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mation on the society of earlier times and the regnal period, most coins also have a stamped
religious and cultural practices of the people. For image of the emperor on them. The oldest coins
example, we know the history of the Mauryas from ancient India are from the 6th Century
largely through the Ashokan inscriptions. BCE. Coins also help to know about the fiscal
conditions in an empire. There are two theories
regarding this. The first states that if pure gold is
used to make coins, it shows a stronger economy
and use of impure gold shows a weak economy.
The second theory uses the frequency of coins
for its analysis, if there are more coins circulating
in the economy, it is taken to be proof that
money economy has penetrated into society,
which is linked with prosperity.
An Ashokan Edict
Monuments : Old buildings of historical impor-
tance are called monuments. They provide us
with clues on the period in which they were built.
They give information about people, their social
life, their religious beliefs, their culture, etc.
Temples, forts, palaces, stupas and residential
complexes are some categories of monuments Ancient Coins
which make the past come alive. Literary Sources
The written records of the past are called manu-
scripts. These writings are available on a variety
of surfaces such as palm leaves, the bark of the
birch tree and later, on paper. The literary source
materials may be divided into two categories—
religious and secular.
Religious Literature : Writings dealing with
religion constitute religious literature. Many
books contain religious themes. For the ancient
period of Indian history, the Vedas, the
Sanchi Stupa Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Gita, the
Coins : The study of coins or numismatics was Puranas and the Jataka Tales are a rich source of
one of the most important sources of ancient information. They give new historical details and
Indian history. For example, the entire history of also prove that the information we already have
Indo-Greek kings has been based on findings through other sources, is correct.
from coins. Legends on coins mention the ruler, Secular Literature : Secular literatures were
date of issue, it may also contain the ruler’s texts that did not focus on religion. Epics, stories,
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