Coinage of Yaudheya or Yaudheya Gana

Yaudheya or Yaudheya Gana 

Yaudheya or Yaudheya Gana was an ancient confederation that occupied the areas between the Indus riverand the Ganges river. The word Yaudheya is a derivative of the word yuddha or from yodha meaning warriors. They principally were kshatriya renown for their skills in warfare, as inscribed in the Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman.

Yaudheya were the rulers of South-Eastern Punjab and Rajasthan. Like many other tribes they declared their independence after the death of Pushyamitra Sunga in the middle of the second century B.C.E. The earliest reference to these people is available in the Panini’s Astadhyayf where they have been mentioned as an ayudhajivi sangha, i.e. a people living by profession of arms.

The Junagadh inscription of 150 A.D. indicates the power and prestige enjoyed by the Yaudheyas during the period by describing them as rendered proud as they were by having manifested their title of heroes among all Ksatriyas.

The Bijaygadh inscription of about the third century A.D. speaks of one Maharaja and Mahasenapati who happened to be the leader of Yaudhayas.

The Allahabad inscription of Samudragupta mentions the Yaudheyas as an autonomous tribe and they have been described as acknowledging the supremacy of the Gupta emperor. The Brihatsamhita locates the Yaudheyas in the northern division and also refers to a people called Yaudheyaka. The Markandeyapurana mentions them among the peoples of north India while Garudapurana places their territory in the Madhyadesa.

Kautilya refers to this tribe as ‘sastropajivinah  a warrior clan. It finds mention also in Patanjali’s Mahabhasya. They have also been referred in Mahabharata, Brihatsamhita and Puranas. From about 200 BCE to 400 CE they were at the peak of their power. The existence of this powerful clan has come to light from their coins and coin-moulds found in large number in Sutlej, Multan, Bhatner, Sirsa, Hansi and Panipat. Most of these coins depicted the god Karttikeya or also known as Brahmanyadeva. Yaudheya as we know it were an ancient republican city state or tribe of traders and warriors. The name ‘Yudha’ itself means a proficient fighter. Yaudheyas claim that they descended from Yudhishthira. Many ancient texts have mentioned this tribe; also historians of Alexander wrote about people ‘living in exceedingly fertile territory and good at agriculture and brave in war’. Yaudheya had a high social and political status; thus surviving the longest reign. Yaudheya’s were probably at the height of their power and glory during the period extending from circa mid-second century BCE to the fourth century CE when they struck coins as well.

Interaction with the Indo-Greeks (2nd-1st century BCE)

Slightly northwest of Mathura in the region of Haryana, numerous coins of the Indo-Greeks have been found together with those of the Yaudheyas, suggesting periods of overlapping or successive rule. Such coins were found in the ancient villages of Khokrakot (modern Rohtak), and Naurangabad, were Indo-Greek coin molds were also found, suggesting Indo-Greek occupation of Haryana in the 2nd-1st centuries BCE.

Coin of the Yaudheyas with depiction of Kumāra Karttikeya, 1st century BCE, Punjab.

After that period, the Yaudheyas started to mint their own coins in a style highly reminiscent of Indo-Greek coinage, and the Arjunayanas and Yaudheyas mention military victories on their coins ("Victory of the Arjunayanas", "Victory of the Yaudheyas"). It is thought the Yaudheyas had become an independent kingdom at that point.

The coins of the Yaudheyas are known in primarily 3 Classes with sub-varieties within them. 

Class 1, the earliest, is known as the 'vrisha-gaja' (bull-elephant) type with the legend reading Yaudheyanam Bahudyanaka. The country of Bahudyanaka comprised of eastern Haryana and portions of Uttar Pradesh. 

Obv: Karttikeya (God of War) standing facing, holding a filleted sceptre/spear in right hand, left hand on hip, peacock on left,  circular legend around in Brahmi: Yaudheya Ganasya Jaya ("Victory to the Yaudheya People").

Rev: Within a dotted circular border: Goddess standing facing left, wearing transparent garment, left hand on hip, right hand raised in blessing, blank fields.

