The Satavahanas were an ancient Indian
dynasty based in the Deccan Plateau. Satavahanas played the most prominent role
in Indian history. The origin of dynasty is uncertain, but most of the modern
scholars believe that the Satavahanas rule began in first century BCE and
lasted until the second century CE, although some assign the beginning of their
rule to as early as the 3rd century BCE. But recent translations assign the beginning of Satavahana Dynasty to 830 BCE.
Origin of Satavahana Dynasty
The origin of Dynasty is uncertain.
According to puranas, satavahana rulers had emerged from delta areas of Krishna
and Godavari rivers. Though there were many principalities, King Simuka unified
them into single kingdom and named it as Satavahana Dynasty. He laid foundation
in 235 BC as per old translations (830 BCE as per recent translations). Simuka overthrew the king Susarman of Kanva dynasty. He conquered
the region around Vidhisa and his brother Krishna extended his kingdom in Nasik
region.
Imperial Expansion of Satavahana Empire
Kanha was the successor of king Simuka.
He extended kingdom upto Nashik in the West. At the end of Kanha’s rule Satakarni-I
became the next king. He was the first Satavahana king to make an imperial
expansion. He conquered western Malwa (western), Anupa (Narmada valley),
Vidarbha, Sanchi and Bhoral State of Central India. He performed Asvamedha and
Rajasuya Yaga. Instead of the Buddhists, he patronised Brahmins and donated a
substantial amount of wealth to them.
The next king was Satakarni-II who ruled
for 56 Years. He captured eastern Malwa from the Shungas and extended the
kingdom across the river Ganges. Satakarni-II was succeeded by Lambodara.
The next important king in Satavahana
dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni. He is considered the greatest of all the
kings of Satavahana Empire. He suppressed the Sakas, Yavanas and annexed
Kanchi, Kolhapur, Malwa, and many nearby territories.
The last king of Satavahana Dynasty is
Madhariputra Svami Sakasena. Minting coins bearing Lions and Elephant motif on
them were made under his rule. Satavahanas rule ended with the rule of
Madhariputra Svami Sakasena, by the end of 2nd century AD.
List of Rulers
Many Puranas contains the chronology of
Satavahana kings. However, there were inconsistencies in the list of Satavahana
rulers. Some of the kings mentioned in Puranas were not confirmed with
archaeological and numismatic evidence. Similarly, there are some kings known
from coins and inscriptions, whose names are not found in the Puranic lists.
Because of uncertainty it is difficult to give absolute dates of Satavahan
kings rule.
Himanshu Prabha Ray provides the
following chronology, based on archaeological and numismatic evidence:
• Simuka
(before 100 BCE)
• Kanha
(100–70 BCE)
• Satakarni
I (70–60 BCE)
• Satakarni
II (50–25 BCE)
• Kshatrapa
interregnum with vassal Satavahana kings like Hāla
• Nahapana
(54-100 CE)
• Gautamiputra
Satakarni (86–110 CE)
• Pulumavi
(110–138 CE)
• Vashishtiputra
Satakarni (138–145 CE)
• Shiva
Shri Pulumavi (145–152 CE)
• Shiva
Skanda Satakarni (145–152 CE)
• Yajna
Shri Satakarni (152–181 CE)
• Vijaya
Satakarni
Regional rulers of south-eastern Deccan:
• Chandra
Shri
• Pulumavi
II
• Abhira
Isvasena
• Madhariputra
Sakasena
• Haritiputra
Satakarni
Puranas based List
• Simuka
(r. 228 – 205 BCE)
• Krishna
(r. 205 – 187 BCE)
• Satakarni
I (r. 187 – 177 BCE)
• Purnotsanga
(r. 177 – 159 BCE)
• Skandhastambhi
(r. 159 – 141 BCE)
• Satakarni
II (r. 141 – 85 BCE)
• Lambodara
(r. 85 – 67 BCE)
• Apilaka
(r. 67 – 55 BCE)
• Meghasvati
(r. 55 – 37 BCE)
• Svati
(r. 37 – 19 BCE)
• Skandasvati
(r. 19 – 12 BCE)
• Mrigendra
Satakarni (r. 12 – 9 BCE)
• Kunatala
Satakarni (r. 9 – 1 BCE)
• Satakarni
III (r. 1 BCE-1 CE)
• Pulumavi
I (r. 1 – 36 CE)
• Gaura
Krishna (r. 36 – 61 CE)
• Hāla
(r. 61 – 66 CE)
• Mandalaka
aka Puttalaka or Pulumavi II (r. 69 – 71 CE)
• Purindrasena
(r. 71 – 76 CE)
• Sundara
Satakarni (r. 76 – 77 CE)
• Chakora
Satakarni (r. 77 – 78 CE
• Shivasvati
(r. 78 – 106 CE)
• Gautamiputra
Satkarni (r. 106 – 130 CE)
• Vasisthiputra
aka Pulumavi III (r. 130 – 158 CE)
• Shiva
Sri Satakarni (r. 158 – 165 CE)
• Shivaskanda
Satakarni (r. 165–172)
• Sri
Yajna Satakarni (r. 172 – 201 CE)
• Vijaya
Satakarni (r. 201 – 207 CE)
• Chandra
Sri Satakarni (r. 207 – 214 CE)
• Pulumavi
IV (r. 217 – 224 CE)
Pandit Kota Venkata Chelam provides the
following chronology
Total number of kings - 32 :: Period of reign -
506 years.
1 Sindhuka
or Sisuka or Srimukha (833-810 BCE)
2 Sri
Krishna Satakarni (810-792 BCE)
3 Sri
Malla Satakarni (792-782 BCE)
4 Purnothsanga (782-764 BCE)
5 Sri
Satakarni (764-708 BCE)
6 Skandhasatambhin (708-690 BCE)
7 Lambodara (690-672 BCE)
8 Apitaka (672-660 BCE)
9 Meghaswati (660-642 BCE)
10 Sataswati (642-624 BCE)
11 Skanda
Satakarni (624-617 BCE)
12 Mrugendra
Satakarni (617-614 BCE)
13 Kuntala
Satakarni (614-606 BCE)
14 Soumya
Satakarni (606-594 BCE)
15 Satasatakarni (594-593 BCE)
16 Puloma
Satakarni or Puloma-I (593-557 BCE)
17 Megha
Satakarni (557-519 BCE)
18 Arishta
Satakarni (519-494 BCE)
In this king’s reign in 509 B.C. Sree Sankara
was born.
19 Hala
Satavahana (494-489 BCE)
20 Mandalaka (489-484 BCE)
21 Purindrasena (484-463 BCE)
. In
this king's reign in 477 B.C. Sri Sankara attained Nirvana
22 Sundara
Satakari (463-462 BCE)
23 Chakora
Satakarni (462-461½ BCE)
23 Mahendra
Satakarni (461½-461 BCE)
24 Siva
Satakarni (461-433 BCE)
25 Goutami
Putra Sri Satakarni (433-408 BCE)
26 Puloma
II (408-376 BCE)
27 Siva
Sri Satakarni (376-369 BCE)
28 Sivaskanda
Satakarni (369-362 BCE)
29 Yajna
Sri Satakarni (362-343 BCE)
30 Vijaya
Sri Satakarni (343-337 BCE)
31 Chandra
Sri Satakarni (337-334 BCE)
32 Puloma
III (minor) (334-327 BCE)
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