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Massa - Raja Raja Chola I
| Issuer | Chola Dynasty |
|---|---|
| Year | 985-1014 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Massa |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Seated male figure depicted in profile, holding a conch shell in the right hand, rendered in the characteristic crude but expressive style of medieval South Indian copper coinage. A Nagari legend occupies the field surrounding or flanking the figure, identifying the issuing ruler. The composition reflects the devotional and dynastic iconography prevalent in Chola-period numismatics. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Raja Raja Chola I ruled during the dynasty's most aggressive territorial expansion, annexing Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and launching naval campaigns into Southeast Asia that made the Cholas a genuine maritime power. His administration formalized temple taxation and land revenue systems, and coinage — including small copper issues like this massa — circulated within that tightly administered economy. The massa denomination served agricultural and market transactions at the village level, far removed from the court spectacle his reign is remembered for.