The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c17.s2.t3: Coins of Kings not mentioned in the Purāṇas
The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v2.c17.s2.t3
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Coins of Kings not mentioned in the Purāṇas
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Several kings of the Paurāṇic list are not represented in the coinage shown above. The reverse is also true; some kings of the coins are not represented in the Paurāṇic list or inscriptions. Kumbha Sātakarṇi, Śaka Sātakarṇi, and Karṇa Sātakarṇi of the Tarhala hoard¹ belong to this category. The last-mentioned king is probably identical with king Kaṇha Sātakarṇi of the *BMCAK*, no. 180.
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¹ *JNSI*, II, 90-91.
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Kosikiputra Sātakarṇi is another king unknown to the Purāṇas but represented in the coinage. The solitary piece of his, known so far, is of the Chanda hoard type, showing an Elephant with the trunk upraised on the obverse and the Ujjain symbol on the reverse (*JNSI*, VIII, 116). The actual legend is *Kosikiputa Sa*, which is to be completed as *Kosikiputa Sātakaṇisa*. It is possible to argue that the issuer may not have been a Sātavāhana ruler, the legend being really *Kosikiputasa*, and the proper name being altogether wanting. But the type shows that the issuer was indeed a Sātavāhana ruler and so the last letter *sa* would seem to be the initial character of the word Sātakaṇi.
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A very big lead coin² 1.55 in. in diameter and weighing 559.5 grains was found in the Godavari district, with one side plain and the other side showing a lion and an incomplete inscription, *Raño* . . . . *varasa* (Pl. LXIV, 5). The name . . . . *vara* does not occur in the Paurāṇic list of Andhra kings.
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² *BMCAK*, 4.
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As was the case with most of the ancient empires, the Sātavāhanas controlled a number of feudatory princes, and some of these were permitted to issue coins. One such feudatory family ruled at Kolhapur and is known from the coins of three of its rulers, namely (1) Vāsisṭhīputra Viḷivāyakura, (2)
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Māḍhariputra Śivalakura (Pl. LXIV, 6), and (3) Gotamīputra Viḷivāyakura (Pl. LXIV, 7). No. 3 among the above rulers restrikes the coins of No. 2; and No. 2 those of No. 1. It is therefore clear that the above kings ruled in the order stated above.
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These coins have usually a Ten-arched Hill, Tree, and River on the obverse and a Bow and Arrow on the reverse, with the circular legend, *Raño Gotamīputasa Viḷivāyakurasa*, &c. (Pl. LXIV, 6–7).¹ Coins were issued both in copper (Pl. LXIV, 6) and lead (Pl. LXIV, 7). It was once supposed that these kings were Sātavāhana rulers and different attempts were accordingly made to identify them with the kings of the Paurāṇic list. Smith identified Gautamīputra Viḷivāyakura with the great Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi, Māḍhariputra Śivalakura with Śivasvāti, and Vāsiṣṭhīputra Viḷivāyakura with Chakora Sātakarṇi, the predecessor of Śivasvāti.
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¹ Pl. LXIV, 6 is *BMCAK*, 31 and weighs 60 grains; Pl. LXIV, 7 is *BMCAK*, 30 and weighs 164·6 grains.
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We cannot enter into the details of this controversy. It is essential to point out that the mere matronymics like Gautamīputra and Māḍhariputra cannot make these rulers Sātavāhanas; for example, Gautamīputra and Vāsiṣṭhīputra appear as epithets of the Magha kings Śivamagha and Bhīmasena; a Mahārathi chief at Karli has the matronymic Vāsiṣṭhīputra. The rulers who struck the Kolhapur coins need not therefore be identified as Sātavāhanas merely because they are described as Gautamīputra and Vāsiṣṭhīputra. Ptolemy states that Polemaios of Paithan and Baleokuros of Hippokura were contemporaries. It is clear that Polemaios is the Greek form of Puḷumāvi and that Baleokuros is Viḷivāyakura. These were two different though contemporary kings. It is therefore very likely that the Viḷivāyakura and Śivalakura of the Kolhapur coins were members of some local feudatory ruling family.
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Another feudatory family attached to the Sātavāhana empire ruled in the Chitaldurg district of Mysore. It issued large lead coins having a Bull on one side and a Tree within a railing and a Three-arched Hill on the other (Pl. LXIV, 8).² Only one king is known from the legends of this coinage, viz. Kaḷalāya-mahārathi. The type of his pieces has a close resemblance to one of the types issued by King Sātakarṇi and described above (p. 791).
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² Pl. LXIV, 8 is *BMCAK*, VIII. 233 and weighs 211·5 grains; Pl. LXIV, 9 is *BMCAK*, VIII. G.P. 2 and weighs 210·4 grains; and Pl. LXIV, 10 is *BMCAK*, VIII. 236 and weighs 250 grains. Photographs are to size.
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Another feudatory family was ruling at this time in the North Canara district. The lead coins of two of its kings have so far come to light, Chūṭukulānanda and Muḍānanda (Pl. LXIV, 9–10). The type is an Eight-arched Hill on one side and a Tree within a railing and double trident on the other.
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The legend on Pl. LXIV, 9 is *Raño Chuṭukulānandasa* and that on Pl. LXIV, 10 is *Raño Muḷānandasa*.³
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POST-SĀTAVĀHANA COINAGE