Political relations between the Satavahanas and the Western Kshatrapas
Author(s): Dr. Balusupati Harikrishna
Abstract: Satavahana’s or Shaliwahana’s dynasty has played an important role in the history of South India, when fortunes of Indian culture were flourished. Satavahana dynasty has contributed a great deal for enriching Indian culture. Arun Bhattacharjee has rightly observed that “It was the Satavahanas who were the first to build up an empires and political unity in south India for three long centuries. They left behind a political and cultural legacy. The Andhra Satavahanas ruled for four centuries and a half in the Deccan. During their rule they came into contact with their neighbouring kingdoms, the prominent of which was that of the Western Kshatrapas. During the Indo-Parthian rule, the Satraps or Governors were appointed to rule over various areas conquered by them. One of those satrapal seats was Malwa and Saurashtra. The chronology of the Satavahanas and the early phase of the Kshatrapa rule have been controversial. The Kshatrapa rule includes that of the Kshaharatas like Bhumaka and Nahapana and of the Kardanraka family from Chashtana onwards. Of the Kshaharatas, Bhumaka was the first ruler. From the paleography of his coin legends, he is regarded as the predecessor of Nahapana; but the actual relationship between the two is not known. The coins of Bhumaka mention him as a Kshaharata Kshatrapa. The coins show the symbol of the Lion-capital. These coins were found in Gujarat and rarely in Malwa which might indicate the area of rule of Bhumaka. The figure of the thunder-bolt appearing on Nahapana's coins resembles that of the Mathura Kshatrapas. It is also known that some of the inscriptions of the Mathura Kshatrapas were incised on a lion capital.
Pages: 85-87 | Views: 1030 | Downloads: 783Download Full Article: Click HereHow to cite this article:
Dr. Balusupati Harikrishna. Political relations between the Satavahanas and the Western Kshatrapas. Int J Hist 2022;4(1):85-87.
