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?
- Emergence of urban life
- Transition to money economy
Select the answer using the code given below:
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The references in Pali canonical literature to coins like kahapana, nikkha, kamsa and kakanika, corroborated by the archaeological recovery of large hoards of silver punch-marked coins (e.g., Golakhpur, Paila, Taxila), are cited by historians like R.S. Sharma and Romila Thapar as twin evidence of two parallel processes in c. 6th century BCE northern India: the Second Urbanisation (rise of mahajanapada cities) and the transition from a barter/cattle-wealth economy to a money economy. Both 1 and 2 are therefore correct. NCERT XII Themes in Indian History Theme 2 ('Kings, Farmers and Towns') uses this evidence.