18S0.] A. C. Carlleyle — Coins of the Sunga or Ilitra Dynasty. 



21 



Coins of til e Simgaor Mitra Dynasty, found near Rdmanayar or AMcMuitra^ 

 the am lent Capital of North Fanchala, in Rohilkhand : — tlie proper^ 

 ty of H. Rivett-Caenac, Esq., c. i. e., f. s. a., &c. Described hy 

 A. C. Caelletle, of the Archaological Survey of India. 

 (With a Plate.) 



The great ruined site oi Ahichhafra, the ancient capital o£ North 

 Pancliala and now known as Rdmanagar, has of late been yielding a plenti- 

 ful supply of the coins of the Sunga or Mitra dynasty. Mr. H. Rivett- 

 Carnac has been so fortunate as to procure a considerable number and 

 variety of these coins from that find-spot, and he kindly placed them in my 

 hands for examination and identification. 



The fact of so m.any coins of this dynasty having been found so far 

 to the north-west from their proper capital city, Pushpapura (or Patalipu- 

 tra), may perhaps be held to be a proof of the wide extent of their sway. 

 While making some excavations at Bhuila, the site of the ancient city of 

 Kapilavastu, in the Basti district, I obtained a considerable number (pro- 

 bably about a hundred) of the coins of the Mitras, dug newly from the 

 soil, in deep excavations, while I was present on the spot ; they were 

 mostly of Agni Mitra and Indra Mitra, with a few of other later kings of 

 this dynasty. These coins were mostly of small size ; but the coins obtain- 

 ed by Mr. Eivett-Carnac, from Eamanagar, are mostly of the largest size, 

 with three or four only of the smallest size. 



About one hundred and ten of these coins, belonging to Mr. Eivett- 

 Carnac, have passed through my hands ; and of these, several bear names 

 of kings which are either new, or of rare occurrence, such, for instance, 

 as Bhadraghosa, Dhaguni-mitra, Surya-mitra* and Anu-mitra, — besides 

 several coins of Dhdnu-mitra, which were already known. The most nu- 

 merous coins were those of Bhumi-mitra, and the next numerous were 

 those of Phaguni-mitra, — after whom, in the descending scale of number, 

 followed Agni-mitra, Bhanu-mitra, Surya-mitra, Bhadra-ghosa and Indra- 

 mitra ; with also a very few, from other localities, of the later kings, 

 whose coins are of quite a different type, such as Yijaya-mitra, Jaya-mitra, 

 Satya-mitra and Saya-mitra. 



From the numerical proportion in which the coins of various kings are 

 found in a hoard, we can generally make a pretty good guess as to who 

 •were the earliest, and who the latest, of the series. Thus, the king o£ 



* [Tliis name was at first read Srarj-an-mitra by the autlior. General A, Cunning- 

 ham first suggested tlie true reading Suya or Surya-mitra ; see Proceediags As. Soo. 

 Beng-., January 1880 ; sec also below p. 28, Ed.] 



