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Gold Pagoda - Nayakas of Chitaldurg
| Issuer | Nayakas of Chitradurga |
|---|---|
| Year | 1690-1720 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.32 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | None |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a bold Kannada inscription set within a square or rectangular recessed panel, rendered in the characteristic incuse style of South Indian hammered pagodas. The central legend is surrounded by a geometric border formed by a series of rectangular compartments or a square meander pattern, typical of Chitradurga Nayaka issues. The design is deeply struck and angular, occupying most of the coin's surface. No additional symbols or decorative elements are visible outside the framed inscription. |
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| Additional information |
The Nayakas of Chitradurga were a line of polygars — subordinate chieftains originally under Vijayanagara authority — who gradually consolidated independent power through the 17th century as the empire collapsed following Talikota in 1565. By the time this pagoda was struck, the dynasty under Madakari Nayaka lineage had effectively broken from any meaningful suzerainty. The pagoda denomination itself was the dominant gold unit of peninsular India for centuries, accepted across trading networks from Coromandel merchants to East India Company ledgers, where Company factors routinely recorded exchange rates against it.
Chitradurga's series is sparsely documented in the literature; Mitchiner's attribution rests largely on findspot evidence and stylistic comparison rather than contemporary mint records.