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Kacha (king)

January 06, 2023

Kacha (Gupta script: Kā-cha, IAST: Kāca, c. 4th century) was a king of India, possibly a member of the Gupta dynasty. He is known only from his gold coins, which are similar to those of the Gupta king Samudragupta.

Kacha
Maharajadhiraja, Sarva-rajocchetta
Gold coin of Kacha. Chakradhvaja type.
Obverse: Kacha, nimbate, standing left, sacrificing at altar and holding filleted chakradhvaja (wheel-standard); legend Kā-cha in Gupta script vertically below left arm, circular Brahmi legend around Kacho gamavajitya divam karmabhir-uttamair-jayati ("Having conquered the earth, Kacha wins the heaven by excellent deeds").[1].
Reverse: Goddess (possibly Lakshmi) standing left, holding flower and cornucopia, Brāhmī legend at right: Sarvarājochchhettā ("Exterminator of all kings").[2]
Possible Gupta Emperor
Reign4th century CE
SuccessorPossibly Samudragupta

Kacha's identity is a matter of debate among modern historians: two popular theories are that he was either same as Samudragupta, or that he was a brother of Samudragupta. According to the first theory, Kacha may have assumed the regnal name "Samudra-gupta" after extending his empire's borders up to the ocean ("samudra"). According to the second theory, Kacha probably contested Samudragupta's claim to the throne, and ruled for a brief period. Alternative theories identify him with other Gupta rulers, or as a non-Gupta usurper.

Coinage

 
Find spots of Kacha's coins

Kacha is known from some gold coins dated to the early Gupta period: these coins bear the legend "Kacha" under the king's image. However, he is not mentioned in the Gupta genealogies or any other source.[3]

The obverse of these coins depicts the king dressed in a way similar to the standard type coins of Samudragupta. The king is seen holding a chakra-dhvaja (wheel-standard) in his left hand, and offering incense on an altar with his right hand. One variety of Kacha's coins also depict a Garuda-dhvaja (Garuda flag) in front of him. The circular legend (in Upagati metre) on this side reads Kacho gamavajitya divam karmabhir-uttamair-jayati ("Having conquered the earth, Kacha wins the heaven by excellent deeds").[1]

The reverse side depicts a goddess (possibly Lakshmi) with a halo. She is seen wearing a sari, a bodice, an upper garment, ear-rings, a necklace and armlets. She stands on a carpet, and holds a cornucopia in her left hand.[1] In most coins of this style, she holds a flower in her right hand; in a few coins, she holds a noose in her right hand.[4] The legend on this side reads Sarva-rajochchhetta ("exterminator of all kings").[2]

Kacha's coins have been unearthed at Tanda, Kasarva (or Kaserwa) in Ballia district, Kumarkhan in Ahmedabad district, Sakour (or Sakori) in Damoh district, Bayana, and Jaunpur.[2]

Identification

Comparison of Kacha's coins with those issued by other Gupta kings suggests that he ruled sometime in the 4th century CE or first quarter of the 5th century. For example, Kacha's coins weigh between 111 and 118 grains. The coins of the early Gupta kings are closer in weight to Kacha's coins: for example, over 80% of the coins issued by Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, who ruled in the 4th century, weigh 121 grains.[5] On the other hand, the coins issued by the 5th century Gupta kings weigh more: 75% of Kumaragupta I's coins weight 127 grains, while Skandagupta's coins weigh as much as 144 grains.[6] Moreover, most of Kacha's coins have been found in hoards containing the coins of Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II.[7]

There are two popular theories about Kacha's identity:[8]

  1. Kacha was another name for Samudragupta
  2. Kacha was an elder brother of Samudragupta, and a rival claimant to the Gupta throne

Several other theories have also been put forward, including that Kacha may have been a foreign invader.[3]

Samudragupta

According to one theory, Kacha was another name of Samudragupta: it is possible that he was earlier known as Kacha, and acquired the regnal name "Samudra" (literally "ocean") after extending his territory up to the ocean.[8]

