DOI article:
Smagur, Emilia: Vaishnavite influences in the Kushan coinage
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31074#0070
EMILIA SMAGUR
The then-contemporary punch-marked coins from series VIII are well-known
coins of Agathocles (PI. 2, Fig. 3), an Indo-Greek king (hrst half of the 2^ century
BC) that were discovered in Ai-Khanum in 1970.^ On both sides of the coins małe
hgures were depicted. One of them is Vasudeva-Krishna (reverse), and the other -
his older brother Balarama (obverse). These depictions are morę detailed but the
deities are identihable due to the same iconography as on the punch-marked coins.
Krishna has two arms - in his left he hoids a chakra, and in his right hand he hoids
an object which is hard to identity, possibly a conchA However, there are some
different interpretations of this object, according to which it might be a vase^' or
a pestieA He has a sword in his beit on the ieft side. The coins were minted in
Gandhara, possibly in Taxiia. The appearance of Balarama, the older brother of
Vasudeva-Krishna, on the averse probably redects the relation between them in the
Vrishni linear system^ or the fact that he was initially perceived as morę impor-
tant than Vasudeva-Krishna A The presence of the Vasudeva cult in the 2^ century
BC in Gandhara is also conhrmed by the inscription on the Garuda pillar from
Besnagar erected by HeliodorusA dated to the same period.
The coins of Vishnumitra, king of Panchala^ constitute another iconographic
source. However, scholars still argue over their datingA On the coins of the Pan-
chala rulers the representations of the deities whose names constitute a part of
a given ruler's name^ are depicted. Based on these facts we can assume that four-
armed Vishnu is shown on the coins of Vishnumitra^, holding in his hands objects
that are hard to identify, but it seems that he hoids a chakra in his upper left hand.
The next important representation comes from Chilas II in Pakistan accom-
panied by the inscription dated paleographically to the ńrst half of the 1" cen-
tury. Here we can see Balarama (a bigger figurę) and Vasudeva-Kirishna. The latter
hoids a chakra in his left hand and a club in his right handA
^NARAIN 1973: 74; SRINIYASAN 1997: 215.
4°BOPEARACHCHIandURRAHMAN I995:28:BOPEARACHCHI 1993:22-23; SRINIVASAN 1997:
215; SAMAD 2010: 72.
NARAIN 1976, type 149.
SINGH 2008: 437.
"3 SRINIVASAN 1997: 215; HARTEL 1987: 574-575.
4" SINGH 2008: 437.
43 NARAIN 1973: 76; SIKRI2002:22; SAMAD 2010: 74; DESA! 1973:4-5; SRINIVASAN 1997: 216.
46 ALLAN 1975: PI. XXIX, nos. 6, 8, 9.
43 According to Srinivasan, they are probably dated to the end of the 1 st century BC, whereas Desai and Pieper
dates them to the 2nd century BC. See SR1N1VASAN 1997: 215, fn. 27; DESAI 1973: 5; PIEPER 2013: 101.
4s GUPTA 1996: 48-49; HARTEL 1987: 586; ALLAN 1975: cxix.
4'DESAI 1973: 5; see alsoAGRAWALA 1994: 61.
3° SRINIYASAN 1997: 215; SINGH 2008: 437.
The then-contemporary punch-marked coins from series VIII are well-known
coins of Agathocles (PI. 2, Fig. 3), an Indo-Greek king (hrst half of the 2^ century
BC) that were discovered in Ai-Khanum in 1970.^ On both sides of the coins małe
hgures were depicted. One of them is Vasudeva-Krishna (reverse), and the other -
his older brother Balarama (obverse). These depictions are morę detailed but the
deities are identihable due to the same iconography as on the punch-marked coins.
Krishna has two arms - in his left he hoids a chakra, and in his right hand he hoids
an object which is hard to identity, possibly a conchA However, there are some
different interpretations of this object, according to which it might be a vase^' or
a pestieA He has a sword in his beit on the ieft side. The coins were minted in
Gandhara, possibly in Taxiia. The appearance of Balarama, the older brother of
Vasudeva-Krishna, on the averse probably redects the relation between them in the
Vrishni linear system^ or the fact that he was initially perceived as morę impor-
tant than Vasudeva-Krishna A The presence of the Vasudeva cult in the 2^ century
BC in Gandhara is also conhrmed by the inscription on the Garuda pillar from
Besnagar erected by HeliodorusA dated to the same period.
The coins of Vishnumitra, king of Panchala^ constitute another iconographic
source. However, scholars still argue over their datingA On the coins of the Pan-
chala rulers the representations of the deities whose names constitute a part of
a given ruler's name^ are depicted. Based on these facts we can assume that four-
armed Vishnu is shown on the coins of Vishnumitra^, holding in his hands objects
that are hard to identify, but it seems that he hoids a chakra in his upper left hand.
The next important representation comes from Chilas II in Pakistan accom-
panied by the inscription dated paleographically to the ńrst half of the 1" cen-
tury. Here we can see Balarama (a bigger figurę) and Vasudeva-Kirishna. The latter
hoids a chakra in his left hand and a club in his right handA
^NARAIN 1973: 74; SRINIYASAN 1997: 215.
4°BOPEARACHCHIandURRAHMAN I995:28:BOPEARACHCHI 1993:22-23; SRINIVASAN 1997:
215; SAMAD 2010: 72.
NARAIN 1976, type 149.
SINGH 2008: 437.
"3 SRINIVASAN 1997: 215; HARTEL 1987: 574-575.
4" SINGH 2008: 437.
43 NARAIN 1973: 76; SIKRI2002:22; SAMAD 2010: 74; DESA! 1973:4-5; SRINIVASAN 1997: 216.
46 ALLAN 1975: PI. XXIX, nos. 6, 8, 9.
43 According to Srinivasan, they are probably dated to the end of the 1 st century BC, whereas Desai and Pieper
dates them to the 2nd century BC. See SR1N1VASAN 1997: 215, fn. 27; DESAI 1973: 5; PIEPER 2013: 101.
4s GUPTA 1996: 48-49; HARTEL 1987: 586; ALLAN 1975: cxix.
4'DESAI 1973: 5; see alsoAGRAWALA 1994: 61.
3° SRINIYASAN 1997: 215; SINGH 2008: 437.