No More Learning

The existence of a second Azes might well be
questioned if it could be proved by no more cogent argument than this.
But the coins which bear the name show so great a diversity of style that,
from this fact alone, numismatists have suspected that they must have been
struck by more than one king; and, if our system of chronology be
correct, the Azes who succeeded Maues in 58 B. C. cannot possibly have
been the Azes who was succeeded by Gondopharnes in 19 A. D. (p. 520).
At some time during the period when the first three Çaka kings were
establishing their empire in India, Vonones was reigning as suzerain over
the kingdoms of eastern Irān with the same imperial title, "Great King of
King. It is inconceivable that such a dignity should have been usurped
in this region so long as it remained under the suzerainty of Parthia.
1 B. M. Cat. , Parthia, p. 73, no. 37, Pl. XV, 2, a tetradrachm of the later coinage
struck in 40-39 B. C.
? This chronological test must be applied with caution. Isolated instances occur
earlier ; and the squared forms of the Greek letters J, [, and are characteristic of
certain regions. In other regions they are not found. See Rapson, J. R. A. S. , 1903, p. 285.
3 Lahore Mus. Cat. , p. 122, note ; B. M. Cat. , pp. 59, 73.
2


## p. 517 (#555) ############################################

XXIII)
VONONES
517
Vonones, like Maues, must, therefore, be later than the reign of Mithradates
II the Great (123-88 B. C. ) - precisely how much later must for the present
remain uncertain.
The two classes of coins which bear his name are distinguished res.
pectively by the type of Demetrius, 'Heracles standing,' and the type
of Heliocles, 'Zeus standing' (Pl. VII, 27, 31). They were issued pre-
sumably in districts of Arachosia which were once under the sway of these
Yavana kings. Their Greek legends show the round form of omicron which,
in some other cases, indicates a date earlier than c. 40 B. C. ; but it appears
that this epigraphical test cannot be applied in this particular instance,
since the square form seems not to occur in connexion with these types
until much later (Summary, pp. 532-33). The most trustworthy evidence as
to the date of Vonones is supplied by the coins of Spalirises, 'the
king's brother. ' If 'the king,' who is not named, was Vonones himself,
as is usually assumed, the earlier coins of Spalirises i. e. those
struck by him before he became suzerain of eastern Irān in succession
to Vonones, may perhaps afford a valuable historical indication. There
are two classes of these, both of them issued in the district in which the type
of Heliocles, Zeus,' standing,' prevailed (Summary, p. 533). In the first,
Spalirises appears alone as 'the king's brother' without any distinctly royal
title. In the second, he as senior (Greek legend) is associated with Azes as
junior (Kharoshthi legend), both of them bearing the subordinate or
viceregal title 'Great King'. Vonones was evidently still reigning as
Great King of Kings at this time. The relationship of Azes to Spalirises
is not expressed in the Kharoshthi legend ; and in such cases it seems to be
assumed that the junior is the son of the senior : otherwise i. e. when the
junior is a brother or a nephew, the relationship is stated. We way
conclude, then, that this Azes was most probably the son of Spalirises
and the nephew of Vonones, and we may identify him with Azes II
who afterwards became suzerain of N. W. India and ended his reign in 19
A. D. Vonones was at least a generation earlier ; that is to say, he appears
to have been contemporary with Azilises and possibly with Azes I. Until
more definite evidence can be discovered, he may be supposed to have
begun his reign c. 30 B. C. It seems impossible, therefore, to identify him
with Venones I of Parthia (8-11 A. D. ).
The family of Vonones is one in which the two ruling elements
of eastern Irān have been blended. The name of Vonones himself is
distinctly Parthian ; but the names of his brothers, Spalohores and
Spalirises, and of his brothers' sons, Spalagadames and Azes, are
Scythian. For the sake of convenience we may call this family 'Pahlava,'
in order to distinguish it from the better known 'Parthian' dynasty
of Ctesiphon, although in reality the two terms are etymologically


