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The
earliest inscriptions discovered in Karnataka belong to
Ashoka. His Minor Rock Edicts are found at Brahmagiri, Jantinga
Rameshwara and Siddapura in Chitradurga district. Maski
and Gavimatha - Palkigunda in Raichur district and three
more minor Rock Edicts were found recently at Nittur in
Bellary District. They are in Prakrit language and Brahmi
script. It is only in the 5th century A. D. that Prakrit
yielded place to Sanskrit. The Satavahanas used Prakrit
in their epigraphs, which are found engraved on the walls
and pillars of the exquisite cave temples at Kanheri, Karle
and Nasik. The inscriptions at Myakadoni, Malavalli and
Banavasi point to the rule of the Satavahanas and the Chutus
in Karnataka.
Among
the important inscriptions of the Kadambas of Banavasi,
mention may be made of the Chandravalli inscription, the
Halmidi inscription or the Talagunda record. For the study
of the history of Chalukyas of Badami the historian has
at his disposal a number of remarkable epigraphs like the
Badami Cliff inscription of Pulakeshi I, the Mahakuta Pillar
inscription of Mangalesa, the Aihole inscription of Pulakeshi
II, the Kanchi inscription of Vikramaaditya II and the Nerur
plates.
For
the history of the Rashtrakutas many epigraphs like the
Samangad plates of Dantidurga, the Talegaon plates of Krishna
I, the Jethwai plates of Dhruva, the Sanjan plates of Amoghavarsha
or the British Museum Plate of Govinda III are of inestimable
value. Similarly we have many valuable inscriptions for
the reconstruction of the history of the Chalukyas of Kalyani,
the Kalachuris, the Seunas and the Hoysalas.
For
writing the history of Vijayanagara alone nearly 5,000 inscriptions
are available for the historian. The Wodeyars of Mysore
or the Nayakas of Keladi have also available for the history
of the Bahmani kingdom, for the Maratha activities in Karnataka
and for the rule of Haidar and Tipu.
In
short the epigraphical sources in Karnataka are noted for
their abundance and versatile use.
Numismatics:
Numismatics or the study of coins can be an important aid
in the historian's labours. The circulation of coins can
help us determine the extent of a kingdom, as the types
of metals used in the coinage can hint at its economic prosperity.
The legends on the coins may provide useful data on rulers
and their achievements or the dates on them may help us
in fixing the chronology.
Lewis
Rice discovered the Roman coins of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula
and Claudius at Yeshwantpur near Bangalore in 1891. Similar
discoveries have been made at Chandravalli, which speak
of the trade contacts of Karnataka and the Mauryan empire
must have popularized the circulation of punch-marked coins
in the Karnataka region. The Satavahanas used lead for many
of their issues and their coins bear legends of the names
of Kings. The coins of Gautamiputra Satakarni were found
at Banavasi and that of Vasistaputra Pulumayi at Chandravalli
and Chitradurga.
One
of the most interesting types of the Satavahana coins in
that bearing a two-masted ship on the obverse, which indicate
their maritime power and activity. The Kadambas of Banavasi
are said to have inaugurated the tradition of issuing the
Padmatanakas, which are small, round, cup-shaped gold coins.
The Chalukyas of Badami had Varaha or boar as their emblem,
as Prof A. V. Narasimha Murthy points out, the coins containing
the boar became so popular in South India and Deccan that
Varaha became a common terminology for gold coins in the
region.
Although
no Rashtrakuta coin has been definitely identified. We have
a large number of coins belonging to the Chalukyas of Kalyana.
Their inscriptions mention coins like Gadyana, Pana, Honnu,
Haga, Kagini, Visa, Gulike and Bele. Gadyanas are mentioned
along with the name of the mint such as Lokkigundi Gadyana.
The Hoysalas too issued a variety of coins. The coins of
Vishnuvardhana refer to his titles like Talakadugonda, Malaparolganda
or Nolambavadigonda.
The
Vijayanagara rulers gave a new dimension to the coinage
of Karnataka. The department of mints in the empire was
responsible for testing the purity and fineness of gold
coins. Gadyana, Varaha, Pon, Pagoda, Pratapa, Pana, Kasu
and Jital were the various coins issued in the Vijayanagar
period. They are also rich from the point of view of iconographic
details, as they contain the profiles of Hanuman, Garuda,
Uma-Maheshwara, Venkatesha, Durga, Gandabherunda and others.
The coinage of Vijayanagara reveals the prosperity of the
empire, substantiating the eye-witness accounts of foreign
visitors.
The
Bahmani coinage generally imitated the pattern evolved by
the Delhi Sultanate. They issued coins in gold, silver and
copper. The coins of Tipu Sultan are praised for their artistic
merit and fine calligraphy. He issued sixteen varieties
of coins from the Gold coin Ahmadi of four-pagoda value
to the one-eighth paisa. The Wodeyars of Mysore generally
imitated Vijayanagara coinage.
However,
the value of coins in reconstructing the past should not
be over-emphasized. It is rightly observed that numismatics
is a pigmy in comparison with the epigraphical giant, and
that its evidence is generally subsidiary and corroborative,
for, it gives us only a few nuts and screws for the framework
of history.
to
be continued...
Mr.
Arthikaje
Mangalore.
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