List of Satavahana emperors
The Satavahanas (also known as Andras) were the rulers of the ancient Indian Satavahanas empire[1] They ruled over regions of Deccan (core region), central and southern India between c. mid 3rd century BCE to mid 3rd century CE.[2] The dynasty had different capital cities at different times, including Kotalingala (Telangana), Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati (Dharanikota). Gautamiputra Satakarni (r.c. 106–130 CE) is considered the greatest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. He is known as the "Lord of the West".[3] His mother's Nashik Prashasti inscription praises him for his military victories. Originally the Satavahanas were the followers of Hindu religion.[4]
The Satavahana Empire declined for a number of reasons like, after Yajnashri Satakarni, the last powerful ruler, the Satavahanas were succeeded by weak rulers who were unable to manage the vast empire. The loss of centralized power led to the rise of feudatories finally it leds to division of the empire.[5] The Satavahanas' greatest competitors were the Sakas, who had established power in Western India.[6]
List of rulers
[edit]Multiple Puranas contain chronology of Satavahana kings. However, there are inconsistencies among the various Puranas over the number of kings in the dynasty, the names of the kings, and the length of their rule. In addition, some of the kings listed in the Puranas are not attested via archaeological and numismatic evidence. Similarly, there are some kings known from coins and inscriptions, whose names are not found in the Puranic lists.[7][8]
The reconstructions of the Satavahana kings by historians fall into two categories:
- According to the first one, 30 Satavahana kings ruled for around 450 years, starting from Simuka's rule immediately after the fall of the Mauryan empire. This view relies heavily on the Puranas, and is now largely discredited.
- According to the second (and more widely accepted) category of reconstructions, the Satavahana rule started in around first century BCE. The chronologies in this category contain a smaller number of kings, and combine Puranic records with archaeological, numismatic and textual evidence.[9]
Because of uncertainty regarding the establishment date of the Satavahana kingdom, it is difficult to give absolute dates for the reigns of the Satavahana kings.[7] Therefore, many modern scholars do not assign absolute dates to the reigns of the historically attested Satavahana kings, and those who do vary greatly with each other.[10]
List based on Archeology
[edit]Himanshu Prabha Ray provides the following chronology, based on archaeological and numismatic evidence:[11]
| Serial. Nu | Ruler | Reign | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simuka | before 100 BCE | |
| 2 | Kanha | c. 100–70 BCE | |
| 3 | Satakarni I | c. 70–60 BCE | |
| 4 | Satakarni II | c. 50–25 BCE | |
| Kshatrapa interregnum rule with vassal Satavahana kings | |||
| 5 | Hāla (vassal under Kshatrapas) | c. 20–24 CE | |
| 6 | Nahapana (Kshatrapas King) | c. 54–100 CE | |
| Restored Satavahana dynasty | |||
| 7 | Gautamiputra Satakarni | c. 86–110 CE | |
| 8 | Pulumavi | c. 110–138 CE | |
| 9 | Vashishtiputra Satakarni | c. 138–145 CE | |
| 10 | Shiva Shri Pulumavi | c. 145–152 CE | |
| 11 | Shiva Skanda Satakarni | c. 145–152 CE | |
| 12 | Yajna Shri Satakarni | c. 152–181 CE | |
| 13 | Vijaya Satakarni | until c. 200 CE | |
| Regional Satavahana rulers of south-eastern Deccan:[12] | |||
| 14 | Chandra Shri | 3rd century CE | |
| 15 | Pulumavi II | 3rd century CE | |
| 16 | Abhira Isvarasena | 3rd century CE | |
| 17 | Madhariputra Sakasena | 3rd century CE | |
| 18 | Haritiputra Satakarni | 3rd century CE | |
List based on Puranas
[edit]The various Puranas give different lists of the Satavahana rulers. The Matsya Purana states that 30 Andhra kings ruled for 460 years, but some of its manuscripts name only 19 kings whose reigns add up to 448.5 years. The Vayu Purana also mentions that there were 30 Andhra kings, but its various manuscripts name only 17, 18, and 19 kings respectively; the reigns add up to 272.5, 300, and 411 years respectively. Many of these kings are not attested by historical evidence. On the other hand, some Satavahana kings attested by numismatic evidence (such as Rudra Satakarni) are not mentioned in the Puranas at all.[13]