Arguments cited in favour of this theory include:

  • The legend on the obverse of Kacha's coins boasts that he conquered the earth, and then won the heaven by his excellent deeds. This suggests that he became a sovereign ruler, and then performed religious and charitable deeds. A similar legend also occurs on the coins of Samudragupta: it does not occur on the coin legends of any other earlier king.[9]
  • The above-mentioned legend indicates that Kacha had a long reign: thus, he could not have been someone who seized the throne for a short period, such as during a brief interval between Chandragupta I's death and Samudragupta's ascension.[10]
  • The reverse of Kacha's coins is similar to that of Samudragupta's tiger-slayer and ashvamedha type coins.[11]
  • The legend on the reverse of Kacha's coins describes him as the "exterminator of all kings", an epithet applied to Samudragupta in the Gupta records.[10] This legend does not appear on the coins of any other Gupta ruler.[9]
  • The above-mentioned legend fits in with the description of Samudragupta's extensive conquests in the Allahabad Pillar inscription.[10] Kacha could not have preceded Samudragupta, because if Kacha had "exterminated" all these kings, there was no need for Samudragupta to subdue them. Similarly, if Kacha had succeeded Samudragupta, there was no need for Kacha to subjugate these kings, because Samudragupta had already defeated them.[9]

Critics of this theory argue that:

  • Kacha's coins vary from Samudragupta's coins in several ways. For example:
    • Over 80% of Samudragupta's coins weigh 121 grains, while Kacha's coins weigh between 111 and 118 grains.[12]
    • The female figure depicted on Kacha's coins is shown wearing an upper garment besides a bodice, while the female figures displayed on Samudragupta's tiger-slayer and ashvamedha type coins are shown wearing only a bodice. The objects in the hands of these female figures are also different.[13]
    • Kacha's coins feature a symbol either at the top-left or the centre-left: this symbol is not found on Samudragupta's tiger-slayer and ashvamedha type coins.[13]
  • The Gupta kings, without exception, used only one name on their coins. Samudragupta is known to have issued coins under the name "Samudragupta", therefore, the coins with the legend Kacha are not likely to have been issued by him.[14]
  • Mere similarity of coin legends cannot be used to identify two kings as identical: similar legends appear on coins of kings known to be different persons.[15]
  • Samudragupta's own coins do not describe him as the "exterminator of all kings".[11] The Nalanda and Gaya inscriptions attributed to him mention this epithet, but the authenticity of these inscriptions is doubtful.[16]
  • Grandiloquent titles are quite common in Indian history, and grand claims such as that of having conquered the earth should not be taken at face value. These titles and claims cannot be used to make conclusions about Kacha's actual military achievements or the length of his reign.[17]
  •  

    A coin of Kacha

  •  

    A coin of Samudragupta

Rival brother of Samudragupta

According to another theory, Kacha was a rival claimant to the throne, possibly a brother of Samudragupta. He probably occupied the throne for a brief period, before being dethroned by Samudragupta.[17] A variation of this theory is that Kacha outlived Samudragupta, and took control of Magadha after his death, while the authority of Samudragupta's son Ramagupta was confined to Malwa.[11]

Arguments cited in favour of this theory include:

