Chapter 5 - The Inventory of Coins

Sirpur and its adjacent areas have yielded important coins of different periods. M.G. Dixit^[1] has discovered one gold coin of Prasannamatra of Sarabhapuriya dynasty (cir. 550-600) in his excavation during 1954-55. Four gold coins of the same ruler have been preserved in Sambalpur University Museum^[2]. Besides these, four coins of the same ruler were published by L.P. Pandeya^[3], two coins were with S.K. Saraswati^[4] of Calcutta University, six, which have been found in Chhattisgarh, are in the coin cabinet of Nagpur Museum^[5], forty-seven have been discovered in a hoard in the village of Berhmapur in Qila Banki estate in Cuttak district^[6]. Further, thirty-nine coins from Riwan^[7] (Raipur district) and eleven from Bhandara^[8] (Chandrapur district, Maharastra) of Prasannamatra have also been found. The coins are of repousse variety. The coins contain the effigy of the goddess, Laksmi standing on a lotus, facing full front, a halo round the head, two elephants on both sides garlanding the goddess.

In the eighties of the previous century, one silver from Tala and one copper coin of Prasannamatra^[9] have also been discovered from Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. The upper part of the obverse of the silver coin is divided into two parts by a horizontal line. In the upper parts, an effigy of Garuda (the birdvehicle of Lord Visnu) with a crescent moon and a well decorated Cakra (discuss) are engraved to its right while a sword and a conch-shell (sankha) are found to its left.

All the coins–gold, silver and copper–contain the legend Sri Prasannamatra below the horizontal line, incised in box-headed characters of the Southern variety of Brahmi. The reverse of all types of coins are left blank. The coins of Prasannamatra may be distinguished into two classes: Class I bears the device of Garuda in the upper half and the legend of Sri Prasannamatra in the lower half whereas, Class II has a symbol of cakra in the upper half and the lower half bearing the legend Sri Prasanna. It is a solitary coin of this class, that is known up till now. So far the Class I is concerned, B.C. Jain has classified it into two varieties. Variety ‘A’ bears the cluster of six dots, below the letter Sa of the legend while variety ‘B’ has a Ghata with or without cover in place of cluster of six dots. In the present silver and copper coins, a symbol is found below the letter Sa of the legend. The symbol is found for the first time and is not very clear; hence nothing can be definitely suggested. It probably seems to represent symbolically the goddess Laksmi standing on lotus. Similarly, the sword symbol found in the upper half, in proper left on the Garuda is not found on any earlier coin of this ruler. These coins also bear a dot, above the letter Sa and below the horizontal line. On the copper coin his dot is touching the point of letter ma of the legend. Hence it may be considered as a new variety of the Garuda type and placed as variety ‘C’ of Class I.

Thus, in the light of present discoveries, we can safely presume that these repousse process are not seals or tokens or largesse money but struck for circulation as currency or money in various metals such as gold, silver, and copper and Prasannamatra was a only powerful king ruling in the Chhatisgrh region during the early part of the sixth century A.D. who is known to issue coins in three metals.

Of late, five lead coins of Karsapana variety bearing the legend Sri Sarabhasya^[10] have been reported to come to light. He is regarded as the founder of the rule of the dynasty known as Sarabhapuriya. Besides, 131 coins of Mahendraditya and 4 coins of Kramaditya, both of whom are identified as Sarabhapuriya rulers in the first half of sixth century A.D. have come to light in Chhattisgarh and adjacent West Orissa [see: List of Coins].

These coins though bear the legends, i.e., the names of the issuer-kings only and discovered in different areas near and far from Sripura site, these are of inestimable help to trace the genealogy, chronology, and political as well as cultural history of the Sarabhapauriya rulers of both the main branch and the collateral branch of Sripura. Importantly, though Sripura might have been founded as capital by Pravararaja in about 650 A.D., the numismatic finds suggest that Sirpur region had already been in a flourishing state in the dominion or in time of the Sarabhapuriyas during 6^th and early half of 7^th century A.D.

