User:Bookku/Indian sceptre


 * Please don't be in hurry to bring this in main article name space
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 * Please do not add details of 1947-Sengol used in Indian parliament before this sandbox-article is complete in every other aspect.
 * In literature Word Sceptre and it's synonyms are frequently used to mean ruler, rule, authority but those meanings are not covered by this article.
 * Please help expand this sandbox article by using independent reliable Tamil and Kannada sources.
 * Please help expand this sandbox article by requesting sources from google books,  google scholar, The Wikipedia Library  at  WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request
 * Please help upload copyright free images of Indian sceptre coins, paintings and ancient sculptures.
 * Tamil sceptre செங்கோல் to English Sengol transliteration is also spelt as Senkol, Cenkol Cengol also check for Ch. ;  talaikkol
 * राजदंड, राजदण्ड , Rajdanda
 * Sceptre, Scepter, staff, stake
 * This draft article needs help in updating from Tamil language sources from Google scholar or Google books and pre-2023 (per-controversy) reliable Tamil language media / news papers.
 * This draft article has been mostly updated for Tamil Nadu related sources since usage of sceptre remained for longer time in South India since they had free kingdoms longest time. This draft article needs help in expansion with regard to rest of India related sources and sceptre on Indian coinage.


 * Danda (disambiguation)

Indian sceptre is known as danda (दण्ड sanskrit) or Sengol (செங்கோல் Tamil). Earliest ancient literary mentions of danda are found in  Mahabharata where as mentions of  Sengol are found in Tirukkural.

Indian sceptre images are found on early Indian literature on governance, coinage,  medieval sculptures and early modern paintings and murals. Mentions of Indian sceptres are found in Indian literature, culture and modern studies. Until India's independence sceptres were part of royal regalia of Indian princes as marker of their authority and justice. In modern political realms usage of sceptre has found some political following and apprehensions both.

Etymologies and mythology
According to dictionary of lexicographer V. S. Apte  describes Sanskrit word 'danda' in Hindi  as 'Yashtika', 'Tadan" and 'Rajchinha' as symbol of state's authority.

According to P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar, one of the word for 'king' in Tamil is 'Kon' கோன் is likely to be of pastoral origin which mean herdsman too. Iyengar notes, word 'Kon' may be derived from 'kol' which is stake to control cattle and sheep ultimately became symbol of authority. According to Alf Hiltebeitel, community name Konar is a regional name for Yadava, the caste to which Krishna belongs. Several Vaishnavite texts associate Krishna with the Aayar caste, or Konar, most notably the Thiruppavai, composed by goddess Andal herself, most notably referring Krishna as the “Aayar kulathu mani vilakke”. The caste name is interchangeable with the names Konar and Kovalar being derived from Tamil word Kōn, which can mean "king" and "herdsmen". The word might be derived from the from Tamil word kōl, a herdsman's staff. The Tamil word kōl also means a king's sceptre. (Refs in Para forked from article Konar (caste) still to be verified)

Etymology of ‘Sengol’ is said to be from Tamil word 'Senmai' meaning righteousness. Alternatively spelt as senkol may have been derived from semmaiyana kol ( செம் ..) meaning a virtuous staff  or It may may be shortened form of senkuthana kol ( .. ) meaning as a perpendicular staff. According to C. Nagalingam of Sri Lanka's National Museum,  it is quite possible that the idea of senkol ( செங்கோல் )  may have had it's origin in ship's mast since a ship's captain in Thondai Manaru  had to have high sense of justice and his stake used to represent the same.

‘Sengol’ finds mention in ancient Tamil literature like Purananooru, Kurunthogai, Perumpaanatrupadai, and Kalithogai. According to Justice David Annousamy in his chapter 'Human rights and the Indian psych';Tirukkural a non-religious Tamil text (dated any thing before 5th century AD) lays down principles of right sceptre (Sengol) i.e. good justice, and also what will be termed as bad sceptre (ruler)

Terence Day, says in early Indian literature, 'Danda' is personified and deified as lord of public order. According to Terence Day, Krishna in Bhagavad Gita claims "..दण्डो दमयतामस्मि.." - of the punishers I am the sceptre-". While referring to Indian indologist and Sanskrit scholar P.V. Kane, Day says, Nitisara (2.15)  mentions that ".. 'dama' is called 'danda'- also as per Vijnanesvara in Mitaksara on Yajnvalkya, word 'dama' meaning punishment itself is the root of the word 'Danda'-; the king is called danda since control is centered in him, the rules and policy (niti) of danda are called dandaniti..". According to  V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, in Adiparva of Mahabharat (chapter 143),  diplomat Kanika,  on the topic of overcoming enemies, advises king Dhrtarastra that  “..  Kings should ever be ready with upraised sceptre and they should ever extend their prowess carefully  avoiding all faults of theirs; they should ceaselessly watch for the faults of other. .." In Samudra Manthana (churning of milky ocean) version of Balakanda of  Valmiki Ramayana, sage  Dhanvantari appears with a Dadna staff and Kamandalu water pot. Mani, Vettam, and Veṭṭaṃmāṇi. Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature. India, Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.