  • A verse in the Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta depicts a court scene where Chandragupta I nominates Samudragupta as his successor, leading to a "melancholy look" on some faces.[18] This suggests that there were rival claimants to the throne,[8] and may be considered as an indirect reference to Kacha.[14]
  • The king's dress and the device of the king offering an incense on Kacha's coins seem to be inspired by the coins of the Kushan Empire, which ruled northern India in the preceding centuries.[19] On the other hand, Samudragupta's coins are Indian in character.[20] Thus, Kacha's coins are less original than those of Samudragupta, and therefore, Kacha must have preceded Samudragupta.[14]
  • The 8th-9th century work Arya-manju-shri-mula-kalpa mentions a king called Bhasma, who was the younger brother of king Samudra.[21] Samudra may be identified with Samudragupta, and Bhasma can be identified with Kacha, because the Sanskrit words "kacha" and "bhasma" both literally mean "alkaline ashes".[22] Based on this identification, L. P. Pandey credits Kacha with expanding the Gupta kingdom up to Kashmir.[23]
  • The Kaliyuga-raja-vrttanta section of the Bhavishyottara Purana mentions that Kacha was a son of Chandragupta I from a Licchavi princess. It states that he helped his father supplant the Andhras on the throne of Magadha.[24] It describes Kacha as jointly ruling with his father, and states that Samudragupta killed their father.[25]
  • Kacha was seen as a usurper by Samudragupta's descendants, because of which the inscriptions of the subsequent Gupta kings must have omitted his name from the genealogical lists.[22]

Criticism of this theory includes:

  • The Allahabad Pillar inscription does not state that the people disappointed at Samudragupta's ascension were his brothers: it only mentions that they were from families of equal rank. The inscription does not state that these people revolted against him.[26]
  • The Samudra and Bhasma of Arya-manju-shri-mula-kalpa cannot be identified as Samudragupta and Kacha. The text states that Bhasma's elder brother Samudra was an evil person, who obtained the kingdom for three days. Bhasma, too, was a cruel and evil ruler, and his kingdom was full of wretched Brahmanas.[27] He obtained riches of various kinds, and marched westwards to the doorstep of Kashmir. There, he won a battle, and ruled for 12 years and 15 [sic] months. Towards the end of his life, he suffered from a disease, which caused him to faint repeatedly.[21]
    • Samudra ruled for three days (or perhaps, three years), while Samudragupta ruled for over three decades.[21]
    • Kacha's coins describe him as a performer of "excellent deeds", while Arya-manju-shri-mula-kalpa describes Bhasma as an evil king. Such a glaring discrepancy cannot simply be explained as the negative attitude of the text's Buddhist writer towards a non-Buddhist king.[28]
    • There is no evidence that Samudragupta had a brother named Bhasma, who ruled for over 12 years.[21]
    • The text does not state that Bhasma rebelled against Samudra.[23]
    • The list of succeeding kings mentioned in the text does not tally with the Gupta genealogy.[29]
  • The portion of Kaliyuga-raja-vrttanta that describes the early Gupta history is clearly a modern forgery.[30][31]
  • There is no concrete evidence that Kacha's coins precede those of Samudragupta: their similarity to the Kushan archetype does not necessarily mean that Kacha preceded Samudragupta.[25]

Another person depicted on Samudragupta's coins

Kacha of Ajanta inscription

The Ajanta Cave XVII inscription mentions a ruler named Kacha, who was the son and successor of Upendragupta. Historian M. J. Sharma speculated that this Kacha was related to Samudragupta through his wife Dattadevi, and helped Samudragupta in a war of succession following the death of Chandragupta I. According to Sharma's theory, the coins that depict Kacha were issued by Samudragupta as a mark of respect towards Kacha: one side of these coins mentions Kacha, the other side describes Samudragupta. The Gupta emperor appointed Kacha as his governor of Airikina (modern Eran).[2]

Criticism of this theory includes:

  • It is unlikely that an emperor issued coins in name of his subordinate.[2]
  • There is no evidence to show that the Kacha of Ajanta Cave inscription was a subordinate of Samudragupta.[32]
  • There is hardly any evidence connecting Kacha with Airikina: Sharma's assertions are based on a flawed reading of the inscription's text.[32]

Samudragupta's martyred brother

Historian R. D. Banerji speculated that Kacha was a brother of Samudragupta, and died fighting "a war of liberation" against the Kushan Empire during the reign of their father Chandragupta I. According to this theory, the coins attributed to Kacha were actually commemorative medals issued by Samudragupta to commemorate his brother.[30]

