The Hindu
Mangalore, Jan 11: A collection of copper coins discovered by a numismatist in Mangalore throws light on the Banavasi Kadamba rulers. The dynasty ruled much of western Karnataka for about 300 years from the IV Century (circa 325 AD to 620 AD).
It was numismatist Manjeshwar Mukund Prabhu who was the first to recognise the importance of the coins. Mr. Prabhu, who knows epigraphy, read the ascriptions on the coins that clearly establish that it belonged to Kadambas.
Chief of Department of Studies in Ancient History and Epigraphy of Karnatak University Srinivas V. Padigar points out that there was no single coin till now that is clearly ascribed to the Kadambas. "All the coins we had so far were mostly of doubtful ascription," he said. What establishes this fact beyond any doubt are bold letters that together read as "Shree Dosharashi". Dosharashi is an alternative name of Raja Ravivarma II, the last of the great kings of Kadamba dynasty.
Prof. Padigar points out that Ravivarma belonged to one of the three streams of Kadamba dynasty known as Thriparvata. The dynasty had split into three streams — the other two being Ucchangi and Banavasi. Ravivarma II reunited the dynasty, Prof. Padigar says.
He also points out in a letter to Mr. Prabha that copper plate inscriptions found earlier had established that Ravivarma II was known by the epithet Dosharashi.
On why would a king use such awkward (dosha means imperfection and rashi means a group) sounding epithet, Prof. Padigar suggests that Dosha could also mean darkness and represent "Krishna."
He told The Hindu over phone from Dharwad that the word also meant "moon."
Deputy Superintendent of Epigraphy for Director (Epigraphy) of Archaeological Survey of India, Mysore, too has written to Mr. Prabhu confirming the ascription of the coin to Ravivarama II. "The legend is in early Kannada characters of the 5th-6th century AD," he says.
Mr. Prabhu explains that what look like designs within five sections on the face of the coin are the letters which he could read as "Shree-Do-sha-ras-hi."
Prof. Padigar also points out that another significance of the coin is that it establishes that Kadambas used copper coins. This would also throw a significant light on the economy of the dynasty. Though some of the richer and earlier dynasties are known to have used gold and silver coins, there was no such coin that had been retained.
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On how he came across the coins, Mr. Prabhu explains that some workers had found them on a riverbank in Banavasi (near Sirsi in Uttara Kannada). These coins landed with a businessman in the city who is also a numismatist, Mr. Prabhu explains. Experts and the Government should make efforts to discover "hidden treasure" near Banavasi, he suggests. His pleas in this regard had had not effect, he regrets. His information is that along with coins, some rings and metals were also found on the riverbank.