694* Coins of Indian Buddhist Satraps. [No. 7. 



In the words dharma and varma, as I will presently show, it was 

 certainly used occasionally, although the former word is more fre- 

 quently found in its Pali form of Dhama. But notwithstanding 

 this uncertainty, I think there is a sufficient similarity in the names 

 and a sufficient approximation in the dates and countries of Mahira- 

 Jcula and Mahigula, to warrant a strong probability of their identity. 



In describing the coins of the eastern satraps Jivanisa and Eaja- 

 bala, we have had the valuable, although perhaps not quite authentic, 

 aid of a few historical notices of the dynasty to which they belonged. 

 Bat in describing the coias and inscriptions of the western satraps 

 of Taxila, we must trust entirely to our own sagacity in making 

 deductions more or less probable from the few ascertained facts. 

 The fact that Taxila was tributary and not independent, is not solely 

 derived from the coins, but is positively affirmed by Hwan Thsang, 

 who states that in his time the royal race had become extinct, and 

 that the country was then subject to the kingdom of Kashmir, 

 although it had formerly been a dependency of the kingdom of 

 Kapisa,* that is of the Turki empire of Kabul. The coins belong 

 to three different princes and are of different sizes and different 

 types, but they are such evident copies of the commoner types of 

 Azas, that there can be no hesitation in assigning them to the close 

 of his long reign, that is to about B. C. 100 or a little later. One 

 of these three princes, named Aswavarma, was certainly a tributary 

 of the great Scythian prince, as we find the name of Azas, the 

 " great king of kings," always occupying the Greek side of his coins. 

 I will now describe the few specimens of the coinage of these 

 western satraps, which have come to my notice. 



Figs. 14, 15, 16. Small square copper coins, weighing 38 grains. 

 The first is in my own possession ; the second is from my unpub- 

 lished plates of Bactrian coins, and the third is from Jas. Prinsep's 

 Journal. These, with a fourth specimen, were all procured in the 

 Punjab. 



Obverse. Horseman copied from the coins of Azas : Greek legend, 

 illegible. 



Reverse. Male figure with right hand raised towards his head. 

 The Ariano Pali legend is not complete on any of the specimens, 

 * Stan. Julien, Histoire de la vie de Hiouen Thsang, p. 449. 



