Ancient India – Western Kshatrapas
Nahapana | Silver Drachm | Bust, Arrow & Thunderbolt Type | 2.04 g
A historically important silver drachm of Nahapana, one of the most prominent rulers of the Western Kshatrapas and a powerful figure in the history of western India during the early centuries of the Common Era.
Belonging to the Kardamaka family, this coin is particularly interesting for its combination of a royal portrait, multilingual legends and distinctive arrow-and-thunderbolt reverse design.
Obverse
The obverse features a bust of King Nahapana facing right, rendered in the characteristic portrait style of Western Kshatrapa coinage.
Surrounding the portrait is a blundered Greek-style legend, reflecting the strong influence of earlier Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian monetary traditions on the coinage of western India.
Reverse
The reverse features two distinctive symbols:
- Arrow pointing downward to the left
- Thunderbolt pointing to the right
-
A dot between the two symbols
Surrounding the design is the ruler’s titulature in Brahmi and Kharoshthi:
“Rano / Rajno Ksaharatasa Nahapanasa”
This identifies Nahapana as the ruler of the Kshaharata line.
The combination of multiple scripts on the same coin is an especially important feature, reflecting the multilingual cultural environment of western India.
Coin Details
Region: Western India
Dynasty: Western Kshatrapas
Family: Kardamaka / Kshaharata tradition
Ruler: Nahapana
Period: c. 119–124 CE
Century: 2nd Century CE
Denomination: Silver Drachm
Metal: Silver
Weight: 2.04 g
Diameter: 16.13 mm
Obverse: Bust of Nahapana facing right; blundered Greek legend
Reverse: Downward-pointing arrow and thunderbolt with central dot
Legends: Brahmi & Kharoshthi
Legend: “Rano / Rajno Ksaharatasa Nahapanasa”
Reference: A. M. Fishman #3.4(2)
Historical Background
The Western Kshatrapas were an important political power in western India, controlling major commercial regions and trade routes across areas of present-day Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Nahapana was among the most powerful rulers of the Kshaharata line. His extensive coinage circulated across western India during a period when the region was deeply connected to long-distance trade networks linking the Indian subcontinent with the Roman world and other parts of Asia.
His silver drachms are particularly important because they preserve a fascinating combination of Greek-influenced portraiture, Indian scripts and regional symbols.
Multilingual Heritage
One of the most interesting aspects of this coin is its use of different writing traditions.
The Greek-style legend surrounding the portrait reflects the continued influence of Hellenistic numismatic conventions, while the reverse incorporates both Brahmi and Kharoshthi, two major scripts of ancient South Asia.
This combination makes Nahapana’s coinage a fascinating reflection of the multicultural environment of ancient western India.
Collector’s Appeal
An excellent addition to collections specialising in:
- Nahapana Coins
- Western Kshatrapa Coinage
- Kshaharata Dynasty
- Kardamaka Family
- Ancient Indian Silver Coins
- Western Indian Coinage
- Multilingual Ancient Coins
- Brahmi & Kharoshthi Script Coins
- Indo-Scythian / Kshatrapa Coinage
- 2nd Century CE Indian Coins
Age of Coin: Approximately 1,900 years old.
A highly collectible silver drachm of Nahapana, combining a distinctive royal portrait, Greek-influenced legend, Brahmi and Kharoshthi inscriptions, and the characteristic arrow-and-thunderbolt reverse — a remarkable example of the multicultural coinage of ancient western India.
