01/01/2020- ANCIENT INDIAN COINS- MAHAJANAPADAS- 1.Magadha Mahajanapada

ഇന്നത്തെ പഠനം
അവതരണം	Augustine Stephen D'souza
വിഷയം	ANCIENT INDIAN COINS
ലക്കം	51

16 MAHAJANAPADAS
1- Magadha Mahajanapada

Magadha was located in the modern state of Bihar, with it's capital originally at Rajagriha (modern Rajgir) and then at Pataliputra (modern Patna). It ultimately become the largest and powerful of all janapadas, eventually spawning India's first empire, the Mauryan Empire. Bimbisara and Ajatasatru were the main Magadhan rulers. Bimbisara was murdered by his son Ajatasatru, who in turn was murdered by his own son Udayibhadda. Sree Buddha is said to have died in the 8th year of the reign of Ajatasatru ie 483 BC.

The earliest uniface coins of Magadha bears a prominent central punch of 6 -arm solar symbol (considered the royal symbol), while other symbols include sun,animals,tree,geometric patterns etc. Those weigh to the high Vimsatika Standard of 5.5g. Later Magadha PMCs become unifaced series 5 - punches of which 2 symbols; the six arm solar and sun, remained constant, while others alternated. These weighed as per the Karshapana Standard of 3.5g (1 Karshapana = 32 Ratti,  1 Ratti = 0.11g, thus Ratti × 32 = 3.5g )