COWRIES AS CURRENCY IN ODISHA: A SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL STUDY FROM THE EARLY HISTORIC TO COLONIAL PERIOD

This paper examines the evolution and multifaceted role of cowries as currency in Odisha from the early historic to the colonial period, highlighting their economic, social, and cultural dimensions. Originating as marine shells introduced through Indian Ocean trade routes, cowries became a vital component of Odisha’s inland and maritime exchange systems. Drawing on archaeological evidence, inscriptional records, vernacular literature, and colonial administrative documents, the study traces how cowries transitioned from objects of exchange to markers of social value. During the early and medieval periods, cowries circulated widely in rural markets, temple economies, and agrarian payments, serving as an accessible form of low-denomination currency. They were also deeply embedded in the religious and cultural life of Odisha, symbolizing fertility, prosperity, and divine favor in ritual practices, goddess worship, and folk traditions. The colonial period marked a significant transformation, as British monetary reforms replaced cowries with metallic coinage; yet, their continued use in domestic rituals, tribal trade, and ornamentation reflected their enduring cultural relevance. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining economic history, archaeology, and ethnographic insight, this paper situated Odisha within the larger framework of eastern Indian and Indian Ocean cowrie economies. It argues that cowries in Odisha functioned not merely as instruments of trade but as cultural artefacts that linked material exchange with spiritual symbolism, thereby illuminating the complex interconnections between economy, belief, and identity in the region’s historical development.