The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s1.5

v1.c8.s1.5

The theory that the coins of Pravarasena and Rudrasena I were issued in the years 76 and 100 respectively of the Chedi era is equally untenable. Pravarasena I issued no coins at all as far as we know, and the same is the case with regard to Rudrasena I. The coins attributed to Pravarasena I are really those of a ruler named Virasena, who ruled to the south of Mathura. Had they been issued by Pravarasena I, they should surely have been found within his kingdom, and not far away from it in the Mathura region. As it is, not a single coin of this type is found in the Madhya Pradesha, the centre of the Vākāṭaka kingdom. And finally, what is most important, these coins have no dates at all. What have been taken to be the symbols for the numerals 70 and 6 are actually merely parts of the palm-tree.¹ Coins attributed to Rudrasena I were issued at least 500 years before his time by some ruler of Kauśāmbī. They bear no name or date whatsoever; portions of Dharmachakra and Triratna symbols were wrongly supposed to stand for the letters Rudra and the symbol for the numeral 100.² It may be also pointed out that these so-called coins of Rudrasena are never found outside Kauśāmbī anywhere within the home-provinces of the Vākāṭaka kingdom.