According to Day in Manusmruti (7.14) Danda is personified as Brahma's son where as, as per Mbh. Shantiparva Danda is manifestation of Brahma to establish duties and to protect the world; this 'Dadna' punishes all delinquent while protecting peace living persons, and in Manusmriti is described as "..Danda remains awake when everybody else is fast asleep hence wise call Danda as Dharma itself". Day says personification of Danda in Shantiparva of Mahabharata makes complete deification of the Danda sceptre. Shantiparva of Mahabharata (12.59.78) (in Kane's word) states that, "this world is led (on the right path) by danda (power of punishment, sanction) or this science carries (or sets forth) the rod of punishment; hence it is called dandaniti". Day says in Adhyaya (Chapter) 121 of Shantiparva (Mbh.) Danda's attributes and powers are presented in form of duality, described as "..blessings and curse, .. righteousness and unrighteousness, desire and aversion, .. salvation and condemnation .. merit and demerit, .. virtue and vice, .. etc. etc." According to Mahabharata 8.24.79 Brahmdanda is referred among Shiva's weapons.

According to Peter Harvey, professor of Buddhist studies, in pre-Buddhist India, Vajra used to signify as powerful sceptre of Indra, the king of Vedic gods. Harvey says Buddhism idealized mind to be like powerful Vajra for Arhat s. In Mahayana tenth stage of Buddhisatva is expected to be Vajra like meditative state, hence in Buddhism Vajra signified as spiritually awankened mind. According to Upinder Singh, in early medieval period Vajrayana branch of Tantric Buddhism came ahead which had elements of meditation, magic and ritual; vajra-sceptre along with bell also formed important instruments in their tantric worship. According to Axel Michaels in Buddhism Vajra-spectre denotes ever lasting strength of Buddha's teachings

Application of Sceptre mythology for legitimization; According to the Hindu, a story about the queen goddess Meenakshi of Madurai giving the sengol to the Tamil Nayaka kings is mentioned in texts called Puranas. According to Gita V. Pai, to claim of being the legitimate inheritor of previous Pandya rulers and also the legitimate representative sharing sovereignty with the divine queen Minakshi of Madurai; Tirumala Nayaka introduced a ritual where in priests handed over a sengol sceptre from deity to the Tirumala to keep physically on his palace throne and return back the same next morning.

According to Anna Lise Seastrand,  Golden Lotus pond wall surrounding  the Meenakshi-Sundareshwara temple has 17th century murals, in spite of having some palimpsestic concerns, still significant to art historians for studies in art and history. Among murals at west side of Golden Lotus pond wall of Parrot Cage hall surrounding  the Meenakshi-Sundareshwara temple in Madurai; an image, in the lowest register of the panel, depicts  the queen regent Mangaammal (r. 1689- 1706)  to have received the royal sengol from    the goddess Meenakshi,  through a male intermediary who stands before her, as metaphor of  sovereignty being transferred from the goddess to the queen regent. Another image on opposite side balcony depicts one more king being handed over a sceptre by the goddess Meenakshi, Seastrand speculates that this image may be conversational indicating dynasty of rulers being handed over sceptre of devine authority from goddess Meenakshi.

A mural painting of a sengol to a Tamil Nayaka king is displayed at 18th century Ramalinga Vilasam palace museum.(Link: Draft:Ramalinga Vilasam palace)

In another early 18th century painting in Vilasam palace museum Muthu Vijaya Raghunath Sethupati is depicted with cenkol in his right hand while receiving three European probably Dutch envoys. In another painting Muthu Vijaya Raghunath Sethupati is shown receiving cenkol  from their tutelary deity Rajrajeshwari.


