The Mauryan Empire (321–185 BC)

 

The Mauryan Empire grew out of the Magadh Janapada. The empire was founded around 322 BC by Chandragupta Maurya, after overthrowing the unpopular Nanda King of Magadh with the help of Chanakya, who became his confidant. He started consolidating land as Alexander the Great's power began to wane after his death in 323 BC. Chandragupta did not conquer most of the land that made up his empire. 

                              

                    Chandragupta Punch mark Coin

With the exception of Gandhara, all the lands ruled by him had been conquered by the Nanda emperors. The dynasty ruled for about two hundred years till 185 BC. The empire expanded south of the Hindu Kush mountains (present-day Afghanistan) after Seleucid Emperor Seleucus I ceded to him. His son Bindusara and grandson Ashoka expanded the empire. However, after the battle of Kalinga in 261 BC, Ashoka decided to abandon war altogether. He converted to Buddhism and spread it all across his empire and also to other countries.It was the first pan-Indian empire that covered most of the Indian region, spanned over parts of modern day Iran as well.

The Mauryan Empire survived for about 50 years after Ashoka’s death, before a general Pushyamitra Sunga usurped the throne and went on to create the Shunga Empire.

Maurya coinage consists mainly of silver karshapanas, almost all coins have five or six punches and always include a sun symbol in those punches. The Mauryan Empire also introduced for the first time in India square-shaped copper coins with punch marks. Some of the later coins of Ashoka bear his royal mark on the reverse.

                          Maurya Empire, 250 BC

                      

Chandragupta Maurya, Silver karshapana, weight 3.1 gm

Obverse: Three female figures and six-armed symbol

Reverse: Peacock walking right, on five arched hills, 

Silver karshapna, 300–200 BC, weight 3.38 gm                                                         

Silver karshapna, Ashoka 300–200 BC, weight 3.3 gm

         

                                             

 Silver karshapna, Magadh, series IV, 400–300 BC, weight 3.4 gm

Silver karshapna, 400–200 BC, weight 2.9 gm

Copper coin, Ashoka 200–300 BC, weight 2.6 gm

Silver karshapna, Ashoka 200–300 BC, weight 3.39 gm

 

Silver karshapna, series V, 400–300 BC, weight 3.4 gm

Silver karshapna, Ashoka 268–232 BC, weight 3.2 gm

 Maurya Empire

Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire

The Earliest Coins of India

 

The earliest coins found in ancient India are generally referred to as punch-marked coins, minted and issued by the Janapadas between the 6^th and 4^th centuries BC. Janapadas were kingdoms that prospered during the Vedic period. They were social and cultural states that had their origins in 'jana', which means people, and 'pada', which means abode. Each Janapada was free to issue its own coins and had its own combination of punches on coins. Later, when these kingdoms were annexed by their powerful neighbours, these Janapadas transformed into Mahajanapadas. Ancient Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya mention 'solasa mahajanapadas', i.e., Sixteen Mahajanapadas.

                     

                      Bent Bar

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            Mahajanapadas and Janapadas

Shatamana (silver bent bar) Gandhara, 600 BC, weight: 11.23 gm, length: 39 mm.

Amongst the earliest Indian coins is the Shatamana (silver bent bar) Gandhara, which dates back to 600 to 300 BC and is also called the Double Sigloi. The bent bar coins followed the Shatamana (100 rattis) standard with a weight of approximately 11 gm. The length of the coins ranges from 35 mm to 50 mm, while the width ranges from 8 mm to 20 mm. They bear at each end a deeply punched 'septra radiate' solar symbol with a dot within the central circle and six radiating arms.  

Taxila copper/billon bent bars, 450 BC. Weight: 9.6 gm, length: 28 mm.

Later, the Shatamanas started to get debased. The short bars were struck from low-quality silver that resembled copper.

Silver one eighth Shatamana from Taxila, Gandhara Janapada 600 to 400 BC.

The punch-marked coin above has the six-armed Gandharian symbol with a dot between two of the arms. The size of these coins ranges from 14 mm to 17 mm and the weight ranges from about 1.3 gm to 1.6 gm.

From Gandhara the idea of punch-marked coinage spread and soon these coins were minted in many regions of Northern and Central India

Silver Karshapanas from Magdha Janapada,500 BC

These coins weighed between 3.4 gm and 5.8 gm of silver and were issued from 600 to 400 BC. They featured from two punched-marked symbols initially to five punch-marked symbols in the later issues on the obverse.

Archaic punch marked Panchala Janapada, half Karshapana silver coin 400-350 BC, weight 0.3 to 1.8 gm.

                                                     

AR,1/4 Karshapana, Saurashtra Janapada, 450-400 

BC, weight 0.9 gm, Obverse: Srivatsa, uniface                                                   

AR half Karshapana, Avanti Janapada 300 BC, 

weight 1.6 gm

Obverse: Taurine symbols Reverse: blank

*Map courtesy Wikipedia.coinage of India