It is astonishing to note that not a single coin of the Panduvamsis (Somavamsis) of Sripura (A.D. 700-800) has been discovered till date amidst the huge corpus of coins of different metals of which the gold ones are vastly numerous, as many as 268. It may be mentioned in the context that the Panduvamsis probably did not issue like many other rulers of dynasties of adjacent kingdoms of Orissa, and used those of others. We have such instances. The Panduvamsis who migrated to adjacent region of Odisha, and became popularly known as Somavamsis, had not left any numismatic material behind although they have rules for more than 250 years (cir. A.D. 850-1114). A few dynasties of ancient and mediaeval times had mints of their own. Barter and Punch-marked coins were the modes of exchange of goods normally, metal coins of low value like lead, copper and silver were probably used for commerce with distant places, whereas gold coins were used for transaction of huge bulk and valuable goods within neighbouring kingdoms or for external trade and commerce.

However, a few Kalacuri coins in and around Sirpur have been discovered^[11]. Interesting and significant was, of course, the discovery of Islamic coins^[12]. Two pieces of bilon coins of alloy of bronze and silver of Ala-ud-din Khilji, which represent ‘the third denomination in the four tier system of coined money of Sultan of Delhi consisting of gold (dinar), silver (tanka), billon (jittal) and copper (fulus) have also been found at Sirpur. These coins are bi-lingual–the Arabic legends on the obverse in typical Naskh style and its Sanskrit version on the reverse–e.g.–As Sultan-ul-Azam on the obverse in Arabic characters and Sri Sultana Alavadina in Nagari characters and figures–708 of Hijri era which corresponds to 1308-09 on the reverse. A silver coin (tanka) discovered in 2006-07 bears the date A-H 713 equivalent to 1313-14 A.D. and the mint-name as Hadrat-e-Dehli.

The third coin of the series is a silver piece of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb dated A.H 1099 (1688-9 A.D) which contains the metric Persian legends beautifully incised in Nastaliq style.

These coins though do not belong to our period, shed light on the political and commercial importance of Sripura, which has been prevalent since at least 5^th down to 17^th century A.D.

G.S. Khwaja^[13] who wrote an article on these coins has suggested:

The existence of coins of Sultan Ala-Ud-din Khalji in this part of Madhya Pradesh hints at possibility of penetration of Khalji power in this area, while his conquest and thereafter rule as deep as Tilingana (Andhra Pradesh), Dakkan (Deccan) and Malabar (Kerala) at one hand and commercial relationship of this small village with the cities and people of Khalji dominion at the other. Such commercial activities have been evidenced by the discovery of coins of other countries at Sirpur in 1955^[14].

Hiuen Tsang in his travel account has called the king of South Kosala as Sadva which has been restored as Satavahana by A.Cunningham^[15]. Generally Gautamiputra Satakarni is considered as the ruler. However no archaeological vestiges of the dynasty have been discovered at Sirpur till now, although the Kirori wooden pillar inscription^[16] and an inscription of Kumaradatta have been found from the adjacent Bilaspur district^[17]. Further the find of Roman coins^[18] and the coin of one Apilaka^[19] suggest that external commerce of Kosala has been going on since a time before the Christian era. M.C. Shrivastav^[20] has drawn our attention to the discovery of a few punch marked silver coins from a village named Gujara near Arang of Raipur district. He has considered it as a significant discovery.

“All the above statements almost agree with the description of Sirpur, a 1,500-year-old city, complete with a palace, temples, houses and a Buddhist educational centre big enough to accommodate 10,000 students. This remarkable complex is slowly emerging out of the recesses of the earth at Sirpur, 85 km from the capital Raipur. Archaeologists, historians and even the Chhattisgarh Government are excited by the finds. For it promises to reveal what may arguably be India’s biggest ancient seat of learning—far bigger than the world-famous Nalanda in Bihar—and one of its earliest temple complexes with dimensions that may dwarf other similar structures in the country.

To go back in history, Sirpur was the capital of the ancient South Kosala kingdom between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. Spread over an area of 25 sq km, the Sirpur archaeological complex is almost four times as big as Nalanda. Lengthwise, the Sirpur site extends almost seven km. In comparison with Bodh Gaya, also in Bihar, is less than three km long.