 * Orr, Leslie C., and Leslie C. Orr Assistant Professor of Religion Concordia University, Quebec. Donors, Devotees, and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu. Ukraine, Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN: 9780195356724 - pp 61-62 and 220-221. Search talaikkol Sceptre ; https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/story-of-courtesans-urvashi-and-madhavi/article19055032.ece ; Talaikkol ref to be searched in shodhganga.; Pukārkkāṇṭam - Cilappatikāram;  https://www.jstor.org/stable/41152424 ; Dikshitar, V. R. Ramachandra. War in Ancient India. India, Cosmo, 1999. p 165. ; Eraly, Abraham. The First Spring: The Golden Age of India. India, Viking, Penguin Books India, 2011. p. 679
 * According to V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, Among the spoils of war winnners used to gather the king's umbrellas in the battle-field. Dikshitar says In the old Tamil literary works we are informed that often the umbrella sticks and the flag staff recovered from the enemy became the talaikkol used by dancing girls in Tamil Nadu.

According to Gananath  Obeyesekere (Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University), Sinhalese poetical work Pandi Naluva (the beuty of Pandi's town) and Amarasaya (The taste of Ambrosia) describe kings person and city in detail, the King is described as 'sakviti' meaning chakravarti and sceptre and parasol etc are king's attributes.p335

TA:செல்லத்தம்மன், கண்ணகி கோயில் Chellathamman tantyutan - சூலாயுதம்  kulyutan p540 note 4

According to Roshen Dalal, Nandanar, a Nayanar saint, specially worshipped in the Tamil month of Purattasi in the Hindu sect of Shaivism, is depicted with a shaved head, folded hands with a kamandalu and a danda (staff). verify According to art historian Grace Morley, philosopher Ramanuja's iconography shows him with a sceptre denoting his lordship.

According to K.K. Rao in Global Encyclopaedia of the South Indian Dalit's Ethnography (Volume 2. 2006. Ed. Nagendra Kr Singh) a community named 'Koliyan ' also variously named as Vadirian or Vathiriayan mainly residing in Tiruneveli, Chidambarnar,  Kanyakumari and Ramnathpuram districts of Tamil Nadu identifies themselves as keepers of Senkol of Chola dynasty and as per them word koliyan is derived from 'Senkol'.


 * By Dr. G.P. Bhatt, Dr. N.A. Deshpande · 2013 The Padma-Purana Part 1: Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology Volume 39. N.p., Motilal Banarsidass, 2013. ISBN: 9788120839069, 8120839064 Chapter 1-19.Stanza 304-306 P. 271
 * Puranas sceptre Padma-Purana; Agni Purana -Dr S.P. Bhagat · 2016, B.K. Chaturvedi · 2021; The Brahma Purana Part 1: ,The Bhagavata-Purana Page 190 Part 4: Page 1425 ; The Brahmanda Purana Part 3: Page 801 Ancient Indian Tradition and  Ancient Indian Tradition and  Ancient Indian Tradition and ... - J.L. Shastri · 2013; Markandeya Purana

*

Coinage


Sceptre are found on Indian coinage in reigns of Indo-Scythian Saka-Moga,  Kushans (Huvishka,Vima Takto, Vima Kadphises), Samudragupta, Pandyans, Saptkarni.

The region in modern Afghanistan and Iran where the Saka moved to became known as "land of the Saka" or Sakastan. This is attested in a contemporary Kharosthi inscription found on the Mathura lion capital belonging to the Saka kingdom of the Indo-Scythians (200 BC – 400 AD) in northern India, The most famous Indo-Scythian king was Maues. also called 𐨨𐨆𐨒 Mo-ga, Moga on the Taxila copper plate; also called 𐨨𐨅𐨬𐨐𐨁 𐨨𐨁𐨩𐨁𐨐 Me-va-ki Mi-yi-ka, Mevaki Miyika in the Mathura lion capital inscription, ) was the first Indo-Scythian king, ruling from 98/85 to 60/57 BCE. He invaded India and established Saka hegemony by conquering Indo-Greek territories.  The Sakas extend their power up to Mathura during his reign. Maues issued joint coins mentioning a queen Machene ("ΜΑΧΗΝΗ"). Machene may have been a daughter of one of the Indo-Greek houses.

According to Upinder Singh  Indo-Scythian king was Maues.( 98/85 – 60/57 BCE) also named Moga   on some of minted coins depicted  the image of god Zeus  having sceptre in his left hand and goddess of victory Nike on his right hand with descriptive  text in Kharosthi script.

In Samudragupta's  regular coins he is shown with a long staff which may be a Sceptre or also a javelin or a spear too


 * Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century (PB). India, Pearson India, 2009. ISBN: 9789332569966 pp XIII, ChapterEight: 369 , 375 , Ch.Nine 479,
 * The Journal Of The Numismatic Society Of India
 * Umakant Premanand Shah Shah, Umakant Premanand. Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana. India, Abhinav Publications, 1987. p 261.

