Puri Kushan

Puri Kushan (पुरी कुषाण), properly called Imitation Kushan, are copper coins discovered in the littoral districts of Ganjam, Puri, Cuttack, Bhadrakand Balasore as well as hill districts in of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar in Orissa; Ranchi and Singhbhum in Bihar and a few in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Why Tak Jats moved to Eastern Coast ?

B S Dahiya writes: Tanks or Taks are mentioned by Col. Tod as one of the Thirty –six royal houses of Indian Kshatriyas, but he said about them that they have disappeared from history owing to their conversion to Islam in the Thirteenth Century. But this is not true because they have not disappeared completely as yet; it is true a large number of Tanks are now followers of Islam but there still exist many Tanks among the Hindu Jats also.

A Tak kingdom is mentioned by Hiuen-Tsang (631-643 A.D.). It is mentioned by him as situated towards east of Gandhara. Hiuen-Tasng gives its name as Tekka, and the History of Sindh, Chach-Nama, mentions it as Tak. Its capital was Shekilo (Sakala, modern Sialkot) and formerly King Mihiragula was ruling from this place. In seventh century A.D. its people were not preeminently Buddhists, but worshiped the sun, too. Abhidhana Chintamani says that Takka is the name of Vahika country (Punjab). For what follows, we are indebted to Chandrashekhar Gupta for his article on Indian coins. The Tanks must have come to India, Prior to fourth century A.D. i.e. with the Kushana. And with the Kushanas, they must have spread up to Bengal and Orissa, like the Manns and Kangs who spread into southern Maharashtra and the Deccan. In Orissa, the Tanks, had their rule in Orissa proper, Mayurbhanj, Singbhoom, Ganjam, and Balasore Districts. They are called by historians as “ Puri Kushans” or Kushanas of Puri (Orissa). Their coins have been found at Bhanjakia and Balasore (Chhota Nagpur) and these coins have the legend Tanka written in Brahmi script of the fourth century A.D. Allan suggested the reading Tanka as the name of a tribe “ and others generally accepted the reading Tanka as correct. Allan placed them in the third or early fourth century A.D., while V.A. Smith placed them in the fourth or fifth century A.D. ; R.D. Bannerji called them “ Puri Kushanas”

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Dr Naval Viyogi tells that it is not improper to assume that probably these people migrated from the North-West Region of India to the Eastern Coastal area for some unknown reasons. Probably this was due to some political pressure or economic causes. In the vast region comprising - Orissa, Mayurbhanj, Singhbhumi, Ganjam and Balasore districts, they established their colonies. This is supported by the findings of the so called 'Puri Kushan' copper coins from this area.

Dr Naval Viyogi writes that it seems from the evidence of Puri Kushan coins that some branch Tanka of Taka royal family owing to attack of Kushanas up to Magadha, reached Mayurbhanj, Singhbhumi, Ganjam and Balasore and established colonies there, where remains of their offshoot, the royal family of Dhavaldev is still existing at Dalbhumigarh near Kharagpur.

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As for the proof that they were Jats, we invite attention to the fact that they still exist as such. Their association with the Kushanas (Kasvan Jats) further supports it. Their central Asian origin is proved by the fact that Niya Khrosthi documents from Central Asia refer to coin denomination as Tangumule. Here the word Tanga is the same as Tanka, and Muli meant “Price” in Central Asia.