Different scholars have explained these anomalies in different ways. Scholars such as R. G. Bhandarkar, D. C. Sircar and H. C. Raychaudhuri theorised that the Vayu Purana mentions only the main imperial branch of the dynasty, while the Matsya Purana puts together princes of all its branches.[13]
The names of the Andhra kings (in IAST), as mentioned in the various Puranas, are given below. These names vary across different manuscripts of the same Puranas, and some names are missing in some of the manuscripts. The list given below for each Purana contains the most exhaustive version. In the Puranas, Krishna (IAST: Kṛṣṇa) is described as brother of the first king, who overthrew the Kanva king Susharman. All other kings are described as sons of their predecessors. The first king of the Andhra-Bhrityas is also known as Shudraka or Suraka in the Kumarika Khanda of Skanda Purana (not present in the table below).[14]
| # | Ruler | Coins | Epigraphy | Bhagavata | Brahmanda | Matsya | Vayu | Vishnu | Reign (years) | Alternative names and reigns[16][17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simuka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 23 | Śiśuka (Matsya), Sindhuka (Vayu), Śipraka (Vishnu), Chhismaka (Brahmanda) |
| 2 | Kṛṣṇa (Kanha) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 18 | |
| 3 | Śatakarṇi I | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 10 | Śantakarṇa (Bhagavata), Mallakarni - 10 or 18 years (Matsya), Śri Śatakarṇi (Vishnu) |
| 4 | Pūrṇotsanga | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 18 | Paurṇamāsa (Bhagavata) | |||
| 5 | Skandastambhi | ✓ | ✓ | 18 | Śrivasvani (Matsya) | |||||
| 6 | Śatakarṇi II | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 56 | |
| 7 | Lambodara | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 18 | ||||
| 8 | Āpīlaka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 | Apītaka (Matsya), Ivīlaka (Vishnu), Hivilaka (Bhagavata) | |
| 9 | Meghasvāti | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 18 | Saudāsa (Brahmanda) | ||
| 10 | Svāti (Śatakarṇi) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 | ||||
| 11 | Skandasvāti | ✓ | ✓ | 7 | Skandasvati - 28 years (Brahmanda) | |||||
| 12 | Mṛgendra-Svātikarṇa | ✓ | ✓ | 3 | Mahendra Śatakarṇi (Brahmanda) | |||||
| 13 | Kuntala-Svātikarṇa | ✓ | ✓ | 8 | ||||||
| 14 | Svātikarṇa | ✓ | ✓ | 1 | ||||||
| 15 | Pulomavi I | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 24 | Pulomavi - 36 years (Matsya), Aṭamāna (Bhagavata), Paṭimavi (Vayu), Paṭumat (Vishnu), Ābhi - Brahmanda | ||
| 16 | Gaurakṛṣṇa | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 25 | Gorakśāśvaśri (Matsya), Nemi Kṛṣṇa (Vayu), Arishṭakarman (Vishnu) | |||
| 17 | Hāla | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5 | Hāleya (Bhagavata); 1 year in one manuscript | |||
| 18 | Mandalaka | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5 | Talaka (Bhagavata), Saptaka (Vayu), Pattalaka (Vishnu), Bhavaka (Brahmanda) | ||
| 19 | Purindrasena | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5 | Purīṣabhiru (Bhagavata), Purikaṣena - 21 years (Vayu), Pravillasena (Vishnu), Pravillasena - 12 years (Brahmanda) | ||
| 20 | Sundara Śatakarṇi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1 | Sundara Svatikarṇa (Matsya), Sunandana (Bhagavata) | ||
| 21 | Cakora Śatakarṇi (Chakora) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 0.5 | |||
| 22 | Śivasvāti | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 28 | Svātisena - 1 year (Brahmanda), Śivasvāmi (Vayu) | ||
| 23 | Gautamīputra | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 21 | Yantramati - 34 years (Brahmanda), Gotamīputra (Bhagavata and Vishnu); 24 years according to inscriptions |
| 24 | Pulomavi II (Vashishtiputra) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 28 | Purīmān (Bhagavata), Pulomat (Matsya), Pulimat (Vishnu). See also: Vashishtiputra Satakarni. | ||
| 25 | Śivaśri | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7 | Madaśirā (Bhagavata) | |
| 26 | Śivaskanda Śatakarṇi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7 | ||
| 27 | Yajñaśri | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 29 | Yajñaśri Śatakarṇi - 19 years (Brahmanda), Yajñaśri - 9, 20 or 29 years (Matsya) |
| 28 | Vijaya | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6 | ||
