Sarpamitra Explained

Sarpamitra (also known as Sapamita) was a king of Kosambi in India. He was part of the Mitra dynasty of Kosambi.[1]

He may have ruled somewhere around the 1st century BCE or the 1st century CE.[2]

Name

Many of the rulers of the Mitra dynasty bear the suffix "-mitra" in their names.[1] The first part of his name, Sarpa-, while rare is synonymous with Naga. Naga is a more common part in the names of monarchs in Northern and Southern India.[2]

Coins of Sarpamitra

Most rulers of the Mitra dynasty of Kosambi, except Radhamitra, have the symbol known as the tree-in-railing in their coins. Another common symbol is the Ujjain symbol.[3] Bull is a common animal to appear on the coinage of Kosambi of the era.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Patrick Olivelle. Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE. 13 July 2006. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-977507-1. 85.
  2. Web site: The Journal Of The Numismatic Society Of India Vol 3 Amp 4. 25 March 1941. Internet Archive. 135–136.
  3. Book: Śrīrāma Goyala. The Coinage of Ancient India. 1994. Kusumanjali Prakashan. 188.
  4. Book: Wilfried Pieper. Ancient Indian Coins Revisited. 2013. Classical Numismatic Group. 978-0-9837652-6-4. 95–96.