Emergence of the Coinage in Ancient India - Paperback

by Chandra Neel (Author)

In spite of the fact that the study of the Indian coins is indispensable for India, which is rather devoid of the literary records containing the matter for the reconstruction of its early history, but still the origin of these has always remained a debatable issue among the scholars. As commonly perceived, the coins serve as the vital source for the reconstruction of the economic history of a country. However, these can also be viewed from diverse angles and can be utilized effectively to reconstruct not only the economic history of the time, but also to know about the dresses, ornaments, crowns, hair-styles, weapons, polity, religion, beliefs and practices, art, trade, transport, language, script, science, technology and much more. Hence, the information furnished by the coins is inevitably useful as these are directly related to the society and reflect the prevailing culture in which these are circulated. This book attempts to trace the beginning and the bit-by-bit enhancement in the process of the circulation of the coins in the society gradually up to the c. 4th century CE, after which the picture comparatively becomes clear. It takes a look into the other related aspects as well, like, the problems associated with the identification of the early Indian coins sans inscriptions, the types of coins, their issuing authorities, the raw material used in their manufacturing and the techniques adopted for the purpose.