| 29 | Candraśri (Chandrashri) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 3 | Candravijaya (Bhagavata), Daṇḍaśri (Brahmanda and Vayu), Vada-Śri or Candra-Śri-Śatakarṇi - 10 years (Matsya) |
| 30 | Pulomavi III | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7 | Sulomadhi (Bhagavata), Pulomavit (Matsya), Pulomarchis (Vishnu) |
List of rulers
[edit]S. Nagaraju relies on the Puranic lists of 30 kings, and gives the following regnal dates:[18]
| S. No | Ruler | Reign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simuka | (r. 228 – 205 BCE) |
| 2 | Krishna | (r. 205 – 187 BCE) |
| 3 | Satakarni I | (r. 187 – 177 BCE) |
| 4 | Purnotsanga | (r. 177 – 159 BCE) |
| 5 | Skandhastambhi | (r. 159 – 141 BCE) |
| 6 | Satakarni II | (r. 141 – 85 BCE) |
| 7 | Lambodara | (r. 85 – 67 BCE) |
| 8 | Apilaka | (r. 67 – 55 BCE) |
| 9 | Meghasvati | (r. 55 – 37 BCE) |
| 10 | Svati | (r. 37 – 19 BCE) |
| 11 | Skandasvati | (r. 19 – 12 BCE) |
| 12 | Mrigendra Satakarni | (r. 12 – 9 BCE) |
| 13 | Kunatala Satakarni | (r. 9 – 1 BCE) |
| 14 | Satakarni III | (r. 1 BCE – 1 CE) |
| 15 | Pulumavi I | (r. 1 – 36 CE) |
| 16 | Gaura Krishna | (r. 36 – 61 CE) |
| 17 | Hāla | (r. 61 – 66 CE) |
| 18 | Mandalaka aka Puttalaka or Pulumavi II | (r. 69 – 71 CE) |
| 19 | Purindrasena | (r. 71 – 76 CE) |
| 20 | Sundara Satakarni | (r. 76 – 77 CE) |
| 21 | Chakora Satakarni | (r. 77 – 78 CE) |
| 22 | Shivasvati | (r. 78 – 106 CE) |
| 23 | Gautamiputra Satkarni | (r. 106 – 130 CE) |
| 24 | Vasisthiputra aka Pulumavi III | (r. 130 – 158 CE) |
| 25 | Shiva Sri Satakarni | (r. 158 – 165 CE) |
| 26 | Shivaskanda Satakarni | (r. 165–172) |
| 27 | Sri Yajna Satakarni | (r. 172 – 201 CE) |
| 28 | Vijaya Satakarni | (r. 201 – 207 CE) |
| 29 | Chandra Sri Satakarni | (r. 207 – 214 CE) |
| 30 | Pulumavi IV | (r. 217 – 224 CE) |
Mid-Chronology of Satavahana rulers
[edit]Apart from the two traditional views (long and short chronologies) there is another kind of analysis pointing out to a "Mid-Chronology", as it was already proposed by Dr. Dehejia and others, and particularly most recently by Shailendra Bhandare, who regards Satavahana's rule extended more than three centuries (c. 150 BCE to 250 CE)[19] with the flourish of trans-national trade, urbanism and monumental architecture in South India.
Bhandare regards Simuka to have ruled since around 160–150 BCE and that this date would still fit in well with Pargiter's 460 years to the Satavahanas, as it would fix the end of the dynasty around 300 CE, not too far from the mid-3rd century as consensus approximately lies.[20] Regarding Siri Satakani and his wife Naganika, Bhandhare considers their rule to have been somewhere around 110 +/- 20 BCE.[20]
List by Shailendra Bhandare
[edit]Bhandare also suggests the following sequence of reigns, based on his analysis of Satavahana coinage:[21]
- Gautamiputa Satakani (ca. 60–85 CE)
- Vasithiputa Siri Pulumayi (ca. 85–125 CE)
- Vasithiputa Siri Satakani (ca. 125–152 CE)
- Vasithiputa Siva Siri Pulumayi (ca. 152–160 CE)
- Vasithiputa Siri Khada Satakani (ca. 160–165 CE)
- Vasithiputa Vijaya Satakani (ca. 165–170 CE)
- Siri Yaña Satakani (ca. 170–200 CE)
- Gotamiputa Siri Cada (ca. 200–215 CE)
- Gotamiputa Siri Vijaya Satakani (ca. 215–225 CE)
Shailendra Bhandare's edited list by Andrew Ollett
[edit]On the other hand, based to a large degree on Shailendra Bhandare's work, with slight corrections, Andrew Ollett (2017) mentions the following reigns for the whole Satavahana dynasty:[22]
- Vasisthiputra Sri Chimuka Satavahana (ca. 120–96 BCE)
- Krsna (ca. 96–88 BCE)
- Sri Satakarni (ca. 88–42 BCE)
- Sakti
- Mantalaka
- Sundara
- Gautamiputra Siva Satakarni (?–60 CE)
- Gautamiputra Sri Satakarni (ca. 60–84 CE)
- Vasisthiputra Sri Pulumavi (ca. 84–119 CE)
- Vasisthiputra Sri Satakarni (ca. 119–148 CE)
- Vasisthiputra Sivasri Pulumavi (ca. 148–156 CE)
- Vasisthiputra Sriskanda Satakarni (ca. 156–170 CE)
- Gautamiputra Sriyajña Satakarni (ca. 171–199 CE)
- Gautamiputra Srivijaya Satakarni (ca. 200–205 CE)
- Vasisthiputra Sricanda Satakarni (ca. 206–220 CE)
- Mathariputra Sri Pulumavi (ca. 220–230 CE)
See also
[edit]- Middle kingdoms of India
- History of India
- History of Hinduism
- List of Indian monarchs
- List of wars involving India
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Indian History. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. p. 251. ISBN 9781259063237.