However, there is no proof that Magadha was a part of the Kushan Empire during the first quarter of the 4th century, when the Guptas rose to power. Moreover, there is no concrete proof that Samudragupta had a brother named Kacha, who died fighting against the Kushan forces. Finally, no ancient Indian kings are known to have stuck such commemorative medals.[30]

Ramagupta

Some scholars, such as K. P. Jayaswal and D. R. Bhandarkar, identified Kacha with Ramagupta, who according to the Sanskrit play Devichandraguptam, was a brother of Chandragupta II, and thus a son of Samudragupta..[32] The proponents of this theory argued that Kacha's coins are similar to the coins that were issued by Samudragupta during the later part of his reign, such as his Ashvamedha and tiger-slayer coins. However, there is no concrete evidence that Kacha's coins are of a later date than those of Samudragupta.[19]

A. S. Altekar also once supported this identification, theorizing that the name "Kacha" (Kāca) was converted to "Rāma" because of scribal mistakes.[32] However, he later withdrew his opinion after the discovery of coins attributed to Ramagupta, in Malwa.[22] The discovery of three stone inscriptions referring to Ramagupta also nullified this theory.[19]

Ghatotkacha

James Prinsep identified Kacha with Ghatotkacha, the grandfather of Samudragupta, based on the similarity of two names. However, Ghatotkacha was a pre-imperial ruler of the dynasty, and it is unlikely that he issued any gold coins.[33] The legend "exterminator of all kings" on Kacha's coins does not befit a non-imperial ruler like him.[10]

Moreover, the Sanskrit words "Kacha" (Kāca) and "Ghatotkacha" (Ghaṭotkaca) have completely different meanings: there is little scope for contraction of the name "Ghatotkacha" to "Kacha".[33]

A non-Gupta usurper

B. S. Sitholey theorized that Kacha was a non-Gupta "political adventurer" who usurped the throne, when Samudragupta was busy in his southern campaigns, and was defeated by Samudragupta when the latter returned to the capital. Sitholey argues that the absence of Kacha's name in literary and epigraphic sources proves that he was an outsider.[34]

However, there is no concrete evidence for this: it is common for princes of collateral branches to be excluded from royal genealogies,[34] which describe the ancestry of the current king, not the succession of the previous kings.[35] Also, whenever Kacha's coins have been discovered in a hoard, they have always been found among coins issued by other Gupta kings. For example, the Bayana hoard contains 1621 gold coins including 16 Kacha coins: all other coins in this hoard were issued by persons known to be Gupta kings. This suggests that Kacha was affiliated with the Gupta dynasty.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 52.
  2. ^ a b c d e Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 53.
  3. ^ a b Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 135.
  4. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, pp. 52–53.
  5. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 58, 68.
  6. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 68.
  7. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 69.
  8. ^ a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989, p. 71.
  9. ^ a b c Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 105.
  10. ^ a b c d Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 57.
  11. ^ a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989, p. 144.
  12. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 58.
  13. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 60.
  14. ^ a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 62.
  15. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, pp. 58–59.
  16. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 72.
  17. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 61.
  18. ^ Ashvini Agrawal 1989, pp. 104–105.
  19. ^ a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 55.
  20. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 63.
  21. ^ a b c d Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 137.
  22. ^ a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989, p. 72.
  23. ^ a b Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 138.
  24. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, pp. 62–63.
  25. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 65.
  26. ^ Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 64.
  27. ^ Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 136.
  28. ^ Ashvini Agrawal 1989, p. 141.
  29. ^ Ashvini Agrawal 1989, pp. 140–141.
  30. ^ a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 66.
  31. ^ S. R. Goyal 1994, p. 57.
  32. ^ a b c d Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 54.
  33. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 56.
  34. ^ a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987, p. 67.
  35. ^ Tej Ram Sharma 1989, p. 143.

