History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.59

v1.c14.59

Lastly, we have to collate the information derivable from coins information which, though in the absence of dates it is often imperfect, is so far as it goes unchalengeable. Cunningham gives this informatton in his valuable work "Coins in Mediæval India" and formulates some theories also two of which are in our opinion not tenable. One great fact which appears from the so-called Gāndhāra coins is that the king is called Spalapati on the coins. Now Cunningham explains that Spalapati in Persian means war-lord and is the equivalent of Sanskrit Samarapati. Kallar the Brahmin minister who according to Alberuni (see note) seized the throne like Chacha must therefore have been the commander of forces and his Persian title (as the king's also was Shah) was Spalapati which he may well have retained afterwards. This Kallar may be equated with Lalliya of the Rājataranginī, Lalliya being the correct word and Kallar being misread for it in Arabic letters or Lalliya (Prakrit of this is the modern Lālā) was his favourite nickname. The coins of Spalapati Deva have a humped bull with Śiva's trident on them on one side and a horseman on the other with lance in the right hand. Now this type of coin remained long current in Kabul and even the Panjab and was so far popular that even Mahmud (and after him Mahamad Gori) issued similar coins with the name of Mahmud in Sanskrit above the horseman.