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Auction: 13019 - North East Indian Coins from the Nicholas Rhodes Collection
Lot: 263

Jaintiapur, Bargosain I? (c.1548? - 63), Tanka, 9.7g, undated, legends in four lines on each side, obv. within a double square, and a circle and border of beads: Hara Gauri Cha/ranaparaya/na Kamala Ma/dhukarasya, rev. within a single square, and a circle and border of beads: Śri Rupesya/Banadasthan/ Jantapuramka/ Saupradhana (RB. A1), very fine and of the highest rarity, this being the sole example being known to RB

The legends on this coin can be translated as: "(coin) of Sri Rupa [presumably referring to Shiva] chief ruler of the forest land and of the Jaintia people", and is said to be unique among coins of the Hindu north-east in having neither the name of a king or a date. Its attribution to Bargosain I, therefore, is somewhat tentative. In style it is similar to the coins of Nirbhaya Narayan of Kachar (AD 1559-1566) and may have been struck a little before the time of the invasion of Jaintiapur by Nara Narayan of Cooch Behar (c. 1563/4). It is known that during the reign of Bargosain I a temple was built to Shiva near Muktapur. The head priest was Rupanath and the temple became known as the temple of Rupanath, containing the images of Shiva as Rupanath and his consort as Jainteswari. Bargosain dedicated his whole kingdom to these two.

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Sold for
£2,300