## p. 518 (#556) ############################################

518
[CH.
SCYTHIAN AVD PARTHIAN INVADERS
identical.
A characteristic feature of the coins of Vonones and his family is as
we have seen (p. 513), the association of the Great King of Kings with the
viceroy of Arachosia, whose relationship to the suzerain is sometimes
expressed in the Kharoshthi legend of the reverse. Thus Vonones ruled
conjointly with his brother, Spalahores, and with his nephew Spalagadames,
the son of Spalahores (Pl. VII, 27, 31, and Summary, pp. 532-33). If we
may assume with Mr. Whiteheadl that the Scythian name, Spala hores
(Çpalahora) appears in a Greek guise as Spalyris, this brother of Vonones
and his son also ruled conjointly as viceroys over the district of Arachosia in
which coins bearing the type of Euthydemus, 'Heracles seated,' were
current. This district had formerly been under the direct government of
the Great King of Kings, Azilises (Summary, p. 532).
The rev. type of the coins which Spalirises issued as the successor of
Vonones in the suzerainty of eastern Irān is ‘Zeus enthroned' (PI. VII, 38);
and, as it is evidently borrowed from the coins of Hermaeus, it may
perhaps be interpreted as an indication that the kingdom of Kābul had now
passed from the Yavanas to the Pahlavas. If so, it would appear that this
last stronghold of Yavana power had yielded to an invasion of the
Pahlavas of Kandahār. The types of these coins of Spalirises are some-
times found restruck on coins of Vonones as if they were intended
for circulation in a newly conquered territory (B. M. Cat. , p. 101, note).
The family of Vonones may thus be reconstructed from the numis-
matie evidence
bises
VONUNES
Spalahores
Spalagadaines
SPALIRISES
1
AZE II
(end of reiga ! 9 A D. )
a
The coins and inscriptions of the satraps of the Çaka suzerains of
X. W. India enable us to supply a few additional outlines of the history be-
fore the Christian era. The names of a considerable number of these
provincial administrators are known ; but it must suffice here to mention
only those whose date and province can be determined approximately.
In the satrapal system of government a Great Satrap was associated
with a Satrap, usually his son, who succeeded to the higher dignity
in due course.
The earliest recorded ruler of this kind is Liaka Kusülaka.
who, according to the Takshaçilā copper-plate inscription of the year
78 (=C. 72 B. C. ? l'. sup. p. 514), was satrap of Chhahara and Chukhsa,
districts which have not been identified, but which were presumably
1 Lahore Jus. Cat. , vol. I, p. 143, note l.
? The names of suzerains are printed in capital letters.


## p. 519 (#557) ############################################

XXIII)
THE SATRAPS
519
name
in the neighbourhood of Takshaçilā. His coins were imitated from those
of Eucratides (Pl. VIII, 42). His son, Pātika, who made the deposit
of relics which is commemorated by the inscription, bore no title at
that time ; but there can be little doubt that he must have succeeded
his father first as satrap and afterwards as great satrap. His
with the higher title is among those inscribed on the Mathurā Lion-Capital
(c. 30 B. C. ? ).
This remarkable monument of the rule of the Çakas in the south-
eastern extremity of their dominions was discovered at Mathurā
by an Indian scholar, Pandit Bhagvānlal Indrāji, in 1869, and was
bequeathed by him to the British Museum on his death in 1888. It
is of the local red sandstone, and represents two lions reclining back to
back and facing in the same direction. Its style is strikingly Irānian.
The capital must originally have surmounted a pillar, and must itself have
supported some religious emblem ; but its purpose had long ago been
forgotten ; and when it was discovered it was built into the steps of an
altar devoted to the worship of Citalā, and goddess of small-pox. The
Kharoshthi inscriptions with which the surface is completely covered
associate in the religious merit of the foundation the donor herself (the
Chief Queen of the Great Satrap Rājulā) and all the members of her
family together with certain contemporary satraps governing other provinces
of the Çaka realm and other eminent personages of the time. The Great
Satrap Rājūla, whose name appears as Rājuvula in other inscriptions, is un-
questionably the Rāñjubula who, both as satrap and as great satrap, struck
coins in imitation of those of Strato I and Strato II, the last of the Yavana
kings to reign in the E. Punjab (Pl. VII, 24); and he was the father of
Codāsa in whose reign as satrap the monument was erected. Subsequently
Çodāsa himself appears as great satrap on the Āmohini votive tablet
at Mathurā which is dated in the second month of Winter of the year
42. As the month is thus recorded in an Indian style, the era must
probably also be Indian ; and if, as seems likely, it is the era of Azes (58
;
B. C. ), we may conclude that Çodāsa was great satrap in 17-16 B. C.
Among the names of contemporary Çaka governors mentioned
in the inscriptions of the Lion Capital is found that of Pātika, now a
great satrap, who during the reign of Maues made the benefaction
recorded in the Takshaçilā copper-plate (year 78 of the era of Seistān=c. 72
B. C. ? ) At that time he was a private individual without any official title.
It may be assumed that in due course he succeeded his father in the
administration of Chhahara and Chukhsa. When the Lion Capital
was inscribed, he was a great satrap and contemporary with the Great
Satrap Rañjubula (Rājūla) of Mathurā. If a period of about forty years
may be allowed for his whole official career, the date of the Lion Capital