Bibliography

  • Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 315. ISBN 978-81-208-0592-7.
  • Dilip Kumar Ganguly (1987). The Imperial Guptas and Their Times. Abhinav. ISBN 978-81-7017-222-2.
  • S. R. Goyal (1994). An introduction to Gupta numismatics. Kusumanjali Prakashan. OCLC 32240275.
  • Tej Ram Sharma (1989). A Political History of the Imperial Guptas: From Gupta to Skandagupta. Concept. ISBN 978-81-7022-251-4.

January 06, 2023
kacha, king, kacha, gupta, script, iast, kāca, century, king, india, possibly, member, gupta, dynasty, known, only, from, gold, coins, which, similar, those, gupta, king, samudragupta, kachamaharajadhiraja, sarva, rajocchettagold, coin, kacha, chakradhvaja, ty. Kacha Gupta script Ka cha IAST Kaca c 4th century was a king of India possibly a member of the Gupta dynasty He is known only from his gold coins which are similar to those of the Gupta king Samudragupta KachaMaharajadhiraja Sarva rajocchettaGold coin of Kacha Chakradhvaja type Obverse Kacha nimbate standing left sacrificing at altar and holding filleted chakradhvaja wheel standard legend Ka cha in Gupta script vertically below left arm circular Brahmi legend around Kacho gamavajitya divam karmabhir uttamair jayati Having conquered the earth Kacha wins the heaven by excellent deeds 1 Reverse Goddess possibly Lakshmi standing left holding flower and cornucopia Brahmi legend at right Sarvarajochchhetta Exterminator of all kings 2 Possible Gupta EmperorReign4th century CESuccessorPossibly SamudraguptaKacha s identity is a matter of debate among modern historians two popular theories are that he was either same as Samudragupta or that he was a brother of Samudragupta According to the first theory Kacha may have assumed the regnal name Samudra gupta after extending his empire s borders up to the ocean samudra According to the second theory Kacha probably contested Samudragupta s claim to the throne and ruled for a brief period Alternative theories identify him with other Gupta rulers or as a non Gupta usurper Contents 1 Coinage 2 Identification 2 1 Samudragupta 2 2 Rival brother of Samudragupta 2 3 Another person depicted on Samudragupta s coins 2 3 1 Kacha of Ajanta inscription 2 3 2 Samudragupta s martyred brother 2 4 Ramagupta 2 5 Ghatotkacha 2 6 A non Gupta usurper 3 References 3 1 BibliographyCoinage Edit Find spots of Kacha s coins Kacha is known from some gold coins dated to the early Gupta period these coins bear the legend Kacha under the king s image However he is not mentioned in the Gupta genealogies or any other source 3 The obverse of these coins depicts the king dressed in a way similar to the standard type coins of Samudragupta The king is seen holding a chakra dhvaja wheel standard in his left hand and offering incense on an altar with his right hand One variety of Kacha s coins also depict a Garuda dhvaja Garuda flag in front of him The circular legend in Upagati metre on this side reads Kacho gamavajitya divam karmabhir uttamair jayati Having conquered the earth Kacha wins the heaven by excellent deeds 1 The reverse side depicts a goddess possibly Lakshmi with a halo She is seen wearing a sari a bodice an upper garment ear rings a necklace and armlets She stands on a carpet and holds a cornucopia in her left hand 1 In most coins of this style she holds a flower in her right hand in a few coins she holds a noose in her right hand 4 The legend on this side reads Sarva rajochchhetta exterminator of all kings 2 Kacha s coins have been unearthed at Tanda Kasarva or Kaserwa in Ballia district Kumarkhan in Ahmedabad district Sakour or Sakori in Damoh district Bayana and Jaunpur 2 Identification EditComparison of Kacha s coins with those issued by other Gupta kings suggests that he ruled sometime in the 4th century CE or first quarter of the 5th century For example Kacha s coins weigh between 111 and 118 grains The coins of the early Gupta kings are closer in weight to Kacha s coins for example over 80 of the coins issued by Samudragupta and Chandragupta II who ruled in the 4th century weigh 121 grains 5 On the other hand the coins issued by the 5th century Gupta kings weigh more 75 of Kumaragupta I s coins weight 127 grains while Skandagupta s coins weigh as much as 144 grains 6 Moreover most of Kacha s coins have been found in hoards containing the coins of Chandragupta I Samudragupta and Chandragupta II 7 There are two popular theories about Kacha s identity 8 Kacha was another name for Samudragupta Kacha was an elder brother of Samudragupta and a rival claimant to the Gupta throneSeveral