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Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c26.s3: § 115. Ṣāhi Coinage

Indische Paläographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c26.s3

Language
German

§ 115. Ṣāhi Coinage

c26.s3.1

— The coins may probably be arranged in the following periods:—(1) Coins of the early Kuṣaṇas, c. B.C. 25 — A.D. 180 (v. sup. §§ 65—73); (2) The later imitations of these (v. § 74), from which the coins of the Sassanian invaders (c. 300—450 A.D.) were copied (v. § 75); (3) The coins of the Kidāra Kuṣaṇas, who held Gandhāra, c. 425--475 A.D. (v. § 76). It is, however, doubtful whether these coins should be attributed to the kingdom of the Kidāra Kuṣanas in Gandhāra or in Kashmīr; (4) The coins of the Hūṇas struck in Gandhāra, c. 475—530 A.D. (v. § 104). The use of the title Ṣāhi on Hūṇa coins is probably to be traced to this source; (5) After the Hūṇa period, during the visit of Hwen Thsang, c. 630 A.D., the king of Gandhāra was a Kṣatriya. This, perhaps, shows that the Kuṣana dynasty had become Hinduised (v. STEIN, op. cit. p. 5). It is uncertain what coins should be attributed to this period — perhaps the late imitations in copper of debased Kuṣana type (C.CMI. p. 49, Pl. VI, 1--6); (6) According to ALBERUNI (tr. SACHAU II, p. 13) a Brāhman vazīr usurped the throne and founded a dynasty. To the different members of this Brāhman dynasty are attributed the series of coins commonly known, from their predominating types, as the "Bull and Horseman" coins (c. A.D. 860 950; C.CMI. p. 62; **Plate V, 6**: Spalapati); (7) For the remaining period which extends to the date of the suppression this dynasty by Maḥmūd of Ghazni (i. e. c. 950—1026 A.D.), the names of the different princes are known from inscr., but no coins have as yet been attributed to them. They are called Rajputs, and it has been conjectured (C.) that a counter-revolution may have wrested the kingdom from the Brahmans and restored it to its ancient Kṣatriya possessors.

c26.s3.2

C.CMI. p. 55, Pl. VII; Ar. Ant. p. 428, Pl. XIX, 1—23. For the supposed dates on the coins of the Brahman Ṣāhis v. BAYLEY, NChr. 1882, pp. 128. 291; TH., Ind. Ant. 1883, p. 260; FLEET, id. 1886, p. 185.

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