## p. 520 (#558) ############################################

520
(ch.
SCYTHIAN AND PARTHIAN INVADERS
;
may be given provisionally as c. 30 B. C. ; and we may tabulate the chrono-
logy of the two satrapal families as follows! :-
Chhahara and Chukhsa
Mathurā
Great Satraps Satraps Great Satraps
Satraps
C. 72 B. C.
Liko
(Liaka]
[Patika]
Rañjubula
C. 30 B, C. Pātika
Ranjubula
Çdāosa
16 . B. C
Çodāsa
In that portion of Pahlava history which comes after the Christian
era, the period of the reign of Gondopharnes may be regared as almost
definitely fixed. The date of its beginning appears to be certain ; and it is
certain also that it lasted for at least 26 years. The evidence for this
is supplied by a monument of this king's rule in the Peshawar District com-
monly known as the Takht-i-Bahi inscription. It is dated in the 26th year
of the king's reign, and on the 5th day of the month Vaicākha in the year
103². There can be little doubt that the era is the Vikrama samvat which
began in 58 B. C. , and that, therefore, Gondopharnes began to reign in
19 A. D. and was still reigning in 45 A. D.
The king's name is unquestionably Pahlava (Parthian), for the various
forms in which it appears on the coins are merely attempts to render local
pronunciations of the Persian Vindapharna, 'the winner of glory,' in Greek
letters. Many of his types are continued from the money of bis predeces-
sors, and, like them, may be traced back to Yavana originals (PII. VII, 32;
VIII, 47, 52, 53). They seem to indicate that he succeeded to the dominions
of the Pahlavas and Çakas both in eastern Irān and in N. W. India. That
he ruled also in the Kābul valley, which was probably annexed before his
reign (p. 518), appears to be shown by the large numbers of his coins which
were found on its ancient sites by Masson and other erplorers at the time
when such exploration was still possible.
Coins show also that his immediate predecessor on the throne was
Azes II ; for the two monarchs are associated with the same strategos or
'commander-in-chief’ Aspavarman, son of Indravarman (Pl. VIII, 46 and
1 Takshaçilā copper-plate, Bühler, Ep. Ind. IV, p. 54; Mathurā Lion Capital, Eo.
Ind. , IX, p. 139 ; Coins of Rañjubula and Çodāsa Rapson, J. R. A. S. , 1891, p. 517;
Āmohini votive tablet, Bühler, Ep. Ind, II,, p. 199. No. 2 and Plate Bühler originally
read the date as 40 (? ) 2. He subsequently corrected this to 702 (Ep. Ind. , IV. p. 55,
note 2) ; but his original reading seems undoubtedly to be justified hy the accompanying .
Plate, and by his own table of numerals in Indische Palaeographic, Plate IX, On grounds
of style, Sir John Marshall holds that this votive tablet 'dates from about the beginning
of the Christian era' r. Inf. Chapter XXVI, p. 547.
For the satrap Zeionises, t. Inf. p. 525, n For Hagāmasha and Hagāna r. sup.
p. 474. For other satraps commemorated on the Lion Capital see Thomas, op. cit. ; Fleet,
J. R. A. S. 1913, p 1909 ; Marshall, ib, 1914, p. 985.
2 For the reading of the date see Thomas, J. R. A. S. 1903, p. 636.