Hemmed in by forests on three sides and located on the banks of the river Mahanadi, the Sirpur site has already revealed 256 mounds that include 100 Buddhist viharas, four Jain viharas and 108 Shiva temples. An east-facing palace, spread over an area of 60×40 metres, seems to be the site’s epicentre. “It’s a huge structure and to understand it properly, it needs to be completely excavated. What we already know is that the palace was at least three storeyed and that teak was extensively used in the construction,” says A K Sharma, Archaeologist, an Ex-ASI official. A unique finding: a ramp connecting the kitchen with the main hall in the palace.

That Sirpur is an ancient Buddhist site was always known. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, who visited Sirpur (then known as Shripur), wrote that it was ruled by a king who was Kshatriya by birth but Buddhist by religion. Hiuen Tsang talked of over 100 monasteries in Sirpur, inhabited by about 1,000 monks belonging to the Mahayana sect of Buddhism. Ancient Sirpur was also at the junction of two important trade routes, to Janakpur and Ajanta in the west and the Deccan kingdoms southwards. The research for Aarang, 55 Km from the Capital Raipur, located in the bank of Mahanadi, seems to be the another trade route of ancient India from the archaeological point of view. Various trade instrument have been found in that area similar to the found in the Sirpur.

In undivided Madhya Pradesh, Sirpur obviously wasn’t on the priority list of the government,” says P.P. Pant, Chhattisgarh’s Director of Archaeology and museums. Work began in right earnest after Chhattisgarh came into being in 2000 and almost five years of patient labour has brought to fore a sprawling subterranean complex.

The ancient Sirpur was a city of almost 1.5 lakh residents. The inhabitants were mainly agriculturists and there is evidence to suggest that they used bullock carts with solid wheels. They do not seem to have been aware of the existence of the horse. Interestingly, says Sharma, the principles of vastu shastra seem to have been the touchstone for builders in ancient Sirpur. “There is not a single structure which is not in consonance with vaastu,” he says.

An interesting detail: pathways connecting the temples and residential units with one another.

The work in Sirpur is far from complete. In fact, only a very small percentage of the identified mounds have been exposed. Till date, only 20 mounds have been fully excavated, eight of them within the last one year. But Sharma refuses to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task before him. “We will excavate and expose only as much as we can maintain,” he says. The digging and discovery continue. The biggest and suppose to be the oldest higher education centre (of Ancient India) of 4th century rises to meet the 21st century^[21].”

Thus the small, sleepy village in the hinterland of the country is emerging as a repository of varieties of archaeological artifacts from pre-Christian centuries down to 17^th\18^th A.D. Despite a chequered political history of its own and natural calamity like earthquakes, external invasions etc, it could maintain its existence and preserve its artifacts under mounds and earth to be unfolded by archaeologists in times to come.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

IAR, 1954-55, 24.

[2]:

New Aspects of History of Orissa, II, 1978, Sambalpur University, pp. 26-30.

[3]:

Proc. of Oriental Conference, V; IHQ, IX & XV.

[4]:

The Vakataka-Gupta Age, p. 87.

[5]:

JNSI, xii, p. 8.

[6]:

ASI, AR, 1926-27, p. 230.

[7]:

Puratan, IX, p. 54, Bhopal.

[8]:

JNSI, xvi, pp. 215 ff.

[9]:

JNSI, Vol. L, Pts. I & II, pp. 30-32, 1988.

[10]:

Puratan, op. cit., p. 60 ff.

[11]:

Utkirna Lekh, Appendix-II, pp. 168-169.

[12]:

Special Report No. 1, p. 46 ff.

[13]:

ibid, pp. 47-48.

[14]:

He has referred to IAR, 1954-55, p. 24 in which the excavation report of Sri M.G. Dixit has been published.

[15]:

The Ancient Geography of India, p. 439.

[16]:

EI, xviii, pp. 152-57.

[17]:

Srivastav, M.C., Sripura, op. cit., p. 9.

[18]:

ibid.

[19]:

Puratan, op. cit., p. 52.

[20]:

Sripura, op. cit., p. 9 fn.

[21]:

Special Report No. 1, 2007, Excavations at Sirpur, Chhattisgarh, p. 3