The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s6: Lyrist Type

The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c9.s6

Language: English

Lyrist Type

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The coins of the Lyrist type are rather rare. Of its larger variety, called A, the British Museum possesses five specimens, the Indian Museum two, and the State Museum Lucknow also the same number. The Bayana hoard had two specimens of this variety. The coins of the smaller variety, called B, are equally rare. *B. M. C., G. D.*, refers to three specimens, four were found in the Bayana hoard and one in the Bamnala hoard. The size of the coins of the variety A is .85"; that of the variety B is .75". The coins of the variety A, though large, are lighter in weight, the weight varying from 111 to 117 grains. The coins of the variety B, though small, vary in weight between 119 and 121 grains.

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The obverse of the Lyrist type shows the king seated upon a cushioned couch and playing upon a lyre (*vīṇā*) resting on his lap. The reverse shows the goddess seated to left on a wicker stool, holding noose in the right hand and cornucopiæ in the left.

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The conception and execution of the Lyrist type is completely original; save for the presence of the cornucopiæ in the hand of the goddess, it shows no trace of any Kushāṇa influence. His Majesty is represented as seated on a high-backed couch playing on a lute. He wears hardly any dress on his torso; probably the idea was to represent the emperor as seated on the terrace of his palace in a summer evening and engaged in spending his rare leisure hours in the pastime of music, which was one of his favourite hobbies. This type provides a numismatic corroboration of the claim of the Allahabad inscription that Samudragupta could excel even Nārada and Tumburu in his musical skill.

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The lute of Samudragupta is markedly different from its modern counterpart, which has a straight, long and narrow sounding board with a gourd at one or both ends. The lute of this type goes back to the Pāla sculptures. The lute of Samudragupta, which had a hollow belly covered with a board of seven strings, is similar to this instrument as we find it in early sculptures at Bharhut, Besnagar and Amaraoti.¹

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¹ *J. A. O. S.*, 1930, p. 244.

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The letter *si*, occuring on the pedestal of variety A, is most probably an abbreviation of *siddham*; and since this letter occurs on the Aśvamedha coins of the present ruler, it may be suggested that it refers to some auspicious occasion or event with which the issue of this type was connected. It is likely that both the types were issued on the occasion of the Aśvamedha sacrifice. During the course of this ritual a *rājanya* (Kshatriya) lute-player has to sing three *gāthās* (songs) composed by himself to the notes of the lute describing the sacrificer's valour.² It is of course improbable that Samudragupta would have played this part himself, but it is likely that this incident in the Aśvamedha sacrifice along with the emperor's known predilection for music must have been responsible for the introduction of this type in the coinage.

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² *S. Br.*, XIII. 4. 3. 5.

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The reverse motif of this type, Goddess or a female seated on a wicker stool, is rather an unusual motif in the Hindu art, but it may be due to the mint-master's desire to introduce a new variation in the posture of the deity. Smith points out that this type is an exact copy of Demeter as represented on a rare coin from Paros island in the British Museum;³ but unless it is shown that this rare coin-type or its imitation was well known in India, we cannot accept the view that the Gupta mint-masters are copying a foreign type in the present case. The reverse motif of this type became subsequently popular; it is to be seen on the Horseman types of Chandragupta II and Kumāragupta I.

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³ *J. R. A. S.*, 1889, p. 24.

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The legend on one coin of this type is distinctly *Sarmudraguptaḥ* (Pl. III. 15). Mr. Allan has suggested that it may be due to the mint-master proceeding to engrave through carelessness the reverse legend of the Kācha type, *Sarvarājochchhettā*, and realising his mistake, when the second letter was engraved and then proceeding to convert a *rva* into a passable *mu*. It is an ingenious suggestion but presupposes that the Kācha type was issued by Samudragupta himself. It is however more probable that Kācha was different from and later than Samudragupta, as will be shown on pp. 81-7.

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Lyrist type divides itself into two varieties. Variety A consists of thin, large and artistic pieces, struck in singularly low relief. They have footstool on the obverse below the king's feet, but no symbol on the reverse. Coins of variety B are thick and small and poor in artistic merit. They show a symbol on the reverse but no footstool on the obverse.

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There are some indications to show that the coins of the variety A were struck at the capital. Majority of them were found in Oudh and Banaras and the letter *ha* is engraved upon them in the eastern variety. Most of the coins of the variety B were found in outlying places of the empire, one in Alwar, four in Bayana and one in Bamnala (Central India). The letter *ma* on them shows the form of the western variety. These however are not convincing arguments. Gold coins easily travel long distances and the indications of the eastern and western forms of letters are not conclusive. On some Standard coins of Samudragupta, we have already seen how both the eastern and western forms of *ma* appear on the same piece. It is however not unlikely that the coins of the variety B were issued from mints in outlying provinces and those of the variety A from the mint in the capital. Good artists could be more easily procured for the latter than the former.

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We now describe the type.

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*Obv:* King nimbate, seated cross-legged to l. wearing waist-cloth pearl-bordered cap (in some cases), necklace, earrings and armlets, on a couch with high and cushioned back, playing lute (vīṇā) resting on his lap; a pedestal beneath the couch inscribed with si in variety A only. Legend (beginning at XII) Mahārājādhirāja-śrī-Samudraguptaḥ, (Pl. XX. 1.) Samudragupta, overlord of kings.

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Rev: Goddess (Lakṣmī) nimbate, seated to l. on a wicker stool, wearing a bodice, śārī and upper garment (in some cases); necklace, earrings, armlets and anklets on her person; noose in r. hand and cornucopiæ in the l. Symbol in variety B, but not in variety A. Legend on the left, usually separated by a line, Samudraguptaḥ. (Pl. XXIII. 46.)

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COINS ILLUSTRATED : 3

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Variety A (Large Size)¹

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¹ B. M. C., G. D., Pl. V. 1-7; J. A. S. B., 1884, i, Pl. II. 7; J. R. A. S., 1889. Pl. I, 5.

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(1) Gold; .85"; 110 grains. B. M. C., G. D., Pl. V. 1.

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Obv: All four legs of the couch are visible; its back shows the cotton stuffing. King wears a cap and there is a footstool below the couch. Legend beginning at XII; on l. Mahārājādhirāja śrī sa, on r. traces of mudrāguptaḥ.

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Rev: The wicker stool has artistic bands. No symbol. Legend, Sarmudraguptaḥ, rmu being a mistake for mu. (Pl. III. 15.)

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(2) Gold; .85"; 119.5 grains. B. M. C., G. D., Pl. V. 3.

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Obv: As above. Gaddī on the couch is shown as depressed by the body of the king, who is wearing a cap. The back of the couch has bead-border on one side. Three strings of the lute are visible. Legend, on r. Mahārājādhirāja, on l., Samudraguptaḥ, partly truncated.

Linked texts (1)

Bharhut