other theories have also been put forward including that Kacha may have been a foreign invader 3 Samudragupta Edit According to one theory Kacha was another name of Samudragupta it is possible that he was earlier known as Kacha and acquired the regnal name Samudra literally ocean after extending his territory up to the ocean 8 Arguments cited in favour of this theory include The legend on the obverse of Kacha s coins boasts that he conquered the earth and then won the heaven by his excellent deeds This suggests that he became a sovereign ruler and then performed religious and charitable deeds A similar legend also occurs on the coins of Samudragupta it does not occur on the coin legends of any other earlier king 9 The above mentioned legend indicates that Kacha had a long reign thus he could not have been someone who seized the throne for a short period such as during a brief interval between Chandragupta I s death and Samudragupta s ascension 10 The reverse of Kacha s coins is similar to that of Samudragupta s tiger slayer and ashvamedha type coins 11 The legend on the reverse of Kacha s coins describes him as the exterminator of all kings an epithet applied to Samudragupta in the Gupta records 10 This legend does not appear on the coins of any other Gupta ruler 9 The above mentioned legend fits in with the description of Samudragupta s extensive conquests in the Allahabad Pillar inscription 10 Kacha could not have preceded Samudragupta because if Kacha had exterminated all these kings there was no need for Samudragupta to subdue them Similarly if Kacha had succeeded Samudragupta there was no need for Kacha to subjugate these kings because Samudragupta had already defeated them 9 Critics of this theory argue that Kacha s coins vary from Samudragupta s coins in several ways For example Over 80 of Samudragupta s coins weigh 121 grains while Kacha s coins weigh between 111 and 118 grains 12 The female figure depicted on Kacha s coins is shown wearing an upper garment besides a bodice while the female figures displayed on Samudragupta s tiger slayer and ashvamedha type coins are shown wearing only a bodice The objects in the hands of these female figures are also different 13 Kacha s coins feature a symbol either at the top left or the centre left this symbol is not found on Samudragupta s tiger slayer and ashvamedha type coins 13 The Gupta kings without exception used only one name on their coins Samudragupta is known to have issued coins under the name Samudragupta therefore the coins with the legend Kacha are not likely to have been issued by him 14 Mere similarity of coin legends cannot be used to identify two kings as identical similar legends appear on coins of kings known to be different persons 15 Samudragupta s own coins do not describe him as the exterminator of all kings 11 The Nalanda and Gaya inscriptions attributed to him mention this epithet but the authenticity of these inscriptions is doubtful 16 Grandiloquent titles are quite common in Indian history and grand claims such as that of having conquered the earth should not be taken at face value These titles and claims cannot be used to make conclusions about Kacha s actual military achievements or the length of his reign 17 A coin of Kacha A coin of SamudraguptaRival brother of Samudragupta Edit According to another theory Kacha was a rival claimant to the throne possibly a brother of Samudragupta He probably occupied the throne for a brief period before being dethroned by Samudragupta 17 A variation of this theory is that Kacha outlived Samudragupta and took control of Magadha after his death while the authority of Samudragupta s son Ramagupta was confined to Malwa 11 Arguments cited in favour of this theory include A verse in the Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta depicts a court scene where Chandragupta I nominates Samudragupta as his successor leading to a melancholy look on some faces 18 This suggests that there were rival claimants to the throne 8 and may be considered as an indirect reference to Kacha 14 The king s dress and the device of the king offering an incense on Kacha s coins seem to be inspired by the coins of the Kushan Empire which ruled northern India in the preceding centuries 19 On the other hand Samudragupta s coins are Indian in character 20 Thus Kacha s coins are less original than those of Samudragupta and therefore Kacha must have preceded Samudragupta 14 The 8th 9th century work Arya manju shri mula kalpa mentions a king called Bhasma who was the younger brother of king Samudra 