Kalabhra coin hieroglyphs traced to Sarasvati Script. Kalabhra period coin die made by Roman smiths minted in Sangam Era

Kalabhra coin hieroglyphs traced to Sarasvati Script. Kalabhra period coin die made by Roman smiths minted in Sangam Era? The Itihāsa narratives of kalabhras of Sangam Age are shrouded in mystery and subject to historians' speculations. Some link them to Karnataka-s, some to kalavar (lit. navigators). One reality is emphatic. The kalabhras did issue some coins with unique hieroglyphs.

Kalabhra coinSince it is speculation time, I suggest that some coins attributed to Kalabhras bear Sarasvati Script hieroglyphs. In particular, the hieroglyph 'elephant' is a dominant hieroglyph. This 'elephant' hieroglyph has clear metallurgical connotations in Meluhha (mleccha): karabha, ibha 'elephant' rebus: karba 'iron' ib 'iron'. I am unable to identify other hieroglyphs shown on Kalabhra coins. These do NOT seem to be Brahmi syllabary but a continuum of Sarasvati Script hieroglyphs. There are indications that Kalabhra spoke Prakritam and possibly used words of that that language in their coins.

One hieroglyph on this square coin of Kalabhra is significant. It signifies 'wave' of water. This is a Sarasvati Script hieroglyph: kāṇḍa 'water' rebus: kāṇḍa 'implements'.

Ta. koṭu curved, bent, crooked; Pa. kũḍaŋgey elbow; koḍka billhook.(DEDR 2054) rebus: kōḍa 'workshop'. I hypothesise that thee word karabha 'elephant' was pronounced in a variant: kalabhra or kalabha in ancient times.

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Numismatist R.Krishnamurthy reports a coin found in Amaravathi River, Karur which is attributed to Kalabhra. I suggest that the coin is in the Sarasvati Script tradition and the hieroglyph 'elephant' signifies karabha 'elephant' (variant in Kannada: kalabha 'young elephant') rebus: karba 'iron':a. ayil iron. Ma. ayir, ayiram any ore. Ka. aduru native metal. Tu. ajirda karba very hard iron. (DEDR 192) Ta. karum poṉ iron; kari (-v-, -nt-) to be charred, scorched, become black; (-pp-, -tt-) to char; n. charcoal, charred wood, lampblack;Tu. kari soot, charcoal; kariya black; karṅka state of being burnt or singed; karṅkāḍuni to burn (tr.); karñcuni to be burned to cinders; karñcāvuni to cause to burn to cinders; kardů black; karba iron; karvāvuni to burn the down of a fowl by holding it over the fire; (DEDR 1278a)

Karabha the trunk of an elephant; in karabhoru (k˚+ūru) (a woman) with beautiful thighs Mhbv 29.(Pali) karabhá m. ʻ camel ʼ MBh., ʻ young camel ʼ Pañcat., ʻ young elephant ʼ BhP. 2. kalabhá -- ʻ young elephant or camel ʼ Pañcat. [Poss. a non -- aryan kar -- ʻ elephant ʼ also in karḗṇu -- , karin -- EWA i 165 2. Pa. kalabha -- m. ʻ young elephant ʼ, Pk. kalabha -- m., °bhiā -f., kalaha -- m.; Ku. kalṛo ʻ young calf ʼ; Or. kālhuṛi ʻ young bullock, heifer ʼ; Si. kalam̆bayā ʻ young elephant ʼ. Addenda: karabhá -- : OMarw. karaha ʻ camel ʼ.(CDIAL 2797)

கலவர் kalavar , n. < கலம் ¹. 1. Navigators, sailors; மரக்கலமாக்கள் . கடற் குட்டம் ப ாழ் வர் கல வர் (நான்மணி. 16). 2. Passengers in a ship; க ் லிற் செல் பவார���. காற் றத் திடட ் ட்ட கலவர் மனம் ப ால் (திவ் . 2

ச ரியதி. 11, 8, 2). 3. Inhabitants of a maritime tract; fishermen; சநய் தனிலமாக்கள் . கலவர் . . . மீசனறி ொல பநர்விரித் துலர்த்தலும் (பெ துபு. கந்தமா. 91). 4. Warriors; டடவீரர். (W.)