Class 2 has the Shanmukha (six headed) Karttikeya on Obv and Goddess Shahsthi (or Krittika) on the Rev with the legend reading 'Yaudheya Svamino Brahamanya or Bhagvata Svamino Brahmanyadevasya Kumarasya with symbols of meru (mountain), vedika-vriksha (tree in railing), river, deer/stag etc. appearing on them. These coins closely resemble the Kunindas coins with only the script differing (Yaudheya coins use only Brahmi whereas Kunindas use Brahmi/Kharoshti). The Goddess on the Rev is sometimes replaced by Shiva holding a trident. On some coins, Karttikeya and Shiva are shown wearing the typical trousers of Later Kushanas. 

Obv: Same as Type 1 but with addition of the word 'dvi' (two) in the legend.

Rev: Similar to Type 1 but with a 'Kalasha' (pot) with 3 leaves in it on the left, nandipada symbol on the right.

Class 3 is the Karttikeya-Devasena type with the Obv legend Yaudheya Ganasya jaya and 3 Rev varieties discussed in my original thread above. On some coins, the Gupta influence is visible with the standing Karttikeya resembling Samudragupta-Chandragupta and Devasena resembling the walking Lakshmi on Gupta coins.

Obv: Same as Type 1 but with addition of the word 'tri' (three) in the legend.

Rev: Similar to Type 1 but with a conch symbol on the left.

Multan, on the east - Bhatner, Abohar, Sirsa, Hansi, Panipat and Sonipat and on the north - Kangra. These were listed based on the assumptions of coin finds. Even Haryana and Panjab were included in the territory they might have ruled.

The existence of a powerful clan known as Yaudheyas has come to light mainly from their coins and coin-moulds found in large number in this area.

There are several different ways of classifying these Yaudheya coins.

Division One

MACW:4707-4710

Obv: Karthikeya standing facing, holding sceptre: peacock on right; legend around - Yaudheya Ganasya Jaya

Rev: Yaudheya deity standing with one hand on hop. Her feet are along the dotted margin

Division Two

MACW:4711-4715

Obv: Similar: word 'DVI' (two) added  at the end of the legend

Rev: Similar: lotus and nadipada symbols in field

Division Three

MACW:4716-4718

Obv: Similar: word 'TRI' (three) added  at the end of the legend

Rev: Similar: sankh and chakra symbols in field

Class c coinage - Standard coinage: late series, early 4th century

Division One

MACW:4719-4721

Obv: Normal design without number

Rev: Smaller figure if the Goddess with her feet above the dotted margin; no field symbols

Division Two

MACW:4722-4724

Obv: Similar: word 'DVI' (two) added  at the end of the legend

Rev: Similar: lotus and nadipada symbols in field

Division Three

MACW:4725-4726

Obv: Similar: word 'TRI' (three) added  at the end of the legend

Rev: Similar: sankh and chakra symbols in field

Yaudheyas (2nd century BC), Copper, 10.42 g, 1½ Karshapana, War God Kartikeya, standing facing front with six heads and holding a spear, Brahmi legend around him, Bhagvato Svamino Brahamanyadevasya on obv. Goddess Devasena standing facing front, a railed tree on her right hand and 10-arched hill surmounted by a Shrivatsa symbol on her left (Mac# 4467).

Though coins are small in size they open up window various aspects of culture, political life, economic progress, trade and commerce of people. Especially the coins of ancient cultures where there are barely any other evidences available. The movement of various tribes can be traced from its coin. The Yaudheya issued their earliest coinage in copper, bronze and potin with the brahmi legend ‘Yoaudheyanam’.  Karttikeya being the warrior god was the main deity in temples on Yaudheya coins and also peacock is widely depicted (vehicle of the war-god karttikeya).

Allan extensively studies coins from Indian subcontinent and has segregated the Yaudheya coinage in 6 broad categories. Of which one category is described as the obverse having six-headed Karttikeya with brahmi legend ‘Bhagavata-svamino Brahmanya’ and reverse contains different marks with a deer and the shape of the temple.

The fabric of these coins is very crude so the symbols on the coins are not very clear. The Shadananda-Deer types were struck for a long time from about the close to the first century BCE or the beginning of the next for nearly two centuries. The coins even though with crude fabric had various different varieties of temple like structures were minted on them.

Obverse: Bull standing right with yupa (sacrificial post) to right, with Brahmi legend Yaudheyanam Bahudhanake around

Reverse: Elephant standing right with trunk raised

Ref: Devendra Handa, Tribal Coins of Ancient India, plates XL-XLI

The Bahudhanake type coins are listed by Handa as Class 2.