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Auction: 13019 - North East Indian Coins from the Nicholas Rhodes Collection
Lot: 240

Kachar, Nirbhaya Naryana (c.1559-63), Tanka, 10.11g, Sk 1481, legend in four lines on both sides: Hara Gauri/ Charana Para/yana Gede/ma Vamsaja in a double square all within a circle and beaded border, rev: Śri Śri Nirbhaya Nara/yana Devasya/ Śake 1481 in a double circle, all within a circle and beaded border (RB. 2.2), very fine, extremely rare

The first coins attributed to the Dimasa-Kachari kings are a couple issued in the name of Viravijaya Narayana, who is otherwise unknown to history. There follows a gap during which there were various conflicts with the Ahom rulers of Assam, who succeeded in capturing the important Kachar city of Dimapur. This led the Kacharis to flee southwards where they in due course founded their new capital of Maibong and chose as king the person who had led them there, Dersongpha, who took the Hindu name of Nirbhaya Narayana. His precise accession date is not known but his coins are dated Sk 1481 (AD 1559) and are all silver Tankas, more or less on the standard of the Bengal sultans. The obverse legend of this issue includes the epithet GedemĀ VamŚaja which can be translated as "born out of an honourable (or exalted) clan".

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Sold for
£1,500