See: M. Arunachalam, 1979, The Kalabhras in the Pandiya country and their impact on the life and letters there, Univ. of Madras "A number of theories have been advanced for the identity of the Kalabhras. T. A. Gopinath Rao equates them with the Muttaraiyars, and Kallars and an inscription in the Vaikunta Perumal temple at Kanchi mentions a Muttaraiyar named as Kalavara-Kalvan. The word Kalabhra might possibly be a Sanskrit derivation of the Tamil Kalvan. M. Raghava Iyengar, on the other hand, identifies the Kalabhras with the Vellala Kalappalars.The c. 770 Velvikudi plates of the Pandyan king Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan mention the Kalabhras and R. Narasimhacharya and V. Venkayya believe them to have been Karnatas.. K. R. Venkatarama Iyer suggests that the Kalabhras might have settled in the Bangalore-Chittoor region early in the 5th century....The history of Cholas of Uraiyur (Tiruchirappalli) is exceedingly obscure from 4th to the 9th century, chiefly owing to the occupation of their country by the Kalabhras. Buddhadatta, the great writer in Pali, belonged to Uraiyur. He mentions his contemporary, King Achyutavikranta of the Kalabharakula, as ruling over the Chola country from Kaveripumpattinam. He was a Buddhist. Tamil literary tradition refers to an Achyuta who kept the Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers in captivity. On the basis of the contemporaneity of Buddhadatta with Buddhaghosha, Achyuta may be assigned to the 5th century. ...It is known that the Kalabhras patronised Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The late Kalabhras appear to have been Shaivite and Vaishnavite. Scholar F. E. Hardy traced the palace ceremony to a Vishnu or Mayon temple to the rule of the Kalabhras. They are known for patronising the Hindu god, Skanda or Subramanya. They imprinted his image on their 5th-century coins, especially those of the Kaveripumpattinam rulers. King Achyuta worshipped Vaishnava Tirumal...The rule of the Kalabhras of South India was ended by the counter-invasions of Pandyas, Chalukyas and Pallavas. There are other references to the Kalabhras in Pallava and Chalukya inscriptions. They were conquered by Pallava, Simhavishnu and Pandya, Kadungon." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalabhra_dynasty ‘Galapra’ period coin die made by Roman smiths minted in Sangam Era? By Express News Service | Published: 02nd March 201 |

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The two faces of the Galapra period coin | Express CHENNAI: After a gap of several years, a ‘Galapra’ period coin has been discovered and deciphered in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the efforts of R Krishnamurthy, president, South Indian Numismatic Society (SINS). The coin was collected from the Amaravathi river bed Karur in 1986. The period immediately after Sangam Age in the Tamil Country is called the Kalabhra (also Galapra) Interregnum and an alien tribe occupied the Tamil Country throwing out the ancient Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms and ruled for some period for which there is no proper evidence. “This is an accidental discovery. When I was rearranging my old collection of Pallava Coins six months ago, I saw a coin which has a different texture not at all connected with the Pallava coin. In the coin holder, I have written in 1986 that the coin was collected from the Amaravathi river bed, Karur,” Krishnamurthy, an expert in deciphering Brahmi scripts, told Express. He also recalled that in 1986 he had published a square copper coin with an elephant on the obverse and a legend in Brahmi-script “I read the legend as ‘GALAPIRA’. Many scholars did not accept my reading because of some reasons,” he recalled. Krishnamurthy had presented a paper on his recent discovery at the recent conference of SINS at H yderabad. Regarding the date of the coin, Krishnamurthy said, “The coin is die struck and the minting is of high quality. It looks similar to the Roman bronze coin of Third century AD. On going 4

through a Roman Coin catalogue, I found a coin similar in diameter and weight. The Galapra coin die might have been designed and made by Roman coin die-makers.” He further said the ‘Galapra’ coin had four symbols on the obverse top right near the border which are usually seen in Sangam Age Tamil coins. “So, the coin may have been minted at the fag end of Sangam Age,” Krishnamurthy said. http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2017/mar/02/galapra-period-coin-die-made-byroman-smiths-minted-in-sangam-era-1576503.html

