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Coinage of Pandyan Empire - Through the Ages


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Posted (edited)

I will be posting several, rare coins from this southern empire that I obtained recently in this thread, including the history of the Pandyan Empire during its revival period at the start of the 13th century. But, for now, here is one of these rarely encountered coins. Most of these coins are sparingly documented in Non-Western books. Even Mitchiner's blurb is quite small, limited to a few words...

Pandyan Empire: Maravarman Sundara Pandya (1216-1238) Æ Kasu (MCSI 384; Biddulph 83; Seetharaman 69)

Obv: Footprints of Vishnu flanked by lamps on either side; above royal umbrella flanked by flywhisks on either side
Rev: Tamil legend - கலியுகராமன் (Kaliyukarāmaṉ)
Dim: 15mm; 2.81 g

image.jpeg.7d4391844bc60a725b540324b46b1e2a.jpeg

Edited by quant.geek
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Truly great, @quant.geek.  Looking forward to what you do next with this.  

...In my pure-as-the-driven-snow (please read, vacuous) ignorance, I associate footprints, as a motif, more with the Buddha than with Vishnu.  --Thank you, Vishnu proceeds directly from the Buddha's religious background; guessing there have to be some cool details in the progression (--if I'm not making this up), even at this late a remove.

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Posted (edited)

That's a nice type, there's always a confusion if a Pandyan coin was issued by Maravarman or Jatavarman.

Here's couple of my epigraphic Pandyan issues, 

EllantalaiyanPandya.png.ba3510589c42007ee56eddea2d71ff28.png

On the obverse there's the unassuming Chola style standing king, but the reverse show a couple of fishes in the middle surrounded by the legends Ellanthalaiyan. Most agree on the issuer being Jatavarman Sundara Pandya 1251 CE–1268 CE, however I think this belongs to his successor Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan (1268 – c. 1308 CE) who in 1279 put an end to the Chola dynasty and further conquered the whole of south India, and thus the title Ellanthalaiyan( Ellam (all/everyone) -thalaiyan (leader), meaning 'Leader of all'.

h_0.jpg.b471b65fc1c4f127ff9ec4a756a42947.jpg

This one I think is Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I
Copper Kasu, 2.85 g
Obv: Twin fish interlinked, with sceptre to left, conch below, crescent above, and unknown symbol to right.
Reverse: கச்சி வழங்கும் பெருமாள் Kachi-Valangum-Perumal in Tamil (The king who offers Kachi)
1258-1260 AD

And here's a coin showing Vishnu foot.

normal_paa.jpg.cf9610dedeca8f9a68742ff64bfa0aa3.jpg

Raja Raja Chola, Vishnu's foot coin
985-1014 (likely after 988 AD)
Special issue to commemorate the subjugation of Cheras (their neighboring kingdom).
The Cheras were a Vishnu worshiping country, while the Cholas were Siva worshiping, so when Raja Raja Chola conquered them, he issued special coins that portrayed the feet of lord Vishnu called Sripada aka 'sacred foot' along with the Chera symbol bow, at the obverse's bottom right.

Edited by JayAg47
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  • quant.geek changed the title to Coinage of Pandyan Empire - Through the Ages
  • 3 weeks later...

Hi, 
Whish I have found this forum earlier,, it took me a while to id my first Pandyan coin.
Here it is.
I believe it's 1 Kasu, Ceylon type (two crossed fishes) with the inscription "Kachi Valangum Perumal"

Cheers.

