Indian Antiquary Vol 14

SR No.: 032506
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 418
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 201

JUNE, 1895.]
MISCELLANEA.
179
thought and action, and an enlargement of view romances of ballad makers, rather than the truththat had more than aught else to do perhaps ful experiences of ingenuous soldiers. Nor were with the social and mental revolution of the the crowds of captives, chiefly artisans, a less revival of learning. But what were the Cru- important, if a somewhat less picturesque, sades as an experience to the journey of Chinghiz element in the cavalcade. With them there and his troops ? Born and accustomed only went to the farthest East all the knowledge to the dreary steppe-lands of the Gobi desert, and craft possessed by the Muhammadans, and and its girdle of pine-covered mountains, their if we find the period of Mongol supremacy triumphant march led them through the very in China was one of revival in art and garden of Asia, among its most refined and manufacture, a period of great literary energy, cultured inhabitants, and through its most we must not forget what a number of names prosperous cities. Every step must have been in the administration of that period are Persian a new chapter of romance, such as boys in and Turkish ; and how the rubbing together England find in the Arabian Nights, and the of two widely different civilisations, which vast caravans of treasure that they carried have crystallised apart, such as those of China back with them must have been objects of and Persia, necessarily leads to & vigorous out. intense wonder to the wives and daughters of burst of fresh ideas and discoveries, & most the returning warriors, as the tales they told potent example of the law condensed for us in the of their adventures must have seemed like the venerable proverb that "iron sharpeneth iron."
MISCELLANEA. THE COINS OF THE IMPERIAL GUPTA the seal is attached was engraved at a time DYNASTY.
considerably later than that of the Gupta coins. The appearance, in the March number of this Moreover, on the seal the figure of Garuda Journal, of Mr. Fleet's interesting paper on the | is associated with the remaining emblemy of legends of the Gupta silver coins, and of a Vishņu,--the lotus, shell, and discus; whereas the friendly review of my essay on the gold coins, is bird-standard on the Gupta coins is not asa. a welcome proof that the publication of my ciated with any such emblems, and there is no Catalogue has produced its desired effect, in reason to think that Samudra Gupta and his stimulating the study of one of the most attrac- successors were specially addicted to the worship tive branches of Indian numismatics. The review of Vishnu. is in itself a most valuable contribution to numis. The bird on the standard may have been matic science, and adds much to our knowledge intended for Garuda, but I do not think it is of the Gupta coins.
proved that it was ao intended. As regards the bird-standard on the gold coins, Professor Percy Gardner suggested to me thut I am still not satisfied that it represents Garuda ; the bird on the copper coins may be a copy of but am now rather inclined to view it as being an the owl of Athene (AOHNAS NIKH+OPOY), w imitation of the Roman eagle. When examining seen on the coins of Pergamos. The suggestion the Gupta copper coins in the British Museum, seems a plausible one, and is supported by the neither Professor Gardner nor myself noticed other examples of imitation of Greek and Roman the human arms between the wings and legs of designs adduced in my essay, the bird on these coins; nor are they mentioned I accopt the correction of the name of Nara in in any of the descriptions of the copper coinage lieu of Nára, and admit that there is no authu. hitherto published. I cannot therefore feel quite rity for adding the name Gupta to the legend certain that the lines between the bird's legs and Nara- BALAditya. I also accept the reading gre wings on some of the coins, are really intended for the character between the king's feet on for human arms.
Nara-BalAditya's coins. The Rajim seal undoubtedly supplies a delinea- The letter " which is found between the king's tion of the Vaishnava monster Garuda; but I do feet on Vishņu.Chandråditya's coin, appears to not think that this seal can be fairly quoted as be the same character as that which occurs below evidence of the meaning of the bird-standard the horse on Prakâğiditya's coins. Possibly on the Gupta gold coins. Räjim is in the these detached letters may be mint-marks. Central Provinces, on the Mahanadt River, and the reviewer's reference to Mahoba, Kalinjar may very probably never have been included in the and Khajuraho, is due to # misunderstanding of Gupta dominions; and the inscription to which what I wrote.