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See: http://coinsoftheworld-mckalra.blogspot.in/2012_09_01_archive.html Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Story of Indian Money - XII Rise of indigenous South Indian dynasties (225-1336 A.D.) The Deccan region saw the rise of new dynasties after the fall of Satavahanas in the third century and their local successors in the Andhra region viz. Ikshavakus, Shalankayanas and Vishnukundins issued their own coinages. The Vishnukundins issued a typical coin with image of ‘a stylised lion’ on the obverse and a vase flanked by two lampstands within a rayed circle on the reverse. In the Western Deccan, dynasties like the Traikutakas based their own coinage on the earlier prototype of the Western Kshatrapas. The Kadamba dynasty (r.345-525) of Banavasi in Uttara Kanara initiated a new gold coin called Padma tanka which revived the ancient technique of punch-mark minting with a central image of lotus deeply impressed upon the coin. These coins were emulated by many later dynasties like the Cholas, Yadavas of Devagiri and the Eastern Chalukyas. The Kadambas were replaced by Chalukyas of Badami under Pulakeshin II (r. 610-642) who issued coins similar to the Vishnukundin prototype with his preferred epithet ‘Shri Satya’. Pulakeshin II helped his brother Vishnuvardhana capture Vengi in Andhra Pradesh and head a separate dynasty called the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi. The Eastern Chalukyas issued gold Padma tankas with the central image of a boar representing ‘Varaha’.The Tamil Desha region witnessed a decline of ruling dynasties of Chola, Pandya and Chera rulers between 3rd and 6th century as they were subdued by the Kalabhara dynasty. The Kalabharas were vanquished by the later Pallavas and the Pandyas. The Pallavas issued copper and lead coins with obverse images of the dynastic crest of the Pallavas, the bull. Some Pallava coins show images of lion replacing the bull.

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The Chola power was revived in 850 A.D. by Vijayalaya who assumed the titles ‘Rajakesari’ and ‘Parakesari’ which used by all succeeding kings on their coins. His successors consolidated the gains by throwing of the Pallava yoke. However, the earliest Chola ruler to issue a coin in his name was Uttama Chola (r.970-985) who issued gold and silver coins with ‘Uttama Chola’ written in Nagari for the first time on a South Indian coin! Another unique feature of Uttama Chola’s coin was the use of three royal crests viz. bow, fish and tiger symbolising the Chera, Pandya and Chola powers and symbolizing their unity under his leadership. Rajaraja Chola (r.985-1014) increased the empire’s limits to Sri Lanka and Orissa. He initiated a new coin type in all three metals with the image of a standing king on the obverse and sitting king on the reverse with ‘Sri Rajaraja’ in Nagari below his left arm. Rajendra Chola (r.1012-1044) spread his domains right till the Bengal coast assuming the title ‘Gangaikonda Chola’ (the Chola whose horses drank the waters of the Ganga). Rajaadhiraja Chola (r.1018-1054) issued similar coins during his rule. Kulothunga Chola (r.1070-1120) was the heir to the joint fortunes of the Cholas and the Eastern Chalukyas and issued gold coins based on Eastern Chalukya coins with multiple punch marks. The central punch bears the image of two fishes, a tiger flanked by a bow and parasol and a fly whisk above; the marginal punches have two titles, ‘Kataikondacholam’ and ‘Malainadukondacholam’ referring to his conquest of Katai and Malainadu. After Kulothunga’s reign, the Cholas were soon overshadowed by Pandyas in the twelfth century. The Pandya coins show a consistent use of their dynastic symbol of ‘stylised fish’ throughout their history. The stylised fish emblem was also adopted by the Alupa dynasty of Dakshina Kanara (r.550-1500) who claimed to be descendants of Pandyas on their gold fanams along with the epithet ‘Sri Pandya Dhananjayam’. The later Pandyas under Sundara Pandya and Vira Pandya ushered the golden age of Pandyas in the thirteenth century and issued gold/copper coins with the legends ‘Sundara Pandya’ and ‘Vira Pandya’ indicating the last great phase of Pandyas.

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Images (numbered from top): 1st and 2nd images : Vishnukundin Copper issue with Lion on obverse and Conch symbol on reverse 3rd image: Kulotthunga's Gold Punchmarked issue with central image of Varaha (Boar) 4th and 5th Image: Raja Raja Chola I's Silver Kaasu with images of seated King and Standing deity with Nagari legend 'Sri Raja Raja' 6th Image: Rajendra Chola I's Silver Kaasu with image of Tiger, Fish and Bow representing his rule over Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras respectively 7th and 8th Images: Pallavas Copper issue with image of Bull and Chakra 9th and 10th Images: Alupas' late Gold issue with images of two fishes flanked by two lamps and Chhatra (umbrella above) and Lotus below on obverse; Kannada Legend 'Shri Pandya Dhananjayam' on reverse

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