Chapter II: Coins of the śakas and Pahlavas

After the conquest of Bactria by the Śakas in 135 B.C. there must have been considerable intercourse, sometimes of a friendly, sometimes of a hostile character, between them and the Parthians, who occupied the neighbouring territory. This may account for the Parthian influence which appears in certain features on the coins of the Śakas, particularly in the title _Basileōs Basileōn_, “King of Kings,” which all these kings, following the example of the Arsacid dynasty, inscribed on the obverse of their coins.

Maues, whose coins are found only in the Panjāb, was the first king of what may be called the Azes group of princes. His silver is not plentiful; the finest type is that with a “biga” (two-horsed chariot) on the obverse, and to this type belongs a square hemidrachm, the only square Śaka silver coin known. His commonest copper coins, with an elephant’s head on the obverse and a “caduceus” (staff of the god Hermes) on the reverse (Pl. III, 4), are imitated from a round copper coin of Demetrios. On another copper square coin of Maues the king is represented on horseback. This striking device is characteristic both of the Śaka and Pahlava coinage (Pl. III, 7); it first appears in a slightly different form on coins of the Indo-Greek Hippostratos (Pl. II, 5); the Gupta kings adopted it for their “horseman” type, and it reappears in Mediæval India on the coins of numerous Hindu kingdoms, and was even employed by Muhammadan invaders until the fourteenth century.

Silver coins of Azes I and Azilises, especially of the former, are abundant. As on Maues’ coinage, Greek gods and goddesses, Zeus, Herakles, Pallas and Poseidon, appear on both silver and copper of these two kings, but now for the first time an Indian goddess, Lakshmī, is introduced. A favourite device on the silver of Azilises is the Dioskouroi (Pl. III, 9).[17] His copper coins are all square, whereas Azes’ commonest type is a large round coin with a bull on the observe and a lion on the reverse (Pl. III, 5), unquestionably copied from the large round coins of Apollodotos; for some of Azes I’s coins are restruck on those of Apollodotos and Hippostratos. Another copper coin shows the king Azes sitting cross-legged in the Indian fashion. On the reverse of another copper coin, of the common “king on horseback” type, appears the name of the Indian general, Aspavarma, which is also found on some coins of the Pahlava Gondopharnes: this is a most important piece of evidence, as it shows a connection between the two dynasties. The earlier Pahlava kings, which we may call the Vonones group, were evidently far less powerful than the Śaka rulers; their coins are scarcer, didrachms particularly so, and are found only west of the Indus valley. On no coins has the name of Vonones been found alone, but always associated either with Spalahores, his brother, or his nephew, Spalagadames; the names of the two latter are conjoined on another coin (Pl. III, 10). A fourth prince, Spalirises, strikes coins of his own and also in conjunction with Azes II.[18] All the silver coins of this group are of the usual “king on horseback” type; their copper coins are with one exception square.

[17] They are also represented on horseback as on Eukratides’ coins.

[18] This coin seems to provide the family link between the Śakas and Pahlavas.

Like the Indo-Greeks, the Śakas use Greek for the obverse and Kharoshṭhī for the reverse legend.

The most important of the later Pahlava kings was Gondophares, or Gondopharnes, famous as the King of India mentioned in the traditional stories connected with the Apostle St. Thomas. In the British Museum there is a silver coin of his struck in the pure Parthian style, but the rest of his didrachms—no smaller coins are known—are of billon (Pl. III, 8). Several types of these are known, but all have the usual “king on horseback” obverse. On the reverse of one type the god Śiva appears. His copper coins, all of them round, have a bust of the king in the Parthian style, with either a figure of Nike or Pallas on the reverse. The coins of his successors or contemporaries, Abdagases, Orthagnes and Pakores, closely follow in type those of Gondopharnes.