## p. 521 (#559) ############################################

XXIII]
THE STRATEGOI
521
Summary, p. 532).
The Greek title strategos, which is the equivalent of the Indian
senā pati, 'lord of the army,' was inherited by the Çakas and Pahlavas from
the Yavanas'. Aspavarman is a representative of the Çaka military chiefs
who are repeatedly mentioned in the inscriptions of Western India in the
second century A. D. , when this region was governed by Çaka satraps. The
names ending in -varman and-datta show that they had become Hinduised,
and claimed to be Kshatriyas. To this class belongs the Çaka Ushavadāta
(Rishabhadatta), the brother-in-law of Nahapāna. On the coins of
Gond opharnes and on those of his successor, Pacores, we find the name of
another of these military governors, Sasas, who no doubt succeeded
Aspavarman as commander-in-chief (Pl. VII, 33). The sequence of the
strategoi thus affords valuable evidence for the order of succession of their
sovereigns and for the chronology of the period. Two generations of these
military chiefs – Aspavarman and his nephew, Sasas (pp. 524-5) – held
office during the reigns of Azes II, Gondopharnes, and Pacoras, and for a
period which began before 19 A. D. and ended after 45 A. D.
But before he succeeded Azes II as Great King of Kings in India,
Gondopharnes had also succeeded him as viceroy of Arachosia. In this
subordinate rule he was at one time associated, under the suzerainty of
Orthagnes, with Guda or Gudana (Gudāna) who may perhaps have been
his brother (p. 522. PI, VIII, 51). The coins, on which Orthagnes still
appears as chief ruler but with Gudana alone as his subordinate', must no
doubt be assigned to the period after Gondopharnes had succeeded Azes II
in the sovereignty of N. W. India.
The name of Orthagnes is Pahlava. It is of Persian origin, and the
Greek equivalent of Verethragna, 'the Victorious'. The type 'Victory' on
his coins may be an allusion either to an actual victory or to the king's
It is used also by Venones I of Parthia (8-11 A. D. ) (Pl. VIII, 50)
whose name has a similar meaning - Vanāna, 'the Conqueror' ; but in
this case it would seem undoubtedly to refer to the victory over
Artabanus,5
Most of the coins which Gondophạrnes struck either alone (Pl. VII,
32) or together with his nephew, Abdagases (VII, 34), and all of those
which he struck in association with his commanders-in-chiefs, Aspavarman
and Sasas (Summary, p. 532, and PI. VII, 33), bear the symbol º which is
1 For the detailed proof see Whitehead, Lahore Mus. Cat,, vol, I, Indo-Greek
Coins, p, 150, note.
2 For another Greek title which was used in India-
a-μεριδαρχης,
governor
of a province,' see Thomas, Festgrūss, Windisch, and J. R. A. S. , 1916, pp. 279 ff.
'the
3 For these Çaka families see Lūders, Sitz; K. P. A. , 1913, p. 412.
4 Whitehead, Lah. Mus. Cat. vol. I, Indo-Greek Coins, p. 156, no. 75.
B. M. Cat. , Parthia, 144, Pl. XXIV, 7.
name.
5


