Why in the news?

Telangana’s Department of Heritage has recently unearthed a lead coin hoard belonging to Ikshvaku Period at Phanigiri, a renowned Buddhist heritage site.
The coins numbering 3,730 bore an elephant symbol on the obverse and a Ujjain symbol on the reverse.

Who were the Ikshvaku (225-340 A.D)?

The Ikshvaku dynasty was a feudatory under the patronage of the Satavahanas.
Their capital was located at Vijayapuri, modern-day Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.
They ruled over the delta of the Krishna and Godavari rivers on the east coast of the Andhra region.
They claimed to be descendants of the legendary king Ikshvaku, mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts such as the Rigveda and Ramayana.
The dynasty’s founder was Vasishthiputra Chamtamula, who rose to power after the decline of the Satavahana dynasty.

The Ikshvakus were Shaivites and performed Vedic rites, but they also patronized Buddhism, which flourished during their reign.
Under the reign of Vasishthi-putra Ehuvala Chamtamula, the Ikshvaku kingdom reached its zenith, marked by the construction of numerous Hindu and Buddhist shrines.
Their inscriptions and coins have been discovered at various archaeological sites, including Nagarjunakonda, Jaggayyapeta, Kottampalugu, Gurazala, Rentala, and Uppugunduru.

Successive rulers, such as Mathari-putra Vira-purusha-datta, Vasishthi-putra Ehuvala Chamtamula, and Vasishthi-putra Rudra-purusha-datta, contributed to the expansion and governance of the kingdom.
By the mid-4th century, the Pallavas had gained control of the former Ikshvaku territory, marking the decline of the dynasty.

Phanigiri village derived its name from the shape of the hillock, which appears to be like a snake hood.
The word Phani in Sanskrit means snake and Giri means hillock.
Studies suggest that the village had a vibrant life from 1000 BC to 18th century AD.
Phanigiri is believed to be one of the important Buddhist monasteries strategically located on the hilltop, on the ancient trade route (Dakshinapatha) connecting the west and the east coast of the Deccan.
Various stages of earlier excavations here discovered Mahastupa, apsidal Chaityagrihas, Votive stupas, pillared congregation halls, Viharas, platforms with staircases at various levels, octagonal stupa chaitya, 24-pillared mandapam, circular Chaitya.
Cultural materials included terracotta beads, semi-precious beads, iron objects, Brahmi label inscriptions and holy relic casket.

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