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1 Kasu - Venkatapati Deva Raya II
| Issuer | Thanjavur Nayak kingdom (Indian Hindu Dynasties) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1586-1614 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a two-line Kannada-Telugu bilingual legend reading 'Venka / tapa', representing an abbreviated form of the ruler's name Venkatapati, rendered in bold, somewhat crude characters typical of hammered Nayak copper coinage. The inscription fills the central field, with letter forms showing the rounded cursive style characteristic of late 16th- to early 17th-century South Indian scripts. The legend is enclosed within a dotted border consistent with the obverse treatment. |
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| Reverse lettering | ವೆಂಕ / ತಪ |
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| Additional information |
Venkatapati Deva Raya II ruled the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom as a subordinate of the Vijayanagara Empire during its terminal decline — the catastrophic defeat at Talikota in 1565 had already fragmented Vijayanagara authority into competing Nayak successor states, each asserting increasing independence through their own coinage. The Thanjavur Nayaks were originally Telugu military governors appointed by Vijayanagara; by Venkatapati's reign, that fiction of subordination was wearing thin.
Copper kasu of this type circulated at the lowest transactional level — grain markets, small temple offerings, daily labor payments in the agrarian Kaveri delta economy.