Aspavarma

Apracaraja Aspavarma.
Obv King mounted on a horse, holding a whip. Greek legend around ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ / ΑΖΟΥ.
Rev Pallas Athena holding spear, and triratna symbol. Kharoshthi legend around Imtravarmaputrasa Aspavarmasa strategasa jayatasa "Victorious general Aspavarma, son of Indravarma".

Apracaraja Aspavarma.

Coin of Aspavarma (reverse).

Aspavarma (or Aspa) was an Indo-Scythian ruler of the clan of the Apraca, who ruled from around 15 to 45 CE. He ruled in the Bajaur area of modern Pakistan, and is considered one of the Apraca rulers. He is essentially known through his coins and a few inscription.

Inscriptions

Asparvama was a son of Apraca king Indravarman, as known from an inscription discovered in Taxila,^[1] who himself is known to be the son of Vispavarma according to Indravarman's Silver Reliquary.

Indravarman's Silver Reliquary, which is known for sure to be before the Bajaur casket, hence before 5-6 CE, and is therefore usually dated to the end of the 1st century BCE, describes Aspavarma's grandfather Vispavarma as a general, and not yet a king at that time. This tends to confirm that his grandson, Aspavarma, probably ruled quite some time later, in the middle of the 1st century CE.^[2]

Aspavarman is also referenced in Gāndhārī texts, written in Kharoṣṭhī script, dating from the period.^[3]

Coinage

The coinage shows the king on a horse, holding a whip in his right hand, in a style consistent with that of Azes II (who possibly is identical with Azes I). On the reverse, Athena makes a benediction gesture, and is flanked by a Buddhist triratna symbol.

According to Joe Cribb, from a coinage standpoint, Aspavarma was contemporary to Sasan and Mujatria, just before the rule of Kushan ruler Vima Takto.^[2]

References

^ On the Cusp of an Era: Art in the Pre-Kuṣāṇa World, Doris Srinivasan, BRILL, 2007, p.269-270 [1]
^ ^a ^b Joe Cribb, p.31 Dating and locating Mujatria and the two Kharahostes
^ The British Library Kharosthi Fragments, The British Library/University of Washington Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project.

Territories/ dates	Western India	Western Pakistan Balochistan	Paropamisadae Arachosia	Bajaur	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura
			INDO-GREEK KINGDOM
90–85 BCE			Nicias	Menander II		Artemidoros
90–70 BCE			Hermaeus	Archebius
85-60 BCE			INDO-SCYTHIAN KINGDOM Maues
75–70 BCE			Vonones Spalahores	Telephos		Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE			Spalirises Spalagadames			Hippostratos	Dionysios
55–35 BCE			Azes I				Zoilos II
55–35 BCE			Azilises Azes II				Apollophanes	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the NORTHERN SATRAPS Hagamasha
25 BCE – 10 CE				Indo-Scythian dynasty of the APRACHARAJAS Vijayamitra (ruled 12 BCE - 15 CE)^{[n 1]}	Liaka Kusulaka Patika Kusulaka Zeionises	Kharahostes (ruled 10 BCE– 10 CE)^{[n 2]} Mujatria	Strato II and Strato III	Hagana
10-20CE		INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Indravasu	INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Rajuvula
20-30 CE			Ubouzanes Pakores	Vispavarma (ruled c.0-20 CE)^{[n 3]}	Sarpedones		Bhadayasa	Sodasa
30-40 CE			KUSHAN EMPIRE Kujula Kadphises	Indravarma	Abdagases		...	...
40-45 CE				Aspavarma	Gadana		...	...
45-50 CE				Sasan	Sases		...	...
50-75 CE							...	...
75-100 CE	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the WESTERN SATRAPS Chastana		Vima Takto				...	...
100-120 CE	Abhiraka		Vima Kadphises				...	...
120 CE	Bhumaka Nahapana	PARATARAJAS Yolamira	Kanishka I				Great Satrap Kharapallana and Satrap Vanaspara for Kanishka I
130-230 CE	Jayadaman Rudradaman I Damajadasri I Jivadaman Rudrasimha I Satyadaman Jivadaman Rudrasena I	Bagamira Arjuna Hvaramira Mirahvara	Vāsishka (c. 140 – c. 160) Huvishka (c. 160 – c. 190) Vasudeva I (c. 190 – to at least 230)
230-280 CE	Samghadaman Damasena Damajadasri II Viradaman Isvaradatta Yasodaman I Vijayasena Damajadasri III Rudrasena II Visvasimha	Miratakhma Kozana Bhimarjuna Koziya Datarvharna Datarvharna	INDO-SASANIANS Ardashir I, Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 230 – 250) Peroz I, "Kushanshah" (c. 250 – 265) Hormizd I, "Kushanshah" (c. 265 – 295)			Kanishka II (c. 230 – 240) Vashishka (c. 240 – 250) Kanishka III (c. 250 – 275)
280-300 CE	Bhratadarman	Datayola II	Hormizd II, "Kushanshah" (c. 295 – 300)			Vasudeva II (c. 275 – 310)
300-320 CE	Visvasena Rudrasimha II Jivadaman		Peroz II, "Kushanshah" (c. 300 – 325)			Vasudeva III Vasudeva IV Vasudeva V Chhu (c. 310? – 325)
320-388 CE	Yasodaman II Rudradaman II Rudrasena III Simhasena Rudrasena IV		Shapur II Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 325) Varhran I, Varhran II, Varhran III "Kushanshahs" (c. 325 – 350) Peroz III "Kushanshah" (c. 350 –360) HEPHTHALITE/ HUNAS invasions			Shaka I (c. 325 – 345) Kipunada (c. 345 – 375)		GUPTA EMPIRE Chandragupta I Samudragupta
388-395 CE	Rudrasimha III		Chandragupta II

^ From the dated inscription on the Rukhana reliquary
^ An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 442 [2]
^ A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, by Richard Salomon, South Asian Studies 11 1995, Pages 27-32, Published online: 09 Aug 2010 [3]

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