Maritime routes in the western Indian Ocean have evolved and expanded over the centuries into a mosaic of interconnected segments and feeder routes. These include the earlier sea-lanes through the Persian Gulf to India, or the more direct route between the Red Sea and the west coast of Indian Subcontinent that developed since the Ptolemaic Kingdom, before the beginning of the Christian era. However, it started to flourish during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus after his conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE. This gave the Romans direct control over the very lucrative eastern trade, and this is evident from the coins found.
About the year AD 47 the regularity of the monsoons in the Indian Ocean was discovered and ships began for the first time to sail directly to Muziris (Muyirikodu) in Malabar. The author of the Greek travel book ' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea ( Ist Century AD) gives an elaborate description of the Chera Kingdom and how the Muziris became the main trade port.
Muziris (Muciri, Muyirikode, Makotai) was an ancient seaport on the Malabar Coast that has found mention in the bardic Tamil Sangam literature, Murachippattnam in the Ramayana and a number of classical European historical sources. The history of "Muziris" is as old as the history of Kerala. The Sangam records that the Yavanas sailed into Muchiri in the mouth of the Periyar river of Kerala with gold and sailed back with pepper.
This port was a key to trade between southern India and the Phoenicians, Persians, Egyptians, Greek and the Roman Empire. The exported commodities include spices, precious stone (beryl), diamonds, ivory silk and pearls, the Romans brought gold coins, tin, copper, lead, wine and raw glass. The location of unearthed coin-hoards suggests an inland trade link from Muziris to the east coast of India. Peutinger Map, an odd-sized medieval copy of an ancient Roman road map dating back to 2nd century AD, showing Muziris and a "Temple of Augustus".
Muziris disappeared from every map without a trace because of a presumable cataclysmic event in 1341, a "cyclone and floods" in the Periyar river altering the geography of the region.
The identification of Pattanam (25 km north of Kochi) as Muziris is accepted by some of the historians. However, some disagree and call for further analysis and believe Kodungallur is yet to be excavated to arrive at a conclusion as they believe this as the ancient Muziris. They are 11 km apart in Kerala.
To understand the era and time period of the various coin hoards found as also the pattern of trade between the Roman Empire and Kerala let us see the chronology of the Emperors of the Roman Empire.
Chronology of Roman Emperors
As trade flourished from the time of Emperor Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), there was an enormous volume of gold and silver coins flowing into the Deccan and South India. Trade declined from the mid 3rd century AD but recovered in the 4th century and continued until early 7th century AD. Roman coins found in India are of gold, silver and copper mostly between the 2nd century BC and the 6th and 7th century AD the closing years of the Roman Republic to the time of Byzantine rulers. The most striking feature of some coins found is having slash mark on them, generally 1 to 2 mm long marked by some sharp object, although these hoards are found in Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai and Soriyapattu.
Coin Hoards.
Most of the hoards found are buried underground in earthenware pots or near river beds. Discoveries of Roman coins have been reported for the past two centuries. The earliest findings from Nellore (1796) was followed by other discoveries in Pennar, Pollachi (1805), Chavadipalaiyam, Karur (1806). Coimbatore (1817), Vellalur (1841). Most of the findings are chance discoveries in the form of hoards. However, the most fascinating discovery of Roman coins in great quantity is from Kottayam in the neighbourhood of Kannur (Kerala) during 1847. The coins are reported to have been buried in the banks of the river Vaniyankudavu. This hoard had about 8,000 aurei. After discovery the gold coins were in circulation in the neighbouring markets for quite a long time. The purity of gold attracted the attention of jewelers who probably melted most of the coins. About 80-90 coins went to the Rulers of Travancore State, some sold to the Madras Museum. They include coins of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligala, Claudius, Nero, Hadrian and Antonius Pius.
Obverse: Head of Hadrian right
Reverse: Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius shaking hands, h
The next significant discovery was from Iyyal, Trichur District in 1945 by a banana planter. This had 34 silver punch marked,12 gold and 71 Roman silver coins. all now in the collection of the Numismatic Study Centre, Nedumangadu. This hoard covers a period from 123 BC to 117 AD. The denarii belong to period of Republican, Octavian, Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero. The aurei belonged to Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and Trajan.
Obverse: Head od Laureate
Reverse: Severus standing holding branch and roll.
The next interesting hoard was discovered in Kumbalam village, Ernakulam District in 1974. Nanbiyarattu Azeez discovered a buried pot while he was digging for the construction of his house. These coins are now in the Numismatic Study Centre, Nedumangadu.
Septimius Severus (193-211 AD) weight 7.2 gm
Obverse: Head Laureate facing right
Reverse: Septimius in military dress, reversed spear in hand and Jupiter standing facing each other
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The discovery of Roman gold coins by some labourers who were removing sand from a house compound was in Valuvally in Kottuvally village, Erankulam, Kerala. This hoard had coins in excess of 1000. Before the police could reach, they were pilferaged and only 252 coins could be recovered. Some of these coins reached Bombay as per reports.
Findings and Deductions from the hoards
Hoards show that coins up to the period of Hadrian (117-138 AD) are mostly found in a worn-out condition implying they were in circulation for a long time whereas those of Antonius Pius(138-161 AD) are in excellent condition (from Valluvally hoard)
Hoards with second century terminus post quem (TPQ) found in India have a very different composition from the hoards found within the Roman Empire. The aurei coins brought were much older and heavier containing much more gold than the contemporary issues with the same nominal value.
The Roman coins specially the gold coins and the denarii (silver) were in circulation till the 9th century AD, during the period of King Rama Rajasekhara (883 AD), a Chera Perumal ruler of Kerala and this may be one of the reasons that the native coinage could not evolve.
With the inflow of gold aurei the silver punch marked coins and the denarii lost their importance
Some of the coins have slash marks on them, generally 1 to 2 mm long and marked by a knife or a chisel on the obverse.
Sketch courtesy Department of Archaeology, Kerela
Fascinating and enlightening.So many historical facts we were ignorant about.
ReplyDeletePosts with such details, maps stories and photographs of coins make the mind conjure up visuals extraordinaire. Love the blogs . I do recall the bit about coins found in ernakulam district during my browsing through the Jew town in fort Kochi. One of the antique seller told us a story about coins found as a treasure which had been buried.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the research n great post.
Regards
Alpana
Jews came to Kerala known as Cochin Jews, Cochinis (Israel), Malabar Jews, Paradesi Jews, Black Jews. One theory holds that the ancestors of Malabar Jews arrived as King Solomon's merchants. Another theory suggests that Cochin Jews are descendants of captives taken to Assyria in the eighth century BC.
ReplyDeleteIt is also believed that St Thomas, disciple of Jesus came to Kerala as he knew that there were Jews in Kerala.