By: Ishfaq Manzor
A scholarly work produced by a renowned numismatic of Jammu and Kashmir has shed new light on the historical debate of ancient Romans and Greeks in Kashmir. Indeed numismatics is such source material which is based on facts. A coin although carries very little information, but whatever it carries holds great significance and is surely authentic, definite and accurate.
The numismatics book tilted, ‘Ancient Romans and Greeks in Kashmir” authored by the reputed Numismatist and Archaeologist of Kashmir- Iqbal Ahmad has made such significant revelations which have, for the first time, appeared on the ancient historiography of Jammu and Kashmir. The author in this wonderful research book titles ‘Ancient Romans and Greeks in Kashmir’ has attempted to explore the connections between ancient Roman and Greek civilizations with Kashmir connections through the numismatic and archaeological studies.
Title: Ancient Romans and Greeks in Kashmir
Author – Iqbal Ahmad
Publisher- HRSA Publishers and distributors Banglore- Karnataka
Price: Rs 799
Srinagar distributor- Gulshan Books& Publishers
The book is actually a study of two ancient numismatic hoards which had earlier been found in Kashmir and preserved in its museum at Srinagar. These two hoards have carried few copper and silver coins of ancient Romans, Byzantine, Indo Greeks, Indo Scythians, Indo Parthians and Kushan Emperors. In fact Greek, Scythian and Kushan coins are very much recorded to have been found in Jammu and Kashmir, but finding of Roman coins in Kashmir has been a great mystery which has puzzled the numismatists and archaeologists. The author in this book has used very simple tongue to express his researches and writes: ‘During my longest stay in Jammu and Kashmir’s largest and oldest museum at Srinagar and in my archaeological survey travels, I came across certain very interesting and wonderful archaeological and numismatic evidences of several ancient foreign tribes in Jammu and Kashmir. These included the archaeological artifacts, ancient coins and architectural influences of ancient Romans, Byzantine, Indo -Greek, Indo Scythian, Indo- Parthian and Kushan Empires’.
The finding of such evidences of these civilizations within the land of Jammu and Kashmir itself is a wonderful mystery which has created curiosity among the scholars and intellectuals of this land.
The book is basically a scientific study and documentation of ancient archaeological, numismatic and architectural evidences of the above mentioned civilizations which have been found in Jammu and Kashmir till the advent of 22nd century AD.
The book is first to identify and deciphered the archaeological artifacts and ancient coins of ancient Roman, Byzantine, Indo Greek, Indo Scythian and Kushan empires and an attempt has been made to interpret these physical evidences in proper perspective.
The events related to the ancient history, political, Cultural, economic, technological, trade and commercial links of Jammu and Kashmir with western and eastern world have been explored on the bases of available numismatic data.
In the book are deciphered and described the coins of ancient Roman empire which have been, for the first time, found in Jammu and Kashmir besides the chronology of Indo Greek, Indo Scythian, Indo Parthian and Kushan emperors in Jammu and Kashmir which accounts about seven hundred years from 200 BC to 500 AD, have also been first time dealt in context with the standing numismatic and archaeological evidences.
The readers, particularly the students and research scholars pursuing their studies in relevant fields would find this book highly interesting and informative that brings forth ancient history with more scientific and physical approaches. The book is available at Gulshan Books private limited, Residency Road Srinagar as well as on Amazon and flipkart with its eBook editions as well.
