Ten Historical Coins Found: Implications of Discovery

Ten Historical Coins Found: Implications of Discovery

Question: Ten coins including a Sangam age Chera coin have recently been discovered. Highlight the implications of this discovery.

- Ten coins including a Sangam age Chera coin dated to circa second century BCE, eight Chola period coins and a Vijaynagar period coin were found in Thanjavur district

- Of 8 Chola coins, one belonged to emperor Raja Raja Chola (regnal years 985 CE to 1014 CE) and to his son Rajendra Chola (regnal years 1012 CE to 1044 CE)

- Minuscule Vijanagar silver coin was issued by emperor Krishnadevaraya

- Three trenches-two at Senthalaipattanam and one at Mandripattanam have revealed gold core, glass beads, glass beads, micro beads, a terracotta pipe and potsherds for the transportation of water

- Both Senthalaipattanam and Mandripattanam are coastal villages

- Trench is 5 by 5 metres deep and half a metre deep

- Excavation was conducted by the Department of Maritime History and Marine Archeology of Tamil University

- The Senthalaipattanam trench yielded Chera lead coin of 2nd Century BCE

- It has the image of a bow on the reverse side and the obverse carried the carving of an elephant

- This kind of Chera coin is found in the surface in Karur region, TN

- This is the first time it has been found in a trench in the excavation on the eastern coast

- Of the 8 copper coins of the Chola period, one was issued by Raja Raja Chola

- Image on the obverse is of the man standing and holding a flower

- Reverse shows a seated man and a legend in Nagari reading Rajaraja

- This coin is referred to as Eelam Kasu (coin)

- The coin issued by Rajendra Chola has a Nagari script

- Uttama Chola, his grandfather’s name was on the obverse; reverse side is not clear

- Vijayanagar coins have a seated goddess on the obverse and a leaf with horizontal lines and dots on the reverse

- Chera coin was found in the lowermost level and Chola coins were found above

- Vijaynagar coins are located at the topmost level

- Excavation revealed a heap of beads made of glass, semi precious stones and terracotta

- Discovered alongside were terracotta pipes and big pots

- Several lakes have fresh water in the area

- Mandripattanam has been a port town in the pre-Christian era and naval base to load ships with food and water during the period of the Cholas

Facts and Stats

- Three kingdoms ruled South India namely Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas

- Earliest reference to the Chera kingdom is found in the Ashokan edicts

- Chera Kingdom was divided into nadus(five sections)

- Cheras held many titles such as Vanavar, Villavar, Kudavar, Kuttuvar, Poraiyar and Malaiyar.

- The Chola region was in the lower Kaveri valley, in the coastal plain between the norths Vellar.