Ancient History of the Deccan c5.s5.17

c5.s5.17

The seal of the Chikkula plates (Ep. Ind. Vol IV., plate facing the page 244) resembles that of the Rāmatīrtham plates: an advancing lion with its fore-paw raised, mouth wide open and the tail swung over the back so as to end in a loop (G. O. No. 538; Rep. on Epi. 28th July 1909). The lion was then the crest of the Viṣṇukuṇḍins. It is to be remarked that the Kadambas have the same crest which proves the family relationship that existed between the Kadambas and the Viṣṇukuṇḍins. We find the image of a vase sculptured on the pillars at Uṇḍavalli and Mogalrājapuram, and the image of a lion at Uṇḍavalli. Coins bearing the image of a lion on the obverse and the image of a vase on the reverse have also been found. (see for instance, in Mr. Vincent A. Smith's, "Early History of India," the plate concerning the Indian coins in the British Museum: coin No. 16, from Elliot, "Coins of Southern India" Pl., II, 49). These coins have been attributed to the Pallavas. In 1917, in my work "The Pallavas" (Chapter III, page 34), I have attributed these coins to the Viṣṇukuṇḍins.