Satvahana Dynasty

History
Name: Sachi Bhasin
Semester I - B.A./LLB Hons.
Roll. Number: 2!"#$
Damo%aram San&ivyya National La' (niversity)
*isa+ha,atnam
-ctober)2!"


Ac+no'le%.ement
I would like to show sincere gratitude to all academic and administrative staff of
DA/-DARA/ SAN0I*A11A NA2I-NAL LA3 (NI*4RSI21 and
/r.*ish'achan%ra Nath sir in particular who extended their help in completion of
project work. This topic, which has enhanced my knowledge due to the extensive research
required.
Secondly I would also like to thank my friends who helped me a lot in finishing this
project within the stipulated time.
5ontents
Abstract
Intro%uction
Intro%uction to Rulers
4arly Rulers
A%ministration
5oina.e
5ultural Achievements
Social an% 4conomic 5on%itions
6osition o7 3omen
Biblio.ra,hy
Abstract
The project is based on the Satvahana Dynasty and deals with all the various aspects of this time
period. Details have been mentioned and elaborated from various sources.
Intro%uction:
The Stavhanas, also known as the ndhras, were a !oyal Indian dynasty which ruled in
Southern and "entral India starting from around #$% &".The Stavhana dynasty 'elongs to
ndra (aval, a region in western (aharashtra. Their first capital was )unnar, near *une.
lthough there is some controversy a'out when the dynasty came to an end, the most li'eral
estimates suggest that it lasted a'out +,% years. -ong 'efore that their kingdom had disintegrated
into successor states.
The Satavahanas are credited for esta'lishing peace in the country, resisting the onslaught of
foreigners after the decline of (auryan .mpire.
They are known for their patronage of /induism and &uddhism which resulted in &uddhist
monuments from .llora to maravati. The Stavhanas were one of the first Indian states to
issue coins struck with their rulers em'ossed.Their coins give unique indications as to their
chronology, language, and even facial features 0curly hair, long ears, strong lips1. They issued
mainly lead and copper coins2 their portrait3style silver coins were usually struck over coins of
the 4estern 5shatrapa kings. Their coins also display various traditional sym'ols, such as
elephants, lions, horses, and chaityas 0stupas1, as well as the 67jjain sym'ol6, a cross with four
circles at the end.
They formed a cultural 'ridge and played a vital role in trade as well as the transfer of ideas and
culture to and from the /istorical 8utline of the Stavhana 9ynasty.
8ver the approximate three centuries of Stavhana su:erainty 0ca. mid3first century &". ; to
the mid3third century &"1 the 9eccan transformed into a prosperous and integrated region.
The political sta'ility provided 'y the Stavhanas and the introduction of a standardi:ed
monetary system stimulated commercial interactions. "ommercial interactions connected ur'an
centers through trade networks that extended across the entire 9eccan 0!ay <=>?1. The
Stavhana dynasty most likely emerged in the western 9eccan 'ased on the fact that a majority
of their inscriptions are found at @asik, )unnar, 5arle, and @aeght, which are all located in this
region. rguments have 'een made for the ndhra region in the eastern 9eccan as the original
homeland for the Stavhanas. These arguments are 'ased on the *urnA ic sources that refer to
the Stavhanas as the BndhraC dynasty and the discovery of early Stavhana coins in the
ndhra region at 5oalingala The concentration of Stavhana inscriptions in the western
9eccan shows a strong correlation 'etween the emergence of this dynasty and the commercial
interactions that were forming in the early historic period. (ountain passes linked the trade
routes from the interior areas to the trading ports located in the western 9eccan. The following
map illustrates the correlation 'etween ports, mountain passes, and early Stavhana settlements.
royal statue gallery and an inscription that listed the Dedic sacrifices performed 'y the initial
Stavhana rulers are located in the @nA eght pass that connected the Stavhana capital *aithan
with the trading port of Sopara. The Stavhana rulers as well as lay worshipers sponsored the
excavation of &uddhist cave monasteries located in these mountain passes along trade networks.
