DescriptionThe Kidarite kingdom got its start with a palace coup when a Kushan general rebelled. It was centered in Pakistan, and extended into Afghanistan and northern India for a time. In later years it may have developed a Hephthalite character. Hard to tell. The coins are the primary historical evidence.The earliest ancient Indian coins were the “bent bar” punchmarked silvers of the Achaemenid Persians occupying Gandhara in northwest Pakistan. By the 3rd century BC coins were in general use in most of India and Ceylon, and in subsequent centuries struck round coins in gold, silver, and copper came into use throughout the subcontinent and beyond to Southeast Asia and Pacific islands to Java and beyond.
