Coinage and Culture during the Post-Mauryan Period

Lesson 15 of 16 • 5 upvotes • 14:05mins

Abhyudaya Kelkar

Coinage was the most striking feature of the Indo-Greek invasions. A new technology of making ‘cast-die-struck’ coins developed in Gandhara, which is also known as ‘Gandhara Coinage’. This coinage thoroughly replaced the erstwhile punch-marked coins. There were tremendous developments in languages during this period. Many foreign languages like Parthian, Scythian, Bactrian (the official language of the Kushans), lost their existence and their speakers adopted the native languages or Prakrits. This is how these foreign tribes got ‘Indianized’. Similarly, the script also developed from Ashokan Brahmi to various forms, including the Tamil Brahmi in southern India. Many books were written over the course of time, and three dramatic Prakrits came into prominence - Sauraseni, Magadhi and Maharashtri. The rest has been explained in the lesson.