Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c16.3

c16.3

**§ 2. Classification.** — Ancient and mediaeval Indian coins, as thus defined, fall naturally into three main classes — (1) a primitive native coinage, which, so far as the present state of our knowledge will allow us to judge, seems to have been very widely used throughout India and in Ceylon; and, following this, the classes which numismatists have usually distinguished geographically as (2) Northern, and (3) Southern. These terms are not strictly accurate, as any rigid geographical classification is, in this case, impossible. The real distinction between the two classes so called is due to the disturbing influence of foreign invasions; and, while it is true that all the successive waves of foreign influence came in at the N. W. corner of India, it is equally true that most of them had spent their force not only before reaching the south, but even before reaching the centre or the north-east. On the other hand, intercourse with the north gave to the coinage of certain southern states, e. g. that of the Andhras, some of the usual northern characteristics. In the numismatic sense, therefore, the term 'Northern' should be understood as denoting that class of Indian coins in which the primitive native system of coinage is very greatly modified by foreign influence, and the term 'Southern' as denoting that class in which, for the most part, an independent and distinctively Indian development is to be traced.