## p. 522 (#560) ############################################

522
[CH.
SCYTHIAN AND PARTHIAV INVADERS
so characteristic of his rule that it is usually called by his name ; and, as
this symbol is found counter-marked on coins of the Parthian kings Orodes
I (57-38 B. C. and Artabanus III (10-40 A. D. ), it is not improbable that
Gondopharnes may have conquered some of the Parthian dominions! There
can be little doubt that under his sway the Pahlava power attained its
height ; and it appears probable that this power was now controlled by a
single suzerain who reigned supreme over both eastern Irān and N. W.
India ; for the coins of Gondopharnes bear the types both of Orthagnes
(Pl. VIII, 52) and of Azes II (PI. VIII, 47), and seem to show therefore
that he had succeeded to the dominions of both of these suzerains.
The name of Gondopharnes, and possibly those of two princes of his
family, Guda and Abdagases, have been preserved in connexion with the
legends of St Thomas in the literature of the early Christian church. The
apocryphal Act of Judas Thomas the Apostle, which contains an account of
the ministry of St Thomas in India, exists in Syriac, Greek, and Latin
versions ; and of these the earliest, the Syriac, is supposed to date from
before the middle of the third century A. D. The story, as told in this
version, begins :
And when all the Apostles had been for a time in Jerusalem . . . . . . they divided
the countries among them, in order that each one of them might preach in the region
which fell to him and in the place to which his Lord sent him. And India fell by lot
and division to Judas Thomas (or the Twin) the Apostle. And he was not willing to
go, saying: 'I have not strength enough for this, because I am weak. And I am a
Hebrew; how can I teach the Indians? ' And whilst Judas was reasoning thus, our
Lord appeared to him in a vision of the night, and said to him : 'Fear not, Thomas,
because My grace is with thee. ' But he would not be persuaded at all, saying : Whic
thersoever Thou wilt, our Lord, send me ; only to India I will not go. ' And as Judas
was reasoning thus, a certain merchant, an Indian, happened (to come) into the south
country from—? , whose name was Habbān; and he was sent by the king Gūdnaphars,
that he might bring to him a skilful carpenter. (Trans. Wright, Apocryphal Acts of
the Apostles, II, pp. 146-7. )
Because of the unwillingness of St Thomas, our Lord appears,
and, claiming him as His servant, sells him to the merchant Habbān
for twenty pieces of silver ; and St Thomas journeys with Habbān to
the Court of King Gondopharnes, who orders him to build a palace.
St Thomas spends the money of the king in acts of charity- to build
a palace not made with hands, immortal in the heavens ; and the dis-
appointed king casts St Thomas and the merchant into prison. While
they are lying there, Gad, the king's brother, dies, and being carried by the
1 Rapson, J. R. A. S. , 1904, p. 677, referring to Cunningham, tum. Chron. .
1890, p. 119.
The name is illegible in the MS. , and it is not found in any other version,
Touðáo opos in the Greek version.
2
3


## p. 523 (#561) ############################################

XXIII)
GONDOPHARNES
523
angels to heaven is shown the heavenly palace which St Thomas had built
by his good works. Gad is restored to life ; and in the sequel both
Gondopharnes and Gad are converted.
There can be no question that Gūdnaphar, who is definitely called
'the king of India' (op. cit. , p. 159) is to be identified with Gondopharnes ;
and Gad, 'the brother of the king' (op. cit. , p. 162) may possibly be the
Guda or Gudana, who is associated with him on coins (Pl. VIII, 51).
The legend of St Thomas has thus been furnished with an historical
setting which is chronologically possible. The fact of St Thomas's visit
to the court of Gondopharnes may be doubted ; but the story remains
to show that the fame of this king had spread to the West. A still more
distant echo of his name, transmitted through its Armenian form Gathaspar,
has been recognised by von Gutschmidt in Gaspar, the traditional name
of the first of the three wise men who, according to the Gospel story, came
from the East to worship Christ at His nativity.
Another apocryphal work, the Evangelium Ioannis de obitu Mariae
gives the name Labdanies to the sister's son of a king to whom St Thomas
went. So far as the form is concerned, Labdanes may well be a corruption
of Abdagases in the manuscripts; but the identification of the two names is
far from certain. The name of the king is not mentioned : he may have
been either Gondopharnes or Mazdai, whom St Thomas also visited,
and under whom he suffered martyrdom ; and moreover the Abdagases
of the coin-legends is the brother's son, not the sister's son, of Gondo.
pharnes.
As none of the coin-legends of Abdagases bear the imperial title,
there is no evidence that he reigned independently at any time. The types
suggest that he ruled as the viceroy of Gondopharnes in Irān (Seistān and
Kandahār) (PII. VIII, 54 ; VII, 34).
There can be no doubt that, soon after the reign of Gondopharnes,
the Pahlava power in India came to an end. Some stages in the disinteg-
ration of the empire are clearly reflected in the coinage.
The successor of Gondopharnes was Pacores. His coins show that
he was undoubtedly suzerain in Irān; for they bear the imperial title toge-
ther with the type 'Victory' which was first issued by Orthagnes (Pl. VIII,
55 ; cf. Pl. VIII, 51); and his portrait, combined on coins found at
Takshaçilā with the symbol of Gondopharnes and the legend of the com-
mander-in-chief, Sasas, proves that he exercised at least a nominal sway
in India (v. inf. ). The types of another king, Sanabares, with their purely
Greek legend, must be attributed to Seistān. There is no evidence of his
rule either in Kandahār or India (Pl. VIII, 56).
The passing of Pahlava rule in eastern Gandhāra (Takshaçilā) is
Rhein. Museum, 1864, p. 169.
2 Philipps, Ind. , Ant. , 1903, p. 153.
1


