Indo-Sasanian coinage was major type of coinage of the post-

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...

period, in the areas of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

in western

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and in the Gangetic region, from the 6th century to the 12th century CE. These coins were derived from the

Sasanian coinage Sasanian coinage was produced within the domains of the Iranian Sasanian Empire (224–651). Together with the Roman Empire, the Sasanian Empire was the most important money-issuing polity in Late Antiquity. Sasanian coinage had a significant infl ...

design, probably transmitted to the subcontinent by the

Alchon Huns The Alchon Huns, ( Bactrian: αλχον(ν)ο ''Alchon(n)o'') also known as the Alchono, Alxon, Alkhon, Alkhan, Alakhana and Walxon, were a nomadic people who established states in Central Asia and South Asia during the 4th and 6th centuries C ...

as they invaded northern India circa 500 CE. They are an important component of

Indian coinage The Coinage of India began anywhere between early 1st millennium BCE to the 6th century BCE, and consisted mainly of copper and silver coins in its initial stage.Allan & Stern (2008) The coins of this period were ''Karshapanas'' or ''Pana''. A ...

Design and extent

Indo-Sasanian coins derive from three Sasanian prototypes, which were introduced in western India by the Alchon Huns, also called

Hunas Hunas or Huna (Middle Brahmi script: ''Hūṇā'') was the name given by the ancient Indians to a group of Central Asian tribes who, via the Khyber Pass, entered the Indian subcontinent at the end of the 5th or early 6th century. The Huna Kin ...

by the Indians.

Western and northwestern regions

Indo-Sasanian coinage covers a period of several centuries, during which it is possible to see a progressive degradation and stylisation of the original Sasanian design, in ways which vary according to the region where they were current. Typically, the bust of the king on the obverse is highly simplified and geometric, and the design of the fire altar, with or without the two attendants, appears as a geometrical motif on the reverse of this type of coinage. This coinage was current among the various polities of Western India succeeding the collapse of the

, such as the

Rashtrakuta Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...

Chaulukya The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

and

Palas A ''palas'' () is a German term for the imposing or prestigious building of a medieval ''Pfalz'' or castle that contained the great hall. Such buildings appeared during the Romanesque period (11th to 13th century) and, according to Thompson, ...

from circa 530 CE to 1202 CE. In the case of the Chaulukyas, these are also often called "Gadhaiya Paise". File:Sindh. Gurjura Confederacy. Circa AD 570-712.jpg, Coin of the Gurjara Confederacy, on the model of the Sasanian coinage of Sindh.

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

. Circa 570-712 CE File:Indo-Sasanian, Sind. Uncertain king. Mid 7th - early 8th centuries.jpg, Indo-Sasanian,

. Uncertain king. Mid 7th-early 8th century. File:Indo-Sasanian. Rajputana. Imitating Peroz. Circa 10th century.jpg, Indo-Sasanian coin,

Rajputana Rājputana, meaning "Land of the Rajputs", was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and some adjoining areas of Sindh in modern-day ...

. Imitating

Peroz I Peroz I ( pal, 𐭯𐭩𐭫𐭥𐭰, Pērōz) was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 459 to 484. A son of Yazdegerd II (), he disputed the rule of his elder brother and incumbent king Hormizd III (), eventually seizing the throne after ...

. Circa 10th century. File:Chaulukya-Paramara coin circa AD 950-1050.jpg, A

Paramara The Paramara dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was established in either th ...

coin, circa 950-1050 CE. Stylized rendition of

Chavda dynasty The Chavda ( IAST:Chávaḍá), also spelled Chawda or Chavada was a dynasty which ruled the region of modern-day Gujarat in India, from c. 690 to 942. Variants of the name for the dynasty include Chapotkatas, Chahuda and Chávoṭakas. During ...

coins:

Indo-Sassanian Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (also called Kushanshahs, KΟÞANΟ ÞAΟ ''or Koshano Shao'' in Bactrian, or Indo-Sasanians) is a historiographic term used by modern scholars to refer to a branch of the Sasanian Persians who established their rule in ...

style bust right; pellets and ornaments around / Stylised fire altar; pellets around. File:Indo-Sasanian coin of the Chaulukyas with geometrical royal effigy 10th century CE.jpg, Indo-Sasanian coin of the Chaulukyas with geometrical royal effigy, circa 10th century CE

Gangetic region

Around the beginning of the 9th century, coin designs derived from the Sasanians were adopted in the Gangetic region: the ''Vigrahapala drammas'' of a certain ruler named Vigrahapala, and later the '' Adivaraha'' drammas of the

Pratihara The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...

ruler

Bhoja I Bhoja I was a medieval Shilahara king of Southern Maharashtra (Kolhapur) on the west coast of India. On the death of Guhala 11 in 1055 CE, Bhallala and Bhoja I must have ruled the kingdom. Achugi II, the Sinda ruler of Yelburga, is said to h ...

(c. 836-886 CE). File:Vigrahapala Dramma drawing.jpg, Vigrahapala Dramma (drawing): the profile of the ruler and the altar with attendants appear in a stylized manner. 9th century CE. File:Vigrahapala Drammas.jpg, Vigrahapala Drammas, 9th century CE. File:Gurjara-Pratihara coinage.jpg, '' Adivaraha'' drammas:

Gurjara-Pratihara The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Hindustan, Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving ...

coinage of

Mihira Bhoja Mihira Bhoja (c. 836–885 CE) or Bhoja I was a king belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty. He succeeded his father Ramabhadra. Bhoja was a devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of ''Ādivarāha'' which is inscribed on some of his coi ...

, King of

Kanauj Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ənːɔːd͡ʒ is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is a corrupted form of the class ...

, 850-900 CE. Obv: Boar, incarnation of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, and solar symbol. Rev: "Traces of Sasanian type". Legend: ''Srímad Ādi Varāha'' "The fortunate primaeval boar". File:Pratihara bhoja.JPG, ''Adivaraha Dramma'' coin, circa 836 - 885 CE

References

{{Historic Indian currency and coinage Coins of India Ancient currencies Economic history of India

Design and extent

Western and northwestern regions

Gangetic region

See also

References