Contextualising Numismatic with Religion: Focus on Medieval Northeast India. (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dutta, Debajit
• Is Part Of: Indian historical review. Volume 46:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: Coinage -- Northeast -- religion -- kingdom -- culture; India -- History -- Periodicals; 954.005
• DOI: 10.1177/0376983619856135
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-9836

Abstract

Coins are utility object mostly produced by the state for the use of day-do-day transactions, long-distance trade and sometimes as gifts. Hence, numismatic has mainly been used for the study of economic, political and administrative histories. But numismatic can also be used for the reconstruction of the material culture of our glorious past. By a minute study of our ancient and medieval coinage, we can get an impression about contemporary religious and cultural sensibilities of various ethnic societies. By examining the religious epithets and figures of gods and goddesses and other non-anthropogenic signs present on the coins, one can judge the religious affiliation of the state or the king. This article will address the issue of religious symbolism on medieval Northeast Indian dynastic coins like those of Tripura, Koch Behar and Ahom kingdoms and will try to ventilate how these kingdoms used coins to advocate their religio-cultural affinity as well as to maintain their sovereign stature for quite a long period in their respective domains.