Connected with these later Pahlavas are a few princes who call themselves “Satrap”—among these the most prominent is Zeionises, who minted some rather striking didrachms in pure silver. His not uncommon copper coins imitate the bull and lion type of Azes. Lastly, there are a number of miscellaneous rulers, such as Miaos and Hyrcordes, whose coins present features so heterogeneous that it has been impossible hitherto to assign them ancestry, nationality or even an approximate date. The most important of these is the “nameless king,” whose superscription consists of the titles, “_King of Kings, the great Saviour_,” written in Greek only. His coins, all of copper, are well struck, especially the commonest type, which shows a diademed head of the king on the obverse and a horseman on the reverse (Pl. III, 6). On all appears his special symbol, a three-pronged fork (Fig. 3, v).[19]

[19] It has been suggested with great probability that the title _Sotēr Megas_ (Great Saviour) was that of the military governor (_stratēgos_) of Taxila under the Kushāṇas, and that these coins were the anonymous issues of successive _stratēgoi_. Cf. _Camb. History of India_, Vol. I, p. 581.

KEY TO PLATE III

1. Andhra: Gotamīputra Śrī Yajña Sātakarṇī, AR. Hemidrachm.
Wt. 34 grs.
Obv., head of king to right. In Brāhmī, _Raño Gotamiputasa
Siri Yaña Sātakaṇisa_.
Rev., Ujjain symbol and chaitya. In Southern Brāhmī,
_Gotam (a) putasha Hiru Yaña Hātakaṇisha_ (Hiru = Śrī).

2. Western Kshatrapa: Dāmasena. AR. Wt. 34 grs.
Obv., head of Satrap to right. Corrupt Greek inscription.
Date 100 + 50 + 3 to left.
Rev., chaitya, star and crescent. In Brāhmī,
_Raño Mahākshatrapasa Rudrasīhasa putrasa raño
Mahākshatrapasa Dāmasenasa_
“(Coin) of king Dāmasena, the great satrap, son of king
Rudrasiṁha, the great satrap.”

3. Odumbara: Dharaghosha, AR. Wt. 37·5 grs.
Obv., standing figure of Viśvāmitra(?). In Brāhmī, _Mahadevasa
Raña Dharughoshasa Odumbarisa_,
“(Coin) of the Mahadeva, king Dharughosha of Odumbara”;
across, in Kharoshṭhī, _Viśvāmitra_.
Rev., trident, battle-axe and tree within railing.
Brāhmī legend as on obverse.

4. Maues. Æ. Wt. about 130 grs.
Obv., head of elephant to right, bell suspended from neck.
Rev., caduceus and monogram. In Greek, _Basileōs Mauou_
“(Coin) of king Maues.”

5. Azes. Æ. Wt. about 220 grs.
Obv., humped bull to right, monogram above. In Greek,
_Basileōs basileōn megalou Azou_.
Rev., in Kharoshṭhī, _Maharajasa rajatirajasa mahatasa Ayasa_
“(Coin) of the great king of Kings, Azes.”

6. Nameless king: Sotēr Megas, Æ.
Obv., diademed and radiate bust of king to right holding
a lance: king’s special symbol to left.
Rev., king on horseback to right, symbol to right. In Greek,
_Basileus basileōn sotēr megas_, “King of kings,
the great saviour.”

7. Azes I. AR. Didrachm. Wt. 142 grs.
Obv., king on horseback to right, holding couched lance.
Kharoshṭhī letter “Sa” below. Legend as on No. 5.

8. Gondopharnes. AR (base). Didrachm. Wt. 142 grs.
Obv., king on horseback to right, right arm extended; king’s
special symbol to right. In Greek, _Basileōs basileōn
megalou Undopherou_.
Rev., Zeus standing to right, right arm extended; monogram to
right, Kharoshṭhī letters to left. In Kharoshṭhī, _Mahārāja
rajatiraja tratara devavrada Gudu-pharasa_, “The king of
kings, the great Gondopharnes, devoted to the gods.”

9. Azilises. AR. Didrachm.
Obv., king on horseback holding elephant-goad in right hand,
symbol to right. In Greek as on No. 5, but _Azilisou_.
Rev., Discouroi standing side by side, armed with spears.
Legend as No. 5, but _Ayilishasa_.

10. Spalyris with Spalagadames. Æ.
Obv., in square frame the king on horseback. In Greek,
_Spalurios dikaiou adelphou tou basileōs_
“(Coin) of Spalyris the just, the brother of the king.”
Rev., naked diademed Herakles, with club, sitting on a rock;
monogram to left. In Kharoshṭhī, _Śpalahoraputrasa
dhramiasa Śpalagadamasa_ “(Coin) of Śpalagadames,
son of Śpalahores (Spalyris) the just.”

