Kardamakas and Coins

 

The Western Kshatrapas ruled over the central and western parts of India. They were Saka rulers of present-day states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They ruled alongside the Satavahanas in the south, Guptas to the East, and the Kushans to the North. The Western Kshatrapas dynasty was formed by a king named Chastana or Catana around the Malwa region around 78 AD. 

                         

Western Kshatrapas, Kardamakas, Saka Era, Brahmi numerals 147, or 225 AD.

 

There were two lines of Kshatarapas, the Kshaharatas and the Kardamakas . Castana established the Kardamaka dynasty in the year 78 AD, thus making him the founder of the Saka Era. This is consistent with the fact that his descendants (who we know used the Saka era on their coins and inscriptions) would use the date of their founder as their era. Saka Era is a historical Hindu calendar era (year numbering), the epoch (its year zero) of which corresponds to Julian year 78 (Georgian minus 13 days).

                        

The Western Kshatrapas (orange) in the 2nd century AD,

A statue found in Mathura together with the statues of the Kushan king Kanishka and Vima Taktu, and bearing the name " Shastana'' is attributed to Chastana himself. His territory as described by geographer Ptolomy (100-170 AD) in his '' Geographia'' extends from Patalene (present day Sindh) in the West to Ujjain in the east and beyond Barigaza (present day Bharuch) in the south.

                       

Statue of Chastana, with costume details. The belt displays designs of horsemen and tritons/ anguiped, the coat has a highly ornate hem. Inscription ''Shastana'', Mathura Museum.

 

Rudraman 1 (130 - 150 AD) was the grandson of Chastana. He took the title of ''Mahakshatrapa'' and defended his kingdom from the Satavahanas.  King Jivadaman became the king in the year 100, Saka Era (corresponding to 173 AD). He is the first Satrap ruler who started to print the minting date on his coins, using Brahmi numerals of the Brahmi script behind the king's head.  Thereafter Rudrasimha ruled from 180-197 AD. A script of Rudrasimha 1 was recently found in Setkhedi in Shajapur district, dated 107 Saka Era. Damasena reigned from 223 to 232 AD. He was the son of Rudrasimha 1. 

                        

Brahmi numerals are a numerical system attested in the Indian subcontinent from the 3rd century BC. It is a direct graphic ancestor of the modern Hindu-Arabic numeral system. 

                           

The number 256 in Ashoka's Minor Rock Edict No.1. in Sasaram, 250 BC. 

                       

A coin dated to the beginning of the first reign of Jivadaman, in the year 100 of the Saka Era or 178 AD.

                         

These scarce potin coins, with their simple and elegant design, did not name the king and were issued from the reign of Rudrasimha 1 to Damasena, weight 1.36 gm Obverse: Elephant standing right, cluster of dots (sun) and crescent moon above, Reverse: Crescent three-arched hill (chaitya), river below, crescent moon at left, sun at right, date below off flan. (232 AD attributed to Damasena.)

                         

Coin of Western Satrap Damasena 232 AD. The minting date here 153 in Brahmi numerals of the Saka era, therefore 232 AD, clearly appears behind the head of the king.

    

They had a total of 27 independent rulers during a period of about 350 years.  In the 2nd to 4th century AD, Ujjain was their Centre. The power of the Western Satraps started to decline in the 2nd century AD, after the Saka rulers were defeated by Emperor Gautmiputra Satkarni of the Satavahana dynasty. After this the Saka kingdom revived, but was ultimately destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century AD. 

                                             

Western Kshatrapa, Kardamaka, weight 1.72 gm, Obverse: Elephant standing right, cluster of dots (sun) and crescent moon above, Reverse: Crescent three-arched hill (chaitya), river below, crescent moon at left, sun at right, date below off flan. 147 in Brahmi script, Saka Era or 225 AD.        

                                       

Western Kshatrapa, Kardamaka, weight 1.52 gm, Obverse: Elephant standing right, cluster of dots (sun) and crescent moon above, Reverse: Crescent three-arched hill (chaitya), river below, crescent moon at left, sun at right, date below off flan. 153 in Brahmi script, Saka Era or 232 AD.