Kosala Janapada Coin

PICT0270
Originally uploaded by vk_i_maverick

Kosala Janapada

The ancient Mahajanapada of Kosala with its capital at Shravasti (modern Sat amahat in Gonda district) was bounded by the Nepal hills on the north, the area bounded by the Gomati on the west, the Sarpika, modern Sai in the south and the Sadamira, modern ....

period: 525 - 465 B.C.
metal: silver
weight: 40.2 grains
deno: Karashapana

Legend:

From the Ramayana: Kosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Rama's sons Lava and Kusa inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the city called Kusavati.

From the Mahabharata:

Vriahadvala was a Kosala king mentioned as a general under Duryodhana, in the Kurukshetra War. This kingdom was defeated by the Pandava general Bhima, in his military campaign to the east. It seems that this Kosala had its power extended to the neighbouring kingdom of Kasi to the south of it, because Vrihadvala sometimes commanded the troops from Kasi also in Kurukshetra War. This probably was the reason to consider Kasi-Kosala as a single kingdom. For a period of time in the past, Kasi would have been a vassal state of Kosala kingdom. The grandmothers of Kauravas and Pandavas were called sometimes as princesses of Kasi and some times as princesses of Kosala, attesting to this fact.