Ancient History of the Deccan c3.s4.3

c3.s4.3

Professor Rapson, who discovered the existence of the name Bhûmaka on the coins, has written: "considerations of "the type and fabric of the coins, and of the nature of the coin "legends leave no room for doubting that Bhûmaka preceded "Nahapâna" (Rapson, coins of the Ândhra dynasty, page CVIII). These coins bear as insignia, either "the arrow, discus and thunderbolt" or "the Lion capital and Dharmachakra." "The "coins of Bhûmaka seem to supply an important link between "the bronze coins of Nahapâna and those struck conjointly "by the Pahlava Spalirises and the Śaka Azes" (J. R. A. S. for 1904, p. 372). The insignia 'Discus, Bow and Arrow' connect these coins with those of Azes I: "It may be compared (Rapson, page CVII) with the rev. type "Discus, Bow and Arrow" of certain copper coins struck conjointly by Spalirisez and Azes (Percy Gardner, B. M. cat., Greek and Scythic kings, Pl. XXII, 4; C. Nehr, 1890, Pl. VII, 13). On the other hand, the insignia Lion capital and Dharmachakra were those of the Kshaharatas of Mathurâ; and in particular the Lion pillar of Mathurâ is well known. We know that the Pahlava Spalirises and the Śaka Azes were kings of Arachosia and Sistân. Azes I reigned in the Panjâb and it would not be impossible that he founded the Vikrama era which begins in 58 B. C. "........he (Azes I) was reigning in the third quarter "of the first century B. C., while the probability that he may "have founded an era is also suggested by the abundance of "his coins, which denote his pre-eminence among the Śaka.