An Ancient Saka Dynasty of Mahismati

Summary

In 'An Ancient Saka Dynasty of Mahismati', V. V. Mirashi explores numismatic evidence to reconstruct the history of a hitherto obscure Saka (Scythian) dynasty that ruled the city of Mahismati on the Narmada River. After the decline of the Satavahana empire, the western Deccan fragmented into numerous principalities. Among the coins found in Central India are a series bearing legends such as “rannio sagamana mahasa” and symbols like the svastika and the so‑called Ujjain symbol. Mirashi argues that these coins belonged to Saka rulers who established their capital at Mahismati. He reconstructs the legend to read “rannio Sa‑ga‑mana mahasa,” identifying the issuer as King Saka Mana. By comparing their iconography and metrology with Western Kshatrapa coinage, he dates the coins to the third or fourth century A.D. The article suggests that these Saka kings may have been local feudatories of the Western Kshatrapas and eventually became independent. Mirashi analyses the possibility that the names on the coins correspond to Sanskritised forms of Iranian or Central Asian titles and notes that the coins were struck in both Brahmi and Karoshthi scripts. He further examines literary references to Mahismati in the Puranas and epigraphic records, suggesting that the city was an important centre under Saka and later Abhira and Vakataka rule. By correlating the evidence from coins with the chronology of Western India, Mirashi proposes a succession of rulers: Saka Mana, his son or successor, and possibly later kings who were assimilated into local dynasties. The article concludes that the discovery of these coins not only extends the reach of the Sakas beyond their known strongholds in western India but also fills a chronological gap between the Satavahana decline and the rise of the Vakatakas. Mirashi emphasises that further discoveries of similar coins and inscriptions could refine our knowledge of regional power dynamics during this transitional period.