Numismatics as Source and tool of historical reconstruction of Ancient India

                 

Short History                                                11/08/2022

 

Numismatics as Source and tool of historical reconstruction of Ancient India

Numismatics : The study of coins is called Numismatics, and it is one of the specialist disciplines to discover the past. The coins are the earliest evidence of the economic activity of the human being. When early men started to have surplus produce, the need for exchange was felt. In the primitive society, this exchange was done through barter – commodity for commodity or commodity for service. However, as the social structure grew complex and the needs of the people multiplied, a metallic medium, commonly accepted by all, came into use. These metallic media varied in different societies: if it was Nishka – an ornament in the Vedic Society in India, in China it was an iron knife. Later metallic pieces of definite weight and purity came into use in India. These pieces were stamped with certain symbols, probably to vouch for their weight and fineness. Thus, Punch Marked Coins, the earliest coinage of the world was born in India.

The coins were primarily minted in gold, silver and copper, but sometimes alloys of different metals were also used. The manufacturing techniques also differed from punch marking to casting and die-striking. All these features reflect the advancement in metallurgy during those times.

On the basis of their contents the coins are of two kinds: uninscribed and inscribed. The coins bearing inscriptions or the legends generally display the name and title of the issuer, and sometimes, particularly during the medieval times, also the date and place of their issue. These features help a historian in ascertaining the development, use and extent of a particular script, the name of the issuer, his reign, the extent of his empire and a number of such things.

The coins also display the artistic attainments of the times as also the social customs and religion practiced by the issuer. Thus on the coins of the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Kushanas and the Guptas, the effigy of the king is invariably depicted, usually in association with various gods and goddesses. The Gupta kings are depicted in various postures namely, hunting animals, playing musical instrument, riding a horseback, sting on throne and holding bow and arrow. The image of Samudragupta playing on a lyre gives us an idea of his love of music. From the dates on the coins it has been possible to understand the contemporary political history. Samudragupta’s coin and Lion-slayer coins gives us an idea of his ambition and love of hunting.

The legends inscribed on the coins are also varied in nature. The language and script in use in a particular region is depicted on the coins used in that region. Thus, on the coins of the Indo-Greeks we find Greek legends in Greek script, on the coins of the post-Mauryan republics of northern India we find Sanskrit legends in Brahmi or Kharoshti scripts, while on the coins of the Muslim rulers, there are Arabic or Persian legends in Perso-Persian scripts.

The coins were issued in India since 8th century BC to facilitate the economic transaction in their times. This they did faithfully, but their importance did not diminish with the passage of time. Once these coins ceased to be current, they passed into the realm of history as one of its most reliable sources.

Numismatics or the study of coins includes the analysis of the material hour of which coins were made; the identification of the sources of the metals; the classification and study of the form of coins on the basis of their fabric , weight, design, metallic composition, technique of manufacture and message content.

 

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