type. The obverse legend is a metrical one, and proclaims the king's conquest of the earth by his prowess and of the heaven by his good deeds. The *biruda* on the reverse is *Apratiratha*, matchless chariot-warrior. The emperor was obviously proud of this epithet, because we find him described as *prithivyāmapratiratha* also in his Allahabad inscription.
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The Archer type persisted longest in the gold currency of the Guptas, and it became extremely popular in the reign of Chandragupta II. Samudragupta, however, appears to have issued only few coins of this type.
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*Ma* of the eastern variety is more common on this type than that of the western one. This may suggest that the type was more common in the eastern provinces, where the influence of the Kushāṇa numismatic tradition was naturally not very strong. But we cannot draw any safe conclusions from the form of *ma*, for we find both eastern and western forms of this letter on the same side of the same coin in some cases; see Pl. I. 15.
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The coins of this type are usually divided into two classes. In Class I, the emperor is holding an arrow in the right hand; in class II he is offering oblations by that hand. No coins of Class II, however, have been illustrated, and they can no longer be traced. Three specimens of it are stated to have been found in the Bharsar hoard.¹ It is indeed strange that all the three coins of the Archer type of this hoard should have shown the king as offering oblations, and that it should have had no specimen of the usual type showing the king as holding an arrow. It may be pointed out that, if carelessly observed, a coin like Pl. II. 12. produces a fleeting impression that the king is offering oblations, the transverse fingers touching both arrow and the staff of the Garuḍa standard appearing like an altar. Whether the so-called altar on the Bharsar specimens was of this type, we do not know, as no photographs of theirs have been published and the coins are now untraceable. Since, however, the reverse legend is definitely stated to be *Parākramaḥ* and not *Apratirathaḥ*, we may perhaps presume that class II of the Archer type does exist. It represents a transition from the Standard type to the Archer type Class I. For, while the king is shown as holding a bow in the left hand, he is shown as offering oblations by the right, as on the Standard type.
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¹ *J. A. S. B.* i, 1852, pp. 390-400.
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In class I, we can distinguish two varieties based on the difference in the legend. In var. A, the legend reads *Apratiratho vijitya kṣitiṃ sucaritair divaṃ jayati* (Pl. XX. 9). In var. B the word [*m*]avaniśo (Pl. XX. 10.) supplants the word *sucaritaiḥ*. The reading *mavaniśo* is, however, conjectural. only its first two letters are visible and their reading is not distinct on the photographs published as yet. Only two coins of this variety are known so far.
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We shall now give full description of this type.
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*Obv:* King standing left, nimbate, dressed as on the Standard type, holding a bow with string inwards by l. hand, and r. hand either holding an arrow or offering oblations on altar. Garuḍa standard with fillets on l. in front of the king; crescent between the king’s head and the banner in some cases. Legend, *Samudra* under the king’s l. arm; circular legend, commencing at I, *Apratiratho vijitya kṣitiṃ sucharitair* (or *avaniśo*) *divaṃ jayati*; (Pl. XX. 9.) ‘Having conquered the earth, the invincible one (or lord of the earth) wins heaven by meritorious deeds.’ Metre, Uapagīti.
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*Rev:* Goddess (Lakṣmī ?) seated as on the Standard type, holding cornucopiæ in l. and noose in r. hand. Symbol on l. only. Legend, *Apratirathaḥ*.
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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 3
Class I
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Variety A
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(With *sucharitaiḥ* in the legend)¹
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¹ *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. IV. 1-7; *P.E.*, Pl. XXIII. 19; *J.R.A.S.*, 1889 p. 71; *J.A.S.B.*, 1852., pp. 395-400.
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(1) Gold; .85"; 116.4 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, Pl. IV. 1.
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*Obv:* The king holds bow in l. hand and arrow in right. Note how a momentary impression of the altar is produced by the transverse fingers of the king touching both the arrow and the staff of the *garuḍadhvaja*. Legend, on r. truncated, *rathavaja* is visible between II and IV; on l. *sucharitairdivaṃ jayati*. *Ma* in *Samudra* is of the western variety.
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*Rev:* Back of the throne visible on the r. Legend, *Apratirathaḥ*. Symbol on l.
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(2) Gold; .9"; 108.² grains; *B.H.*, Pl. VI. 1. *Obv:* *Ma* in *Samudra* is of the eastern variety. Legend on r., *Apratiratho vijitya kshata*; on l., off the flan. *Rev:* As above. (Pl. II. 14)
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(With *avaniśo* in the legend)¹
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¹ J.A.S.B., 1884, i., Pl. II. 6; J.R.A.S., 1889, Pl. I. 10. In both these cases, the letters *mava* are distinct.
c9.s2.t1.10
(3) Gold; .9"; 118 grains; *B.M.C., G.D.*, IV. 6. *Obv:* The king is apparently wearing shorts. A crescent above Garuḍa. *Ma* is of the eastern variety. Circular legend on l., *Apratiratho vajitya kshtamava*. (Pl. XX. 16.) Note that the last two letters of *vajyata* on the r. are slightly blurred, but *mava* is fairly distinct. *Rev:* As above, but the cornucopiæ in l. hand is crudely engraved. (Pl. II. 15.)
Class II
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(4) Gold; size not known; weight of two coins was 110 grains and that of the third 114; Bharsar hoard.² *Obv:* King as above, but offering oblations on altar by r. hand and not holding an arrow by it. *Rev:* Legend, *Parākramaḥ*. No coins of this class have been illustrated.
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² J. A. S. B., 1852, pp. 395-400.