21 Samudra may be identified with Samudragupta and Bhasma can be identified with Kacha because the Sanskrit words kacha and bhasma both literally mean alkaline ashes 22 Based on this identification L P Pandey credits Kacha with expanding the Gupta kingdom up to Kashmir 23 The Kaliyuga raja vrttanta section of the Bhavishyottara Purana mentions that Kacha was a son of Chandragupta I from a Licchavi princess It states that he helped his father supplant the Andhras on the throne of Magadha 24 It describes Kacha as jointly ruling with his father and states that Samudragupta killed their father 25 Kacha was seen as a usurper by Samudragupta s descendants because of which the inscriptions of the subsequent Gupta kings must have omitted his name from the genealogical lists 22 Criticism of this theory includes The Allahabad Pillar inscription does not state that the people disappointed at Samudragupta s ascension were his brothers it only mentions that they were from families of equal rank The inscription does not state that these people revolted against him 26 The Samudra and Bhasma of Arya manju shri mula kalpa cannot be identified as Samudragupta and Kacha The text states that Bhasma s elder brother Samudra was an evil person who obtained the kingdom for three days Bhasma too was a cruel and evil ruler and his kingdom was full of wretched Brahmanas 27 He obtained riches of various kinds and marched westwards to the doorstep of Kashmir There he won a battle and ruled for 12 years and 15 sic months Towards the end of his life he suffered from a disease which caused him to faint repeatedly 21 Samudra ruled for three days or perhaps three years while Samudragupta ruled for over three decades 21 Kacha s coins describe him as a performer of excellent deeds while Arya manju shri mula kalpa describes Bhasma as an evil king Such a glaring discrepancy cannot simply be explained as the negative attitude of the text s Buddhist writer towards a non Buddhist king 28 There is no evidence that Samudragupta had a brother named Bhasma who ruled for over 12 years 21 The text does not state that Bhasma rebelled against Samudra 23 The list of succeeding kings mentioned in the text does not tally with the Gupta genealogy 29 The portion of Kaliyuga raja vrttanta that describes the early Gupta history is clearly a modern forgery 30 31 There is no concrete evidence that Kacha s coins precede those of Samudragupta their similarity to the Kushan archetype does not necessarily mean that Kacha preceded Samudragupta 25 Another person depicted on Samudragupta s coins Edit Kacha of Ajanta inscription Edit The Ajanta Cave XVII inscription mentions a ruler named Kacha who was the son and successor of Upendragupta Historian M J Sharma speculated that this Kacha was related to Samudragupta through his wife Dattadevi and helped Samudragupta in a war of succession following the death of Chandragupta I According to Sharma s theory the coins that depict Kacha were issued by Samudragupta as a mark of respect towards Kacha one side of these coins mentions Kacha the other side describes Samudragupta The Gupta emperor appointed Kacha as his governor of Airikina modern Eran 2 Criticism of this theory includes It is unlikely that an emperor issued coins in name of his subordinate 2 There is no evidence to show that the Kacha of Ajanta Cave inscription was a subordinate of Samudragupta 32 There is hardly any evidence connecting Kacha with Airikina Sharma s assertions are based on a flawed reading of the inscription s text 32 Samudragupta s martyred brother Edit Historian R D Banerji speculated that Kacha was a brother of Samudragupta and died fighting a war of liberation against the Kushan Empire during the reign of their father Chandragupta I According to this theory the coins attributed to Kacha were actually commemorative medals issued by Samudragupta to commemorate his brother 30 However there is no proof that Magadha was a part of the Kushan Empire during the first quarter of the 4th century when the Guptas rose to power Moreover there is no concrete proof that Samudragupta had a brother named Kacha who died fighting against the Kushan forces Finally no ancient Indian kings are known to have stuck such commemorative medals 30 Ramagupta Edit Some scholars such as K P Jayaswal and D R Bhandarkar identified Kacha with Ramagupta who according to the Sanskrit play Devichandraguptam was a brother of Chandragupta II and thus a son of Samudragupta 32 The proponents of this theory argued that Kacha s coins are similar to the coins that were