Arachosia, Vedic Interlinking and Coins

 

''Arachosia'' is the Hellenized name of an ancient satrapy that existed in the eastern part of  the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Scythian empires.                                      

Bactria and Arachosia, Sophyte's Satrapy, 315-305 BC, Drachm

                                         

An Arachosian, Relief from the East Stairs of the Apadana, Persepolis 

Arachosia was named after a river that runs through it, known in ancient Greek as the Arachotos and today as the Arghandab River, a left bank tributary of the Helmand River, in modern day southern Afghanistan. In old Persian inscriptions, the region is referred to as ''harauvati''. This form is the ''etymological equivalent'' of Vedic Sanskrit Saraswati.                               

The capital of Arachosia was Alexandropolis, an ancient Greek city that was situated near what is known as Kandahar. Arachosia bordered Drangiana to the west, Paropamisadae (ie Gandhara, a large part of ancient India to its east) to the north and Gedrosia/Dexendrusi to the south

                                        

Eastern territories of the Achaemenid Empire, including Arachosia

                                             

The ancient Arachosia and the Pactyan people during 500 BC    

                                       

The Rigvedic name of Arghandab is believed to be Drishadvati. The Drishadvati river is a river hypothesized by Indolologists to identify the route of the Vedic river Saraswati and the state of Brahmavarta. The Hindu religious text Manusmriti describes Brahmavarta as the region between the rivers Saraswati and Drishadwati, the land of Brahaman. The name has been translated in various ways, including ''holy land'', ''sacred land'', ''abode of gods'' and ''the scene of creation''.                                     

The Saraswati River, the Drishadvati was probably a tributary, orange and blue lines indicate ancient rivers, green dotted and blue lines indicate modern rivers
                                     

According to Manusmriti, the Brahmavarta, where the Rishis composed the Vedas and other Sanskrit texts of the Vedic religion, was at the confluence of the Saraswati and Drishadwati rivers during the Vedic period. Seal dated to Gupta period with inscription ''Brahm Varta'' was excavated from Purana Qila, Delhi.

                                     

    Helmand-Arghandab basin terrain map
   

                                       

     Helmand-Arghandab basin

The region is referred to in the Achaemenid era Elamite Persepolis fortification tablets. It appears in the Old Persian, Akkadian and Aramaic inscriptions too. Ptolemy also refers to a city named Arachotus and Hsuan Tsang refers to the name as Kaofu.

                                        

   Tablet of Elamite script, 2600 BC

 Following Alexander's conquest of the Achaemenids, the Macedonian appointed his generals as governors. Later the Seleucid empire traded it to the Mauryan Empire in 305 BC as part of an alliance. According to Arrian, Megasthenes lived in Arachosia and travelled to Patliputra, to the court of Chandragupta Maurya as an ambassador in the 3rd century BC. 

                                        

According to Arrian, Megasthenes lived in Arachosia and travelled to Pataliputra, to the lower court of Chandragupta Maurya

                                          

Kandahar Billingular Rock Inscription by Ashoka

The empire changed to the Shunga dynasty in 185 BC, then to the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, thereafter to the Indo-Greek kingdom in the mid 2nd century BC, the Indo Scythians in the mid 1st century BC, the Indo -Parthians in the 1st century AD, the Kushans around 230 AD, the Kidarites in 420 AD, the Hephthalites in 460 AD and finally the Saffarids, then the Samanid Empire and the Turkish Ghaznavids in the early 11th century AD.

                                          

Mercator Map, 1578, Asiae- Tabula IX

Croatian trace their origin to the area of Arachosia too. 

Coins of Arachosia

                                         

Arachosia, Indo-Parthian, copper alloy, weight 7.8 gm, Diameter  22.8 mm, Obverse: Portrait of Sarpedones facing left, Reverse: Nike/ Victory right, inscription on reverse in Prakrit, Inscription in Greek on obverse, ''dara dhamiya''  (in British Museum)

                                          

Arachosia, Indo-Parthian, Orthagnes, copper alloy, weight 7.9 gm, diameter 23.8 mm, Obverse: Bust of Orthagnes facing left, Reverse: Nike/Victoria right, inscriptions in Greek, Prakrit and Kharoshthi

                                             

One Tetradrachm, Arachosia, 312-281 BC, silver, weight 16.4 gm, Diameter 24 mm, Obverse: Hercules wearing lion's skin facing right, Reverse: Zeus Aetophoros seated left with two concentric circles below the throne, all without legend

 

                                            

Indo-Scythian, AR hemi drachm, 110-100 BC, weight 0.65 gm, Obverse: Horse walking right, with head turned left, Reverse: Winged Nike holding wreath and palm, square border around

                                          

One Drachm, Sophyte's Satrapy, 315-305 BC, silver, weight 3.3 gm, Obverse: Head of Sophytes facing right, Reverse: Rooster facing right with kerykeion behind

                                      

City of Puskalavati, Arachosia, 201-101 BC, Bronze, weight 10.6 gm, Obverse: Elephant walking right, Reverse: Lion walking left with swastika above

                         

Indo-Scythian, Arachosia, 110-100 BC, AR Hemidrachm, weight 1.6 gm, diameter 14.5 mm, Obverse: Horse advancing right, Reverse: Nike standing right, holding wreath

 

Arachosia

Coins of Arachosia