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A Coin of Satomalla, A New, A NEW KIDËRA KUSHËÛA KING
By
Dr. Priyatosh Banerjee
ARCHEOLOGICAL
SECTION,
INDIAN
MUSEUM, CALCUTTA.
[ PI. II, 8 ]
The present coin belongs to the coin-cabinet of the lndian Museum, Calcutta. It was purchased for the Museum collection in the year 1940.
The
coin is of base gold. It is circular in shape and measures 8"x 8". It
weighs 7.8063 grammes (about 120.5 grains). It is in a fine state of
preservation. Nothing particular is known about its find-spot.
The
coin belongs to the Kid¡ra Kush¡¸a series. There are a number of Kid¡ra Kush¡¸a
coins in the collection of the British Museum, London, and the Indian museum,
Calcutta. The present coin seems to have been issued by a chief called áatomal[l]a.
As the paleography of the coin-legends would show, he flourished somewhere in
the 4th.ith century A.D.
Obh.
: King staning to 1., sacrificing
at altar; vertical Br¡hm¢ legend Kida[i]
under the left arm of the king and B¡¿a[ii]
under his right arm.
Rev.
: Throned goddness; Br¡hm¢ legend
around the right border, áatomal [l]a.
pl. II.8
The
last letter of the name of the chief on the reverse is a bit intriguing. It may
be simply l or a conjunct consonant. As there appears to be a downward
elongation of the left top-bar of I, and as two horizontal lines at the base are
more or less distinct, it is probable that the last syllable of the name is a
conjunct consonant, i.e. Ila,[iii]
and the name intended is áatomalla.
Most
of the Kid¡ra Kush¡¸ as, (who were probably ruling in the Punjab during
4th-5th centuries A.D.), bear Hinduised names, as for instance, K¤tav¢rya,
Sarvaya¿a and several others.[iv] The name of the chief
mentioned on the coin under discussion is perhsps a corrupt form of áatamalla.
The
name áatonalla seems to be revealed for the first time by this coin. Thus, the
coin adds a new name to the list of Kid¡ra Kush¡na kings.
[i]
There is
the usual i m¡ntr¡ on the head
of k in
Kida.
[ii]
The same
word seems to occur also on the obverse of sarvvaya¿a's coin, (I.M.C..Vol.
VI, p. 90,pl. xiv, 10), but Smith read it as Baga.
The
same word seems to occur also on the obverse of sarvvaya¿a's coin, (I.M.C..Vol.
VI, p. 90,pl. xiv, 10), but Smith read it as Baga.
[iii] The last letter is, however, not clear in the photograph.
[iv]
Majumdar
and Altekar, A New History of the Indian People, Vol. VI, p. 23.