## p. 524 (#562) ############################################

524
[ch.
SCYTHIAV AVD PARTHLAV INI ADERS
was
illustrated by the remarkable hoard of 21 small silver coins, which was
found by Sir John Marshall in an earthern jar on the ancient site of Sirkap.
The coins belong to four distinct classes, all hitherto known-two belonging
to the reign of Gondopharnes, and one each to the reigns of Pacores and
V’ima Kadphises.
The first two classes bear the portrait and the symbol of Gondo-
pharnes, with the names respectively of Sapedana and Satavastra and the
style 'Great King, King of Kings,' which is only one degree inferior to the
most lofty title assumed by Gondopharnes, viz. Great King, Supreme
King of Kings. ' Such a style can only mean that, even in the reign of
Gondopharnes, the allegiance of the governors to the suzerain was becom-
ing merely nominal.
The third class has the portrait of Pacores and the symbol of Gondo-
pharnes combined with the legend of Sasas, who uses the subordinate title,
'Great King,' and is described as “the brother's son of Aspa' There can
be no doubt that this Aspa must be the strategos Aspavarman, who
held office in the reigns of Azes II and Gondopharnes. During the reign
of Gondopharnes he was succeeded by his nephew, Sasas, who
governor of Takshaçilā in the reign of Pacores. The line of strategoi was
no doubt continued under the suzerainty of the Kushāņas. It is
apparently represented by the coins which bear the title, 2012 Mērzs,
'The Great Saviour' and which were formerly attributed to 'the unknown
king. '
The fourth class marks the transition from Pahlava to Kushāna
rule in Gandhāra. The ccins show the portrait of the Kushāņa conqueror,
Vima Kadphises, wearing the conical headdress which distinguishes him,
while the legend describes him as 'Great King, Supreme King of Kings, the
Kushāna Chief'i.
The chronological limits of the period covered by these coins are
clear. Gondopharnes was reigning in the year 45 A. D. ; and Vima
Kadphises was reigning in the year 78 A. D. Within these thirty-three years
must be included (1) the latter part of the reign of Gondopharnes, (2) the
reign of Pacores, and (3) some portion of the reign of V'ima Kadpbises.
The period of V’ima Kadphises is determined by the evidence of a
Kharoshthi inscription discovered by Sir John Marshall in the Chir Tope at
Takshaçilā. The inscription is dated on the 5th day of the Indian month
Āshādha in the year 136. If, as seems almost certain, the era is that which
begins in 58 B. C. , this date would be equivalent to the year 77-8 A. D. , that
For the coins here described see Marshall, Arch. Sur. of Ind. , Annual Report,
1912-13 (1) Saped ina, Pl. XL, 35, nos. 35. 39, pp.