Shilahara Kingdom and Coins

 

The Shilahara / Shelara Kingdom (also Shelara, Selara, Shilara, Silara) was a royal dynasty that established itself in northern and southern Konkan in the 8th century AD, present day Mumbai and southern Maharashtra (Kolhapur) during the Rashtrakuta period. 

Shilahara of Kolhapur, gold 1/4 Fanam

Shilahara Kingdom was split into three branches. The first branch ruled Northern Konkan. The second branch ruled South Konkan (between 765 and 1029 AD). The third branch ruled in modern day districts of Kolhapur, Satara and Belagavi (between 940 and 1215 AD).  All the branches trace their descent from the legendary Vidyadhara prince Jimutavahana, who sacrificed himself to rescue a Naga prince from the clutches of Garuda. The family name Shilahara (meaning ''mountain peak food'') in Sanskrit is supposed to have been derived from this incident. They were thereafter overwhelmed by the Yadavas. 

The dynasty began as vassals of the Rashtrakuta dynasty which ruled the Deccan plateau between the 8th and 10th centuries. Govinda II, a Rashtrakuta king conferred the kingdom of North Konkan (modern day districts of Thane, Mumbai and Raigad) on Kapardin, founder of the Northern Sihara family, around 800 AD. Since then, the North Konkan came to be known as Kapardi-dvipa or Kavadidvipa. The capital was Puri, now Rajapur in Raigad District.

North Konkan (Thane) branch, 800-1265 AD. After Rashtrakuta power became weak, the last known ruler of this family, Rattaraja, declared his independence. But Chalukya Jayasimha, the younger brother of Vikramaditya, overthrew him and appropriated his possessions. North Konkan was conquered by the Rashtrakuta  king Dantidurga in the second quarter of the eighth century.                       

Inscriptions found at areas marked during the reign of the Shilaharas of North Konkan

South Konkan branch, 765-1020 AD. The history is known through the Kharepatan plates of Rattaraja issued in 1008 AD. Rattaraja was the last ruler of the dynasty. The document gives details of all the kings and their exploits. Soon after the issue of the plates the rule of Konkan passed over to the later Chalukyas.                        

Inscriptions found at areas marked during the reign of the Shilaharas of South Konkan
    

Kolhapur branch, 940-1212 AD. They ruled over southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka of today, the districts of Satara, Kolhapur and Belagavi. The family deity was goddess Mahalakshmi. Their first capital was Karad, later shifted to Kolhapur. They rose to power during the later part of the Rashtrakuta rule, and so, unlike the kings of the other two branches, those of this branch do not mention the genealogy of the Rashtrakutas even in their early grants. Bhoja II was the last ruler of this family.                       

Inscriptions found at areas marked during the reign of the Shilaharas of Kolhapur

                     

Banganga Tank and Walkshwar Temple, as in 1865. Constructed in 1127 AD by Lakshman Prabhu, minister in the court of Silhara dynasty Kings who ruled Thane 

Coins of Shilahara Kingdom

                     

Shilaharas of South Maharashtra, silver, 1/2 Dramma coin of Bhojadeva, 1100-1200 AD, weight 0.3 gm, Obverse: Garuda holding snake, facing right in a ''Veera'' pose, Reverse: Nagari legend in two lines Shri Bhoja / Deva

                         

Shilaharas of Kolhapur, 10-11th century AD, gold Fanam, weight 0.7 gm, Obverse: Garuda seated holding a snake, Reverse: Trident with Sun-Moon and sword inside.

                       

Shilaharas of Kohlapur, gold U shaped Fanam, 1100-1200 AD, weight 0.4 gm, Obverse: Three punches, that are, Garud running right, Kannada legend Ude and Kannada legend Kara

                       

Shilaharas of Kolhapur, gold, 1/4 Fanam, 13th century AD, weight 0.1 gm, Obverse: Garuda running right, Reverse: Kannada legend ''Bha/Bho'', 

                        

Shilaharas of Kolhapur, gold, 1/4 Fanam, weight 0.2 gm, Obverse: Garuda running right, Reverse: Kannada legend ''Ba''

                      

Shilahara Kingdom

Shilahara Coins

Roman Republic, Lucilia gens, M.Lucilius Rufus Coin, 101 BC

 

The gens (race, family or clan) Lucilia was a plebeian (commoners) family at ancient Rome. The nomen (hereditary name) Lucilius is a patronymic surname, derived from the common Latin praenomen Lucius. The satirist Lucilius is said to have come from Suessa Aurunca, an ancient town of the Aurunci, where a Latin colony was established in 313 BC. 

                                      

M. Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius, Rome, 101 BC 

                                         

Location of Sessa Aurunca in Italy

In the time of the Republic, the surnames of the Lucilii were ''Balbus'' and ''Bassus'', the former referring to the one who stammers, and the later to someone stout or sturdy. Later in the Imperial times, we find ''Capito'' given to one with a large prominent head, and ''Longus'', tall and ''Ruffus'' commonly to someone with red hair, appears on the coins of the Lucilii. 