Júlio

1 Kasu - Jatavarman Sundarapandyan II Ceylon type Obv.jpg

1 Kasu - Jatavarman Sundarapandyan II Ceylon type rev.jpg

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Posted (edited)

Hey Júlio,

I saw your post on Numista, including the other South Indian coins. That forum is really for beginners and I was planning on responding, but alas work took precedence. Without the necessary books, classification of South Indian coins is complicated. Very few Western books in this topic are available. The only one that comes to mind is Mitchiner, which I have. Most are non-Western books which is a challenge for non-native speakers. I don't know where the Ceylon attribution came from, but your attribution is correct. Mitchiner attributes this to Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II (1276-1301) as well as Biddulph. I could not find the temple inscriptions that point to Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I or Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan II indicating the conquest of Kanchi, and thus this moniker. Here are my specimens which are slightly different due to ornaments on the obverse and legend calligraphy on the reverse. I am using Mitchiner's attribution. Note that there at least four different variations, possibly more...

 

Pandyan Empire: Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II (1276-1301) Æ Kasu (MCSI 393-94; Biddulph 84; Seetharaman 67-8)

Obv: Two fishes crosswise with emblems in the spaces - Crescent, Royal Umbrella, Conch, and unknown symbol below
Rev: Tamil legend - கச்சி வழங்கும் பெருமாள் (Kacci Vaḻaṅkum Perumāḷ)
 

image.png.6a06ba5874c88c6b5102a927099641ed.png

Edited by quant.geek
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Posted (edited)

Similar in fabric to the previously illustrated ones, this particular coin is an enigma and thus we don't have a clear idea who issued the coin. It is extremely rare and its the third or fourth one I have seen. Desikachari and Seetharaman attributes it to the Pandyas whereas Biddulph indicates it might be a Nayaka coin issued in the same fabric as the previous one.  The below attribution is questionable. If there are better theories, please let me know...

 

Pandyan Empire?: Unknown Æ Kasu (Desikachari 44; Seetharaman 78)

Obv: Two fishes crosswise with emblems in the spaces - Crescent, Scepter, Conch?, and Royal Umbrella?
Rev: Tamil legend - கனயாவனவீரபா (Kaṉayāvaṉavīrapā)

 

image.png.5828534e8d06527e996b87a52f7c741d.png

Edited by quant.geek
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11 hours ago, quant.geek said:

Hey Júlio,

I saw your post on Numista, including the other South Indian coins. That forum is really for beginners and I was planning on responding, but alas work took precedence. Without the necessary books, classification of South Indian coins is complicated. Very few Western books in this topic are available. The only one that comes to mind is Mitchiner, which I have. Most are non-Western books which is a challenge for non-native speakers. I don't know where the Ceylon attribution came from, but your attribution is correct. Mitchiner attributes this to Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II (1276-1301) as well as Biddulph. I could not find the temple inscriptions that point to Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I or Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan II indicating the conquest of Kanchi, and thus this moniker. Here are my specimens which are slightly different due to ornaments on the obverse and legend calligraphy on the reverse. I am using Mitchiner's attribution. Note that there at least four different variations, possibly more...

 

Pandyan Empire: Jatavarman Sundara Pandya II (1276-1301) Æ Kasu (MCSI 393-94; Biddulph 84; Seetharaman 67-8)

Obv: Two fishes crosswise with emblems in the spaces - Crescent, Royal Umbrella, Conch, and unknown symbol below
Rev: Tamil legend - கச்சி வழங்கும் பெருமாள் (Kacci Vaḻaṅkum Perumāḷ)
 

image.png.6a06ba5874c88c6b5102a927099641ed.png

Hi,
Thank you very much.
Indeed I'vve posted at a few foruns, with little results.
cheers
Júlio

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  • 3 months later...

Issued under the influence of the Kannada Kingdom of Hoysala that was ruled by Vira Someshwara at the time...

Pandyan Empire: Maravarman Sundara Pandyan II (1238-1255) Æ Kasu (Seetharaman 57)

Obv: Boar standing facing left, under the royal umbrella
Rev: Two fishes separated by a crozier; Tamil legend - சுந்தரபாண்டியன் (Suntarapāṇṭiyaṉ) above

image.png.4cfeec6d85985f8a0c60363beddb9894.png

Edited by quant.geek
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