issued by Samudragupta during the later part of his reign such as his Ashvamedha and tiger slayer coins However there is no concrete evidence that Kacha s coins are of a later date than those of Samudragupta 19 A S Altekar also once supported this identification theorizing that the name Kacha Kaca was converted to Rama because of scribal mistakes 32 However he later withdrew his opinion after the discovery of coins attributed to Ramagupta in Malwa 22 The discovery of three stone inscriptions referring to Ramagupta also nullified this theory 19 Ghatotkacha Edit James Prinsep identified Kacha with Ghatotkacha the grandfather of Samudragupta based on the similarity of two names However Ghatotkacha was a pre imperial ruler of the dynasty and it is unlikely that he issued any gold coins 33 The legend exterminator of all kings on Kacha s coins does not befit a non imperial ruler like him 10 Moreover the Sanskrit words Kacha Kaca and Ghatotkacha Ghaṭotkaca have completely different meanings there is little scope for contraction of the name Ghatotkacha to Kacha 33 A non Gupta usurper Edit B S Sitholey theorized that Kacha was a non Gupta political adventurer who usurped the throne when Samudragupta was busy in his southern campaigns and was defeated by Samudragupta when the latter returned to the capital Sitholey argues that the absence of Kacha s name in literary and epigraphic sources proves that he was an outsider 34 However there is no concrete evidence for this it is common for princes of collateral branches to be excluded from royal genealogies 34 which describe the ancestry of the current king not the succession of the previous kings 35 Also whenever Kacha s coins have been discovered in a hoard they have always been found among coins issued by other Gupta kings For example the Bayana hoard contains 1621 gold coins including 16 Kacha coins all other coins in this hoard were issued by persons known to be Gupta kings This suggests that Kacha was affiliated with the Gupta dynasty 6 References Edit a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 52 a b c d e Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 53 a b Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 135 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 pp 52 53 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 58 68 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 68 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 69 a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989 p 71 a b c Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 105 a b c d Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 57 a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989 p 144 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 58 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 60 a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 62 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 pp 58 59 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 72 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 61 Ashvini Agrawal 1989 pp 104 105 a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 55 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 63 a b c d Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 137 a b c Tej Ram Sharma 1989 p 72 a b Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 138 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 pp 62 63 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 65 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 64 Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 136 Ashvini Agrawal 1989 p 141 Ashvini Agrawal 1989 pp 140 141 a b c Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 66 S R Goyal 1994 p 57 a b c d Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 54 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 56 a b Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 p 67 Tej Ram Sharma 1989 p 143 Bibliography Edit Ashvini Agrawal 1989 Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas Motilal Banarsidass p 315 ISBN 978 81 208 0592 7 Dilip Kumar Ganguly 1987 The Imperial Guptas and Their Times Abhinav ISBN 978 81 7017 222 2 S R Goyal 1994 An introduction to Gupta numismatics Kusumanjali Prakashan OCLC 32240275 Tej Ram Sharma 1989 A Political History of the Imperial Guptas From Gupta to Skandagupta Concept ISBN 978 81 7022 251 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kacha king amp oldid 1113010554, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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