Marcus Lucillius Rufus was 'triumvir monetalis' (a moneyer who oversaw the minting of coins). In that role he would be responsible for the ordinary coinage during the republican period. Over the course of the late Republic from 139 BC onwards, the moneyers started to mint more personalized coins which advertised their lineages, achievements of ancestors and other leaders. 

In 101 BC, M Lucillius Rufus minted coins depicting Pallas on the obverse, and Victoria driving a biga (chariot) on the reverse. 

                                       

M. Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius, Rome, 101 BC, silver, weight 3.9 gm, Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right, PV behind, all within laurel wreath, Reverse: Victory in biga right, RVF above, M LVCILI in exergue

Lucilius Rufus

Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius

 

Hasta Mudras (Bharatnatyam) and Coins

 

A ''Mudra'' is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The word ''Mudra'' has Sanskrit roots. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. Mudras have meaning in many forms of Indian dance and yoga. 

                       

One Rupee coin, Shikhara Mudra, 2009, 

                      

The tradition of classical dance in India can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The innumerable dance forms gave birth to one of the major Indian classical dance forms called Bharatnatyam. The evidence of these dance forms can be seen in iconography and literature, but most of these styles are drawn from the '' Natyashastra'' (2nd century BC) written by ''Bharata Muni". Bharatnatyam got its name derived from Bharata Muni. All these dances are the division of two pure dance forms called ''Tandava" and ''Lasya''. 

Bharatnatyam originated from Tamil Nadu around 3000 years ago. The form is a mastery of grace, balance, endurance and a sense of rhythm. For a dancer Bharatnatyam is an icon of beauty and perfection. As a philosophy, it is the search of the human soul. As a religion, it is the quest of Nirvana and as poetry a rhythmic lyricism.

One of the most striking aspects of the dance is the use of hand gestures, also known as Hasta Mudra. This form is used in Thai dances as well.  So vast is the hand gestures that it covers almost all aspects of human life and the entire universe. There is a hand gesture for every single thing in the universe. Some are performed with a single hand while others with both hands. Hence, ''Mudras'' bring a unique poetic element while performing Abhinaya (expression) and thus the language of the mudras enables the dancer to express practically everything. Hasta Mudras assists in guiding energy flow to particular parts of your brain. The ''Abhinaya Darpana'' of ''Nandikeshvara'' (a 5th century BC theatrologist of ancient India and the author of Abhinaya Darpana meaning the mirror of gesture) says that there are 28 (or 32) root mudras in Bharatnatyam, 24 in Kathakali and 20 in Odissi.   

In 2007, the National Institute of Design (NID) used the hasta-mudra form for denomination of 50 paise, 1 Rupee and 2 Rupee coins in India. 

                       

50 Paise, India, 2008-2010, stainless steel, weight 3.8 gm, Dia 22 mm, Thickness 1.62 mm, Obverse: Ashoka Lion, divided legend above with country date and mint mark below, Reverse; Part of the Hasta Mudra series. Fist. Mints Kolkata, Murshidabad, Noida

 

The Mushti Mudra is depicted on a 50 paise coin. In simple words, it is a closed fist position of the palm. ''When four fingers are pressed closely against the palm while the thumb is held tightly between the palm and the other four fingers, you are performing the Mushti Mudra''. The thumb can also be placed on the four fingers. The Mushti hasta is the ninth hasta of the 28 Single Hand Mudras (asamyukta hasta) as described in the Abhinaya Darpana. According to ancient sources, this Mudra originated from Vishnu, who used this while he was fighting with Madhu. 

                      

1 Rupee, India, 2007-2011, stainless steel weight 4.8 gm, diameter 25 mm, thickness 1,47 mm, Obverse: Ashoka Lion pedestal between lines, date below with country above and year below, Reverse; Shikhara Mudra 

The second Hasta Mudra depicted on a 1 Rupee coin is the Shikhara Mudra. Here all the fingers are bent and pressed against the palm except the thumb. The thumb is raised and held up. The Shikhara Hasta is the tenth mudra of the 28 Single Hand Mudras. ''Make the hand into a fist. Then lift the thumb up, holding it at an angle of 90 degrees to the fist. You have made the shikhara Hasta. This asamyukta hasta originated from Shiva when he held Mt Meru as his bow. 

                       

 

2 Rupees, India, 2007-2011, stainless steel, weight 5.8 gm, diameter 27 mm, thickness 1.5 mm, Obverse: Ashoka Lion between horizontal lines, Reverse: Part of the Hasta Mudra series.

The third of the Hasta Mudras depicted on a 2 Rupee coin is the Kartari Mukh Mudra. This is performed when the little finger and the ring finger are bent and pressed against the thumb. While the index finger and the middle finger are stretched to show a scissor. Kartari Mukha is the fourth Mudra of the 28 Single Hand Mudras. The name literally means ''scissors'' and the hand is held in that shape. Use the thumb to hold down the ring finger and little finger. Keep the Index and middle finger straight, stretching and separating them so that the middle finger comes forward towards the thumb and this is Kartar Mukha Hasta. In dance, this mudra symbolizes things like separation, distress, disagreement or death. 

Bharatnatyam

Hasta Mudras

Hasta Mudras on Coins