Consider the following statements : I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g., kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika. II. The literary evidence from Pali texts is corroborated by archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins from many sites, most of them made of silver. The above statements have been associated with which of the following ? 1. Emergence of urban life 2. Transition to money economy Select the answer using the code given below :
A
1 only
B
2 only
C
Both 1 and 2
Correct answer
D
Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
References to coins such as kahapana, nikkha, kamsa and kakanika in the Pali canon, backed by finds of mostly silver punch-marked coins across many sites, are standard evidence for the second urbanisation of the 6th–5th centuries BCE. Coins circulated in towns among traders and artisans, so the same evidence points both to the emergence of urban life and to the shift from barter to a money economy.
Ancient Indian HistorySecond urbanisation and coinagePunch-marked coinsKahapanaNikkhaPali textsSilver coins