Azes II

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Azes II
Indo-Scythian king
Azes II in armour, riding a horse, on one of his silver tetradrachms, minted in Gandhara
ReignScythians: perhaps 35–12 BC
PredecessorAzilises
SuccessorZeionises/Kharahostes

Azes II (

Indo-Scythian king, speculated to have reigned circa 35–12 BCE, in the northern Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan). His existence has been questioned; if he did not exist, artefacts attributed to his reign, such as coins, are likely to be those of Azes I.[2]

After the death of Azes II, the rule of the Indo-Scythians in northwestern India and Pakistan finally crumbled with the conquest of the

Kushans
ultimately regained northwestern India circa 75 CE, where they were to prosper for several centuries.

Name

Azes's name is attested on his coins in the Greek form Azēs (Ἄζης) and the Kharosthi form Aya (𐨀𐨩),[1] which are both derived from the Saka name *Aza, meaning "leader".[3]

Buddhist dedications

Buddha surrounded by Brahman (left) and Indra (right) was found inside a stupa with coins of Azes II inside. British Museum
.

Bimaran casket

Main article: Bimaran casket
Turin City Museum of Ancient Art
).

Azes II is also connected to the

Apracas), and it is indeed possible they would have commended the work. However it now thought that a later king, issuing coins in the name of Azes, such as Kharahostes
, made the dedication.

Butkara stupa

Main article:
Butkara stupa

A coin of Azes II was found under a pillar with an Indo-Corinthian capital and sculpture of a Buddhist devotee in the Butkara Stupa, suggesting the involvement of Azes II in Buddhist dedications, and a datation for the sculpture corresponding to the reign of Azes II.[4]

Coinage

Coins attributed to Azes II use Greek and Kharoshti inscriptions, depict a Greek goddess as his protector, and thereby essentially follow the numismatic model of the Greek kings of the Indo-Greek kingdom, suggesting a high willingness to accommodate Greek culture. A novel difference of the Indo-Scythians was to show the king on a horse, rather than his bust in profile as did the Greeks.

Other coins of Azes depict the

Buddhist lion and the Brahmanic cow of Shiva
, suggesting religious tolerance towards his subjects. In the coin depicted to the left Azes is depicted with the inscriptions:

Silver coin of King Azes II (r. c. 35–12 BCE)
  • Obv: King with coat of mail, on horse, holding a sceptre, with Greek royal headband. Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΖΟΥ "The Great King of Kings Azes".
  • Rev:
    Kharoshti legend MAHARAJASA RAJADIRAJASA MAHATASA AYASA "The Great King of Kings Azes", with the Buddhist triratna
    symbol in the left field.

Azes II was long believed to have issued several of the

Azes, as suggested by Robert Senior, when he found an overstrike of a coin attributed to Azes I over a coin attributed to Azes II, suggesting that all the "Azes II" coins were not later than those of "Azes I" and that there was only one king in the dynasty named Azes.[2][5] This idea had long been advocated by Senior with a number of indirect numismatic arguments, for instance in his encyclopaedia of Indo-Scythian coins.[6]

Coin gallery

  • Portrait of Azes II
    Portrait of Azes II
  • Coin of Azes II with Buddhist triratna symbol.
    Coin of Azes II with Buddhist triratna symbol.
  • Coin of Azes II.
    Coin of Azes II.
  • Coin of Azes II, with a clear depiction of his military outfit, with coat of mail and reflex bow in the saddle.
    Coin of Azes II, with a clear depiction of his military outfit, with coat of mail and reflex bow in the saddle.
  • Coin of Azes II, with king seated, holding a drawn sword and a whip.
    Coin of Azes II, with king seated, holding a drawn sword and a whip.
  • Seated king Azes II
    Seated king Azes II
  • Profile of king Azes II.
    Profile of king Azes II.
  • Coin
    Coin

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^
    JSTOR 43574181
    . Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b Senior, R. C. (2008). "The Final Nail in the Coffin of Azes II". Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society. 197: 25–27.
  3. ISBN 978-8-120-81408-0
    .
  4. ^ Handbuch der Orientalistik, Kurt A. Behrendt, BRILL, 2004, p.49 sig
  5. ^ Senior, R. C. (2008). "Azes: an unpublished and important tetradrachm S86.1T". Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society. 197: 24–25.
  6. ^ Senior, R. C. (2001–2006). Indo-Scythian Coins and History. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Classical Numismatic Group.

References

External links
Preceded by
Indo-Scythian Ruler

(35–12 BCE) 		Succeeded by
In
Mathura:
Kharahostes
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