Indian Antiquary Vol 09

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 73

MARCH, 1880.]
ÅNDHRA COINS.
ÂNDHRA COINS. BY E. THOMAS, F.R.S., CORRESPONDANT DE L'INSTITUT DE FRANCE. TN the Indian Antiquary vol. VI. for 1877, In one example of this type, the words 1 pp. 274 to 277, I described some remarkable | रजो मदारि पुतस Rafio Madari putasa are clear upon coins of the Andhra dynasty : simultaneously the margin of the original coin, which has been making an appeal to our correspondents in superstruck, or perhaps recast irregularly, with Southern India to aid in the development of the die or stamp bearing the titles of sit traf ga ancient history of the peninsula by contributing Raño Gotami-putasa, which words underline, in an additional examples of the local coinages. This inner semicircle, the previous or normal impress.' appeal has been responded to from several quar- Rererse.- A Chaitya, or conventional definition ters, but notably in the new acquisitions of Mr. of a tope or tumulus, formed of four rows of inR. Sewell, Madras C.S., Mr. J. Burgess, and verted semi-circles orarches, surmounted by a halfDr. Codrington.
moon: at the base of the chaitya, serving as a These contributions enable me to place the pedestal, is an oblong space filled-in with a bold preliminary outline of the series upon a more representation of a serpent, in the wavy intervals scientific basis, so far as the sequence of coins of whose onward course, by way of completing extends, and I have ventured to add some sug- the pattern, are inserted five dots': to the right gestive notes, which may perhaps prove of value of the chaitya, rising from the end of the pedestal, in the more advanced stages of the enquiry. is seen the seven-leaved sacred, or possibly hereFamily Coins.
ditary, family tree. 4.- Mîri.
B.-VASHTI." No. 1.-Lead, with traces of copper. Weight No. 2.-Leid, with traces of copper. Weight 220 grains. Size 9 of Mionnet's scale.
228 grains. Size 9 of Mionnet's scale. Obverse-A crudely-outlined delineation of a Obverse Device-Bow and arrow, as above. primitive round bow, with a broadly-barbed Legend-Ti ar gafas arrow, in position.
Raño Vasitho-putasa Vidivaya-Kurasa Legend-571 f g
Reverse-Similar device to the above, with Rano Maddri-putasa Sivála-kurasa the important modifications-1st, of the inser(kulasa).
tion of prominent dots within the semi-circles of "The aboriginal race goes a step further back (than the certain families hold in honour particular trees and planta, Aryan), and rests its system on the simpler political unit and at marriage time branches of these trees are set up of a nomadic society, the family.
in the house. It is said that a betrothal, in every other "The Indo-Aryan word for a household, kula, is not
respect unexceptionable, will be broken off if the two houses found by itself in Santali, but it subsists as the ground.
are discovered to pay honour to the same kind of tree." work of every Santal community. A Santal village con- A.C. Lyall, Gazetteer of Berar (Bombay, 1870) p. 187. sists essentially of a single street, with houses on each Mr. Lyall elsewhere remarks: At Wou "the teak-trees are side, and the pathway running between is called through- strictly preserved"-especially in the vicinity of temple, out the whole Santal country the Kula-hi, the divider of
or in honour of some presiding deity. The fear of incurring families, W. W. Hunter. Rural Bengal; London : 1868, disine displeasure has saved these plantations from devas. p. 179.
tation," pp. 30, 31, seo also Jour. R. Asiatic Society vol. V. [Bhagwanlal Indraji bas a coin of this type which dis- p. 192, 364 ; vol. XVIII. p. 373; Ins.p. 485; Wilson's Works tinctly reads
vol. IV. p. 336; Pliny H. N. xii. 2, 3; Curtius viii. 9, 84. Raño Madhariputasa Sivala-kurasa.-ED.)
• This is the same name as the Vashti of Scripture • This coin is figured as No. 13 of Indraji's Plates. The original piece leaves no doubt about the present interpreta
derived from a n "perfumed," the origin of and use of tion of the order or sequence of the records.
the term are self-evident in our Biblical toxta. This wavy, serpent pattern appears repeatedly in
"Now it proved that this damsel, whose name was Esther, the ornamental scroll work of the Amaravati Tope (see ( T) was the most beautiful of all the rest, and the Fergusson, Tree and Serp: Wor. pls. xlviii, lvi, xcii, &c.) grace of her countenance drew the eyes of the spectators
Ite position to the right is not oonstant, it occasionally principally upon ber; so she was committed to one of appears on the left of the device.
the eunuche to take care of her; and she was very Fergusson, T. and S. Wor. Amaravati Tope, Plate exactly provided with sweet odours, in great plenty, and lxxxvi, page 208. See also p. 175. It is important to note with costly ointments, such as her body required to be that this seven-leaved branch has remaiued to this day anointed withal; and this was used for six months by the the device or conventional symbol of Jaipar a figured on virgine, who were in number 400. And when the ounuch the local Gold Mohors. See Prinsep's Essays Plate xlvi, thought the virgins had been sufficiently purified, in the fore. No. 78, &c.
mentioned time &c." Josephus, Ant. bk. xi. c. vi. & 2,WhisMr. Lyall supplies us with an interesting note apon ton's translation. So also the text of Esther ii. 3, 9, 12:"Now Family trees, and their worship, which may perchance when every maid's turn was oome to go in to king Ahasuerus, afford a novel explanation of some of the scenes in the after she had been twelve months, woording to the manner Topes :
of the women (for so were the days of their purifloations Before concluding an alliance the Kunbi and other accomplished, to soit, six months with oil of myrrh and six tribes look to the dewak, which literally means the deities months with sweet odours), and with other things for worshipped at marriage ceremonies; the fact being that the purifying of the women.