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Coins of the Cholas
(846 AD - 1150 AD)
The Cholas
dominated Southern India for a period of two centuries and a little more after the accession
of Raja Raja the Great in 985 AD. During this period they conquered all territories up
to the Deccan and subdued even Ceylon. Their power finally declined in the 13th century AD.
The three
important Chola emperors are Raja Raja the Great, his son Rajendra and
Rajendra Kulothunga I.
There are various types of coins of Raja
Raja, the most common of which has the standing king on one side and a seated
goddess on the other. The legend on most of the coin types is in Sanskrit.
Rajendra Chola's coins have the legend "Sri Rajendra" or
"Gangaikonda Chola" and the emblems, tiger and fish.
Some coins of Kulottunga I belong to the standing king and seated goddess type. There
are others which have the tiger in the centre, and fish and bow (the emblems of the Pandyas
and Cheras respectively) on either side. On the margin is the legend "Kataikonda
Chola" or "Malai nadu konda Chola", each letter of which is punched
separately. |
Vijayanagar
(1335 AD - 1600 AD)
The Kingdom
of Vijayanagar was established in 1336 AD by Harihara and his brothers. Vijayanagar
coins are mostly "varahans" or "pagodas" which weigh 56
grains, with their half and quarter divisions. These "pagodas" started a
fashion in South Indian coinage, which lasted till 1835 AD.
A number of
devices are found on Vijayanagar gold and copper coins. The most common of these are
the bull, the elephant, various Hindu deities and a double headed eagle (Ganda-Bherunda)
holding an elephant in each beak and claw.
The
inscription on Vijayanagar coins is either in Kanarese or Sanskrit. The later
kings used Devanagari script in which Sanskrit is usually written. |
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Mysore Wodayar
(16th century AD - 17th century AD) The Wodayar dynasty was
ruling Mysore from 1578 AD with a short interruption caused by the rule of Haider Ali
and Tipu Sultan. The most important ruler before Haider Ali was Kanthirava
Narasa Raja (1638 AD- 1659 AD).
In 1799 AD,
after Tipu was killed at the battle of Srirangapatnam, the old Hindu line of Wodayars
was restored and Krishna Raja Wodayar, a child of five was made the king.
The gold varahans
of the Wodayar dynasty bear the king's name in Sanskrit on one side and the figures of Siva
and Parvati on the other. |
Coinage of the Mysore Sultans
(1772 AD - 1799 AD)
Though the
period of the Mysore Sultans, (Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan) lasted for a short
period only, it produced a coinage which was marked by its variety and artistic merit.
Haider
Ali minted pagodas and fanams. For sometime after his overthrow of the Wodayars,
Haidar continued their coinage with the figures of Siva and Parvati on
his earlier gold pagodas.
Tipu
Sultan continued for sometime his father's pagodas and fanams.
The Persian
inscriptions in Tipu's gold and silver coins are religious in character.
Tipu adopted the
elephant device of the Wodayar kings of Mysore for his copper coins. |
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