KEY TO PLATE IV

1. Hermaios and Kujūla Kadphises. Æ.
Obv., diademed bust of king to right. In Greek, _Basileōs
stērossu Hermaiou_. (Meaning obscure.)
Rev., Herakles facing, with lion’s skin and club. In Kharoshṭhī,
_Kujūla Kasasa Kushana yavugasa dhramaṭhidasa_
“(Coin) of Kujūla Kasa, chief of the Kushāṇas, steadfast
in the law.”

2. Kujūla Kadaphes—imitation of a Roman type. Æ.
Obv., diademed head to right. In corrupt Greek, _Khoranou zaoou
Kozola Kadaphes_.
Rev., king seated to right on a chair, behind him a monogram.
In Kharoshṭhī, ... _Kaphsasa[20] sachadhramaṭhitasa
Khushanasa yüasa_ “(Coin) of Kapsha, chief of the
Kushāṇas, steadfast in the true law.”

3. Vima Kadphises. AV. Double stater. Wt. 244·2 grs.
Obv., king seated cross-legged, wearing crested helmet and
diadem, thunderbolt in right hand; symbol to left. Legend in
Greek letters, _Basileus Ooemo Kadphises_.
Rev., Śiva radiate, standing in front of bull, long trident in
right hand; symbol to left. In Kharoshṭhī, _Maharajasa
rajadhirajasa sarvaloga iśvarasa Mahiśvarasa Vima Kaṭhphiśasa
tradara_ “(Coin) of the great king, the king of kings,
lord of the world, the Maheśvara, Vima Kaṭhphiśa,
the defender.”[21]

4. Kanishka. AV. Wt. 122 grs.
Obv., king radiate, standing to left sacrificing at a small
altar, spear in left hand. In Greek characters, _Shāonānoshāo
Kaneshki Koshāno_ “(Coin) of the king of kings, Kanishka
the Kushāṇa.”
Rev., Buddha facing nimbate, wallet in left hand; to right
symbol. In Greek, _Boddo_.

5. Kanishka. AV. Wt. 30·8 grs.
Obv., half-length portrait of king to left, spear in left hand.
Legend as on No. 4.
Rev., bearded deity to left, with fillet in right hand and tongs
in left. To left symbol, to right _Athsho_.

6. Kanishka. Æ.
Obv., as No. 4, but legend _Shāo Kaneshki_.
Rev., Wind god, undraped and radiate, running to left; to left
symbol, to right _Oado_.

7. Huvishka. AV. Wt. 120·9 grs.
Obv., king riding on an elephant to right, holds sceptre and
elephant-goad. Legend as on No. 4, but _Oēshki_.
Rev., goddess to right, holding cornucopiae in both hands; to
right symbol, to left _Ardokhsho_.

8. Huvishka. AV. Wt. 123 grs.
Obv., king seated cross-legged, turning to left; goad in left
hand, sceptre in right. Legend as on No. 7.
Rev., bearded Herakles, with club and lion’s skin, standing,
apple in left hand; to left symbol, to right _Herakilo_.

9. Vasudeva. AV. Wt. 122·3 grs.
Obv., similar to No. 4, but king wears suit of chain-mail; also
name _Bazodēo_ in legend.
Rev., many-headed Śiva, standing in front of bull, trident in
left hand; symbol to right, to left _Oesho_.

10. Later Great Kushāṇa. AV. Wt. 121·4 grs.
Obv., as No. 4, but corrupt legend, Nāgarī letters, to left
“ha,” to right “vi.”
Rev., goddess seated on throne facing, holding noose in right,
cornucopiae in left hand; left, above symbol, below Nāgarī
“la”; to right _Ardokhsho_.

11. Yaudheya. Æ.
Obv., soldier standing, holding spear in right hand. In Brāhmī,
_Yaudheyagaṇasya iaya dvi_....
“Of the clan of Yaudheyas (?)”
Rev., standing figure, symbol on either side.

[20] Four different Kharoshṭhī forms appear on coins—Kasa, Kaphsa, Kadapha and Kaü. It is uncertain how many persons they denote.

[21] Maheśvara (Mahesh) is a name of Śiva.