HUNS and INDO-SASSANIANS

Huns occupied India for a very brief period of thirty years.  The Hun leader Toramana, established his empire in Malwa in around 500 AD.  His successor Mihiragula, subsequently conquered northern India but was soon driven out by a Hindu prince Yasodharman of Malwa in 528 AD.  Helpless Mihiragula ended up reigning Kashmir till his death in 542 AD.  These Huns were instrumental in circulating the currency of Sassanian types for the first time in India.  It was around the same time, the Sassanian dynasty seems to have ruled the western part of India which owed their allegiance to the Persians.  These Sassanian coins soon became prototype throughout the Rajputana region.

The degenerated Sassanian type of coin drawn on the base silver piece must have served as their earlier currency.  The head on the obverse and the fire altar on the reverse soon debased and grew more dumpy and more alloyed.  The debasing grade explains the age of the coin!  This type of coinage was known as Gadhya paisa and they were under circulation in the same district as well as Gujarat.  They all exhibit traces of Sassanian origin.  Pratihara and Pala dynasty issued coinage of similar fabric but the obverse had a boar, the reincarnation of Vishnu in iconic form.  These coinage could be assigned to tenth century.