- ^ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 145, map XIV.1 (e). ISBN 0226742210.
- ^ John Marshall, "A guide to Sanchi", p.48
- ^ Sharma, R.S. (2007). "The Satavahana Phase". academic.oup.com. pp. 203–210. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195687859.003.0021. ISBN 978-0-19-568785-9. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
- ^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (2003). Ancient India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
- ^ Bhagwanlal Indraji (1885). "The Hâtigumphâ and three other inscriptions in the Udayagiri caves near Cuttack". Proceedings of the Leyden International Oriental Congress for 1883. pp. 144–180.
- ^ a b Singh 2008, pp. 381–384.
- ^ Chattopadhyaya 1974, pp. 17–56.
- ^ Sinopoli 2001, pp. 166–168.
- ^ Sinopoli 2001, p. 166.
- ^ Sinopoli 2001, p. 167.
- ^ Sinopoli 2001, p. 178.
- ^ a b Dhavalikar 1996, p. 134.
- ^ Kr̥shṇājī Pāṇḍuraṅga Kulakarṇī (1927). Sanskrit Drama & Dramatists: Their Chronology, Mind and Art.
- ^ Dhavalikar 1996, p. 139.
- ^ Sir Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar (1884). Early History of the Dekkan Down to the Mahomedan Conquest. Printed at the Government Central Press. p. 25.
- ^ Robert Sewell (1884). Lists of Inscriptions, and Sketch of the Dynasties of Southern India. Vol. 2. Government Press. p. 145.
- ^ Rajesh Kumar Singh (2013). Ajanta Paintings: 86 Panels of Jatakas and Other Themes. Hari Sena. pp. 15–16. ISBN 9788192510750.
- ^ "Deccan Heritage Foundation". Deccan Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ a b Bhandare, Shailen (January 2011). "Linking the Past: Overstruck Coins and the Chronology of the Satavahanas". 'Felicitas': Essay in Numismatics, Epigraphy and History in Honour of Joe Cribb, Eds. Shailendra Bhandare and Sanjay Garg. Retrieved 11 December 2019 – via www.academia.edu.
- ^ Shimada, Akira, (2012). Early Buddhist Architecture in Context: The Great Stupa at Amaravati (ca 300 BCE - 300 CE), Brill. pp. 51-52.
- ^ Ollett 2017, pp. 189, 190.
Sources
[edit]- Sinopoli, Carla M. (2001). "On the Edge of Empire: Form and Substance in the Satavahana Dynasty". In Alcock, Susan E.; D'Altroy, Terence N.; Morrison, Kathleen D.; Sinopoli, Carla M. (eds.). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521770200.
- Ollett, Andrew (2017). Language of the Snakes. University of California Press. p. 194. JSTOR 10.1525/j.ctt1w8h1vk.
- Pradhan, Shruti S. (1994). "FROM THE SĀTAVĀHANAS TO THE ANDHRAS AND THE ANDHRA-BHRTYAS". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 75 (1/4): 121–142. ISSN 0378-1143. JSTOR 41694410.
- Dhavalikar, Madhukar Keshav (1996). "Sātavāhana Chronology: A Re-examination". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 77 (1/4): 133–140. JSTOR 41702166.
- Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Satavahana at Wikimedia Commons
