This book presents an account of the early Indian coins found from Sugh, the ancient S )S_ rughna, an extensive and very important archaeological site of Haryana located about 5 km east of Jagadhari/Yamunanagar on the old bed of the river Yamuna where it debouched into the plains from the Shiwalki hills of the Himalayas. Naturally protected on three sides by a bend of the river it occupied a very strategic position on the ancient trade route connecting the Ganga valley with the western world. Silver coins struck on the half karshapana (16 ratti) weight standard found from Sugh and in its vicinity can undoubtedly be attributed to the Kur Mahajanapada. It is for the first time that a hoard of a new series of the minuscule silver coins from this place has been brought to light. These coins conform to 4 ratti weight standard and represent the pada or quarter denomination of the above-mentioned coins. Unlike most other minuscule coins these pieces have silver core and contain fairly high silver content. Un-inscribed cast copper coins have also been found from Sugh in substantial numbers and so also the Imperial five-symbol punch-marked silver coins. Two hoards containing respectively two and one Indo-Greek coins and some stray pieces recovered from the site have also been described and their importance discussed. Copper and lead coins bearning the early Brami legend Kadasa are known since long but their exact provenance was not known. New evidence established beyond doubt that Sugh is the provenance of these coins. The monarchical nature of these issues have also been established. Coins of the descendants of Kada including the Mitra-ending rulers are published for the first time together with the earliest octagonal lead coins of India. New data the analysis of the tribal coins, particularly the Kunindas and the Yaudheyas, has also been presented.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Devendra Handa
Shri Devendra Handa holds Post-Graduate degrees in Sanskrit, History and Education-all in First class and with top positions in the University. He obtained his Post-Graduate Diploma in Archaeology from the School of Archaeology (ASI, New Delhi) in 1964 with Credit (Distinction). He is the recipient of Maulana Azad and Archaeological Centenary Commemoration Medals, Sir Mortimer Wheeler Prize and various other awards. He is known to the indologists through more than three hundred research papers and the following books and monographs: 1 Osian: History, Archaeology, Art & Architecture, Delhi, 1984; 2 Studies in Indian Coins and Seals, Delhi, 1985; 3 Indological Studies: Essays in Memory of Shri S.P. Singhal, Delhi, 1987 (Ed.); 4 Ajaya-Sri: Recent Studies in Indology (Prof. Ajay Mitra Shastri Felicitation Volume), 2 Vols., Delhi, 1989 (Ed.); 5 Praci-Prabha: Perspectives in Indololgy (Essays in honour of Prof. B.N. Mukherjee), New Delhi, 1989 (Ed. Jointly with Prof. D.C. Bhattacharyya); 6 Ratna-Chandrika: Panorama of Oriental Studies (Shri R.C. Agrawala Festschrift), New Delhi, 1989 (Ed. Jointly with Prof. Ashvini Agrawal); 7 Heritage of Haryana: Buddhist Remains, Chandigarh, 1989; 8 Vishvambhara: Probings in Orientology (Prof. V.S. Pathak Festschrift), 2 Vols. New Delhi, 1995 (Ed. Jointly with Prof. Ajay Mitra Shastri and C.S. Gupta); 9 Numismatic Studies, Vols. 1-3 (1991-93), New Delhi (Ed.); 10 Oriental Numismatic Studies, Vols. 1-2 (1994 & 1996), Delhi (Ed.). He has attended numerous national and international conferences and delivered lectures in various institutions. In 1992, he got the Lowick Memorial Grant of the Royal Numismatic Society, London for studying the tribal coins of India. In 1993, he visited Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Sri Lanka Numismatic Society. He was honoured for his contributions to the science of numismatics at Calcutta in 1994. After a teaching career of more than thirty years, he finally retired from the Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1999. After his retirement from the Panjab University, Chandigarh, he was a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla (2000-2003) and Senior Fellow of the Ministry of Culture, GOPI, New Delhi (2003-2005). He presided over the 88th Annual Conference of the Numismatic Society of India at Nagpur in 2004 and Seminar on Coinage of the North West India at Chandigarh in 2005.
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