2018-06-13 Wed

The Satavahanas ruled large parts of India from the 1st Century BCE till 2nd Century CE. The Satavahana ruled the part of Telangana, Andhra-Pradesh and Maharashtra. Their territory also extended to the modern parts of Gujarat, Madhya-Pradesh and Karnataka. According to one of the theories, the word Satavahana is a derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Sapta-Vahana’ meaning ‘driven by seven’. According to the Hindu mythology, ‘the chariot of the sun god is drawn by seven horses’. This would ratify the claim that the Satavahanas are originally associated with the legendary solar dynasty.

This silver drachm was issued by ‘Vasithiputra Siri Satakarni’ weighs around 2.2g. The obverse side of this coin depicts the bust of the king facing towards the right with heavy ornament and curly hairdo and the jewel on the forehead. The reverse of this coin depicts six arched hills with the crescent above and the river below it with Ujjain symbol and legend around.

Image Courtesy: Classical Numismatic Gallery