Sculpture
According to archaeologists Ch. Babjirao and E. Sivanagireddy, a carved sculpture of Sengol sceptre can be found in a Pattadakal Virupaksha temple dated around 745 CE. Note: The comparative image can be observed in TV 9 Kannada news report. At, claimed to be 789 AD, Srivilliputhur Andal temple Emperuman Rangamannar stands with a Sengol in his right hand. Exterior walls of 1117 CE Keshava temple of Belur depict Brahma with spectre in one of the hand.

According to German art historian Hermann Goetz,  Chamba State now part of northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, have had ancient wooden temple carvings of deities holding scepters. Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur has Nataraja mural painting holding a prominent long staff, according to Vijayaraghavan S. Nayar · 1998 this image has 18 hands where as later archeology study by Nambirajan, M., and Suresh, S.. suggests the Nataraja image to have 20 hands and these mural paintings are likely to be 350 years old.

* Ananda Coomaraswamy Coomaraswamy, Editor: Richard J. Cohen, Ananda Kentish. Essays on Jaina Art. India, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, ISBN: 9788173045349. 2003. Fig. 33 p 86.

Inscriptions
A royal charter issued by the Chera Perumal king of Kerala Bhaskara Ravi-varman, on a copper plate, to Joseph Rabban, a Jewish merchant magnate of Kodungallur any thing before 1000 CE mentions the king as sceptre wielder.

Literature
The codes of the just and the cruel sceptre are found in the ancient Tamil work of Tirukkural, dated before 5th century CE. In its chapters 55 (Sengol) and 56 (Kondungol), the text deals with the just and the cruel sceptre, respectively, furthering the thought on the ethical behaviour of the ruler discussed in many of the preceding and the following chapters. The ancient treatise says it was not the king's spear but the just sceptre, known as "Sengol" in Tamil, that bound him to his people—and to the extent that he guarded them, his own good rule would guard him.

The Tamil language epic Silappatikaram - authored by the Sangam poet Ilango Adigal - depicts a tragedy of a miscarriage of justice by king Nedunjeliyan I mistakenly giving  capital punishment to an innocent person for the theft he did not do. Died person's wife the protagonist Kannagi turns up at Nedunjeliyan I's court asking for justice; as the  king realizes injustice has happened he dies broken heart along with his queen consort Kopperundevi. Due to curse of Kannagi capital city Madurai of Nedunjeliyan I. too burns. Finally goddess Minakshi pacifies anger of Kannagi. While this epic poem story takes shape in between the queen is depicted of having  a bad dream in her sleep, in which  king's  sceptre fells down; since in Tamil literary and cultural simbolism of sceptre  imposes responsibility of virtuous right justice on the King.

Political culture and practices
Royal court s consisting of executive or administrative councils addressing issues of public concern and adjudicating cases, as well as ceremonial gatherings held by Indian Kings  or of a princely state were called durbar. According to Jackson & Jaffer   (2009, p. 82)  Indian princes used to manifest their authority through grandeur display of 'sacred objects which included king's adornments like crowns, weapons etc and also royal regalia like thrones and sceptre  in their durbar and processions  rather than just pronouncements and edicts'.

In modern era, Tamil political culture Sengol have had significant value. New rulers or politicians taking charge are presented or gifted with a ‘sengol’ as a reminder of  “aanai” (order or decree) with an expectation of a just  and fair rule. According to Derrett and Duncan though role of sengol and concept of  justice were vaguely understood, still was not impractical since historically subjects of the rulers were aware of kind of considerations  to be expected beyond abstract principles of law While Udaiyan Setupathi of Ramnad principality got autonomy from their principal Nayaka kingdom of Madurai in 1605, Setupathis went on to acquire cenkol sceptre from priests of Rameshwaram to legitimize next step of claim to Kingship in 1608.

In 1986 AIADMK Madurai conference M.G.Ramchandran and J. Jayalalithaa  were photographed with a sengol;  Karunanidhi  was also   photographed with a sengol.

In Popular culture
Shearer, Alistair. The Story of Yoga: From Ancient India to the Modern West. United Kingdom, C Hurst & Company (Publishers) Limited, 2020.

* Choondal, Chummar. Christian Theatre in India. India, Kerala Folklore Academy, 1984.

Categories to be added
Category:Formal insignia Category:Regalia Category:Symbols of Asia Category:Asian art Category:Indian art  Category:Culture of South Asia