Nahapana
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Coin of Nahapana (119-124 CE). |
Nahapana (119-124 CE) was an important ruler of the
Western Kshatrapas, descendant of the
Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India. According to one of his coins, he was the son of
Bhumaka.
The Kshatrapa dynasty became very powerful with the accession of Nahapana to the throne. Nahapana occupied vast portion of the
Satavahana empire in western and central India, although he was ultimately defeated by the powerful Satavahana king
Gautamiputra Satkarni in
125 CE.
Nahapana managed however to build a strong power base in the west, from which his successors would benefit.
He also established the Kshatrapa coinage, in a style derived from
Indo-Greek coinage. The obverse of the coins consists of the profile of the ruler, within a legend in Greek. The reverse represents a thunderbolt and an arrow, within
Brahmi and
Kharoshthi legends.
Nahapana is mentionned as a donator in inscriptions of numerous Buddhist caves in northern India.
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Coins of Nahapana*
More coins of Nahapana
