The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c17.s2.t14: (10) The coinage of the Yādavas
The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c17.s2.t14
- Language
- English
(10) The coinage of the Yādavas
v2.c17.s2.t14.1
The coins of the Imperial Yādava dynasty were once attributed to the Kadambas, but subsequent discoveries have shown that they were issued by the Imperial Yādavas; this is rendered absolutely certain by the legends inscribed on them, which give the names of all the rulers from Siṅghaṇa onwards, with the exception of Ammaṇa, whose rule lasted only for a few months. These coins are punched on one side only, their reverse being blank, and thus they have become cup-shaped. Their weight is about 57 grains and the diameter measures 0.6 in. The obverse bears a lotus in the centre and four marks punched in four corners. At each end of one diagonal there is the letter *Śrī* in Telugu-Kannaḍa script. At one end of the other diagonal is found the king's name in the Devanāgarī script and at the other end usually a Conch or a Bow or a Sword. *Padmaṭaṅkas* issued by Siṅghaṇa, Mahādeva, Kṛiṣhṇa, and Rāmadeva have been found. The Hyderabad Museum possesses more than 150 of them, which originally belonged to the State Treasury. The hoard discovered at Rachpatan in the Krishna district in 1922 contained 43 coins with the legends Siṅghaṇa, Kaṇhara, Mahādeva, and Rāmadeva.² Three *padmaṭaṅkas* of Siṅghaṇa were found buried in a field in the Kharsia circle of the former Raigarh State together with a coin of Nasiruddīn Mahmūd (1246-66). This find would seem to show that the Yādava sphere of influence included southern Kośala during the reign of Siṅghaṇa.
v2.c17.s2.t14.2
² JASB, N.S., 1925, pp. 6-10.
v2.c17.s2.t14.3
The name Siṅghaṇa is also spelt as Seghaṇa, that of Kṛiṣhṇa as Kāṇhapa or Kaṇhara, that of Mahādeva as Mahadeva and that of Rāmadeva as Śrī Rāma. Pl. LXV illustrates the coins of Siṃhaṇa (14-15), Kṛṣṇa (16), Mahādeva (17), and Rāmadeva (18) respectively. Their weight is about 58 grains.