DDK HistoryF.p65 - CSIR

COMMENTARY TO ILLUSTRATIONS
number to control floods, provide water for irrigation, and produce electric power
for home and factory use. Their most attractive function for the ruling class is to
provide new opportunities for investment.
GROUP III : Coins (27-41)
(The specimens chopsen, 21-41, are not the main coinages of the periods, but
selected for their unusual character. For regular issues, the reader may consult the
standard works on Indian numismatics by Rapson, Cunningham, V. A. Smith, J.
Allan, R. B. Wbitehead, and others.)
27. Post-Asokan silver punch-marked coin from the East Khandesh hoard (JNSl
8, 1946, pp. 63-6). This is the old karsapana.
28. Coin of Peukelaotis. Reverse, humped bull with legend in Greek: TAUROS;
and Kharo$ti : usable. Obverse, the Tyche (fertility and protective goddess) of
Peukelaotis, wearing a lotus crown, holding a lotus (Nelumbium) in her right and a
lotus seed-pod (torus) in her left hand (as do the apsaras in many temple sculptures)
— both fertility symbols. K.haro§ti legend : Pakhalavadi-devada AMBL showing that
she is a mother-goddess.
29. Menander (pp. 246-7). This is the identical silver coin referred to on p. 173,
now (like the next) in the collection of Mr. S. A. Joglekar, a pleader of Poona. Obv.
portrait of Menander : SAS1LEOS SOTEROS MENANDROU ; rev. Athene
promakhos. maharajasa tratarasa Menarti-drasa.
30. Apollodotos I; found near Poona2: Obv. elephant, BASILEOS
APOLLODOTOU SOTEROS; rev. humped bull : Maharajasa Apuludatasa
tratarasa.
31. Nahapana (p. 247, 273) : obv., portrait of king with Greek lettering : rannio
Naapanasa Kaaratasa.
32. Unique silver Satavahana portrait coin, modelled after the preceding, of an
known Satakani, perhaps of Gotamiputra (p. 247, 273).
33. Yaudheya (p. 248) tribal coin.
34. Udumbara tribal coin (p. 41).
35. Gold coin in the joint n.ames of Candragupta and the Licchavi princess
Kumaradevi (p. 152, 311).
36. Gold coin of Kumaragupta I on horseback, chasing a rhinoceros.
37. Sri-Ha ; from a hoard of 994 silver coins deposited at the Prince of Wales
Museum, Bombay (p. 309). Obv. sriha; rev. fire-altar of Sassanian model. All the
coins seem to be of identical type, but statistical analysis of weights shows that they
must have been fabricated at different times (distribution skew-negative, platykurtic),
and circulated for uneven periods. The weight standard (3.51 gm.) is that of the
karsapana, but the variance (0.0307) is much greater. There is no supporting evidence
for the attribution to Hansa of Kaunuj.
38. Samantadeva, silver coin of the frontier region (Ohind, Und) of the early
10th century; obv. humped bull, sri-samantadeva; rev. knight on horseback, bhi.
By this time, the hero who charged the enemy single-