About this book:

*Coins, Inscriptions, and Kings: Epigraphy and Numismatics of Ancient Bengal* serves as a technical handbook for reconstructing the political history of Bengal from the 3rd century BCE to the 16th century CE. The book emphasizes the shift from oral or purely literary narratives to a "ground-up" history built upon durable material records, specifically stone and copperplate inscriptions and metallic coinage. By examining the evolution of scripts from early Brahmi to modern Bengali and the transition from punch-marked silver to Gupta gold and Sultanate *tankas*, the text provides a methodological framework for dating reigns, mapping territorial boundaries, and identifying economic shifts.

The book details the specialized craftsmanship and administrative bureaucracy required to produce these records. Copperplate charters are analyzed as legal instruments that delineate land tenure, revenue exemptions, and royal genealogies, particularly during the Pala and Sena eras. Simultaneously, numismatic chapters explore the technological evolution of minting—from casting and punch-marking to sophisticated die-striking—and explain how metrology and metallurgy reveal state stability or fiscal crisis. The text highlights how icons of deities and royal titles were used as propaganda to articulate sovereignty and religious patronage across shifting dynastic lines.

A significant portion of the work is dedicated to modern analytical techniques, including the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and network analysis to map findspots and coin hoards. These tools allow historians to visualize trade routes, such as the maritime networks centered at the port of Tamralipti, and to synchronize disparate regional eras into a unified chronology. The book also addresses the ethical challenges of unprovenanced artifacts and the technical detection of forgeries, asserting that rigorous physical examination is essential to protect the integrity of the historical record.

Ultimately, the synthesis of epigraphic and numismatic data provides a granular view of Bengal’s integration into larger imperial systems like the Mauryan and Gupta Empires, as well as its periods of regional independence. The transition to the Bengal Sultanate is marked by a "Persianate turn," where Arabic calligraphy and precise Hijri dating replaced earlier Indic traditions. Through integrated case studies, the handbook demonstrates that the meticulous "reading of things" allows scholars to reconstruct the ebb and flow of power in the delta with a precision that traditional texts alone cannot provide.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Reconstructs Bengal's political history from Mauryan to medieval periods through systematic analysis of coins and inscriptions as primary evidence
• Traces the evolution of scripts and languages from early Brahmi to Gaudi and Nagari as essential tools for dating and authenticating material records
• Provides comprehensive methodologies for epigraphic documentation, critical edition, paleographic analysis, and detecting forgeries in stone and copper inscriptions
• Analyzes coinage systems including metallurgy, metrology, minting technologies, and iconography to reveal economic policies, political authority, and cultural shifts
• Integrates traditional epigraphy/numismatics with modern tools like GIS mapping, network analysis, and era synchronization to build precise political chronologies

Who's It For:

This handbook is designed for archaeologists seeking field documentation and conservation protocols, historians aiming to build evidence-based chronologies centered on material evidence, and students of epigraphy needing a structured progression from script identification to critical edition and interpretation of ancient Bengal's political history through coins and inscriptions.