KANGRA MINIATURE ART GALLERY

Art Historian Cunningham claimed the chronological roll of the Katoch rulers of Kangra as the most ancient in the world and according to vamasavali, its ruler Susharma Chand had fought by the side of Kauravas in the great war of Mahabharata. Unfortunately the numismatic history of Kangra is not very old. Possibly because of its proximity to the plains which was attacked repeatedly by the hoard of invaders from central Asia, who raided towns upon towns, plundering and looting, reducing them to ashes in blood and flame during the course of several centuries. What we have now is the history of Kangra which is very merger. For more than 250 years or more, from about AD 1050 to the end of the 13th century, we know nothing whether of Kangra or of its rulers. It is only with the beginning of 14th century A.D. that we have numismatic evidence to pinpoint the rulers. This numismatic history can be collected from the mint of Allaudhin Khalji where some coins from Kangra were discovered. There were four varieties which was discovered by the mint master Thakkura Phereu who recorded them in his treatis. These coins belonged to the rulers Jai Chjand, Rup Chand and Trilok chand. From the content of these coins we know that earlier coins of Jalandhar (*Kangra) were of bilion (copper mixed with silver) and the silver content in the coins was gradually reduced and ultimately they become of copper. But most probably these coins were of horsemen and bull keepers. Some of these types of coins were considered as par excellence of Kangra. These coins originally belonged to the Shahis of Ohind. It is not possible to postulate as to when and what circumstances of the Shais of Ohind got a hold over Kangra. Mahmud of Ghazni happened to come to Kangra in pursuit of Shahi ruler Ananga pala whom he had defeated near Ohind on the river Indus in the winter of A.D.1008. Unless the Shahis had some stronghold of their own in Kangra, Anangapal had no reason to go there for refuge. According to Al-Beruni amongst the wealth deposited in Kangra fort was a genealogical roll of the rulers of Kangra. There is another indication that Kangra was under the Shahi rulers and it had some importance to them. This could be the reason of the numberless coins of horse men and bull type bearing the legend of Samanta Deva. Thus these are postulation mixed with speculation, yet they substantial support from numismatics. Large number of Shahi silver and copper coins of Horse man and bull type have found in the region of Kangra and its vicinity. Those which are of silver have the legends Spalapati coins date to an earlier period and are fewer. Great majority of the coins here are those that have the legend of Samanta dev. That Samantadeva was the epithet is almost cettain from his gold coin. The gold coin had the legend Shahi shri bhim Deva on one side and Guna nidhi on the other in Sharda scripts. Thus he was the first to assume this title. So the silver coins bearing the legend Samantha may conveniently be attributed to him. The silver coins in the later during the period of Jayapala or the early years of Anangapala, became debased and then gradually turned into copper. These copper coins though having some deteriorated form of the motifs on the obverse and reverse continues to bear the letter Bhim and the epithet Samantadev. Such coins are also well known from various places in Himachal Pradesh and have been found with alone or in association of the coins of the katoch ruler or Kangra. They indicate that the Shahi coins had a great impact of the life of the people of Himachal Pradesh particularly of Kangra region. This impact was so intense that the Katoch rulers imitated them for their own coins. Shimla and Chamba museums too have collections of Shahi coins in their display.