The com'ination of political consolidation, commercial interactions, the development of ur'an
centers, and the esta'lishment of monastic sites contri'uted to the transformation of the early
historic 9eccan.
Intro%uction to rulers:
The Stavhana dynasty can 'e divided into two su'sets of rulers that have 'een verified through
numismatic and epigraphic evidence.The first su'set of rulers esta'lished Stavhana authority
in the western 9eccan, performed Dedic sacrifices associated with kingship, patroni:ed &uddhist
monastic sites, and introduced a new currency into the 9eccan. This first phase of Stavhana
rule lasted for approximately one3hundred years, from the mid3first century &". until the
4estern 5atrapa invasion of the western 9eccan in the mid3first century ".. The dates for the
Stavhana dynasty have 'een determined through internal and external evidence pertaining to
the Stavhana34estern 5atrapa conflict. fter defeating the 4estern 5atrapas, the second
su'set of rulers ushered in a period of renewed prosperity in the 9eccan. This second phase
continued until the decline of the Stavhana dynasty in the early3third century ".. The two
epigraphic sources at @aeght, the royal statue gallery and the accompanying inscription
composed 'y @ganik, the wife of Stakari and mother of prince DediErF, provides a
chronology of this first su'set of the Stavhanas and evidence for the inauguration of a new
ruling power in the 9eccan. The @aeght statue gallery contains the remnants of royal figures
with partially legi'le la'els that depict three generations of Stavhana rulersG the founder
Simuka 0ca. ,#3$% &".1, his son Stakari 0<% &".3+, ".1, and three Stavhana princes
&hyala, /akuErF, and Stavhana, 5a 0ca. #=3<< &".1, the second ruler of the Stavhana
dynasty and the 'rother of Simuka according to *urnAic genealogies, was omitted from the royal
statue gallery 'ut his @asik inscription suggests that he was an early Stavhana king. The
twenty Dedic sacrifices listed in @ganikCs @aeght inscription indicate that the Stavhana
dynasty officially consecrated their authority in the 9eccan. The aEvamedha sacrifice, a Dedic
ceremony closely associated with kingship, was listed among the rituals performed 'y the early
Stavhana rulers. Hurthermore, in this inscription a Stavhana king was referred to as a
dakipathapati, -ord of the 9eccan, which indicates that the kings of the first phase of this
dynasty considered themselves rulers of the 9eccan. The inscriptions of the first su'set of
Stavhana rulers corresponds with some names mentioned in the *urnA ic genealogies, 'ut many
kings listed in the *urnAas cannot 'e verified 'y inscriptional or numismatic evidence .The
identification of the first su'set of Stavhana rulers has 'een aided 'y numismatic evidence due
to the fact these kings minted coins with royal legends.
4arly Rulers:
Simu+a82" B5-29 B5::
Simukha is regarded as the founde of Satvahana 9ynasty since his name tops the list of ndhra
kings given in the *uranas./e is descri'ed as Srimukha Satvahana Sirimata. Simuka ruled for #$
years according to the )ain accounts. Simuka conquered the present3day (aharashtra and parts of
(adhya *radesh 0including (alwa1. /owever, he grew so wicked 'y the end of his reign that he
was dethroned and killed. /e was succeeded 'y his 'rother 5anha 0or 5rishna1 0#%?;<>= &"1,
who further extended his state to the present day ndhra *radesh. -ater, Simuka made
Srikakulam as his capital.
;anha8!#<-!< B5::
Simukha was succeeded 'y his 'rother 5anha05rishna1. /is accession to the throne in spite of
Simukha having a son. 9uring the rule of 5rishna important developments took place in the
north and the east.5rishna expanded his empire towards the west as far as @ashik.
Sata+arni I 8!<-!9 B5::
/e is the Ith ruler of Satvahana and is said to have ruled for ,Iyears./is figure was scluptured in
rilievo at @aneghat along with figures of his father Simuka,his Jueen @aganika, (arathi and
three *rinces.
Satakarni defeated the Sunga dynasty of @orth India 'y resting 4estern (alwa from them, and
performed several Dedic sacrifices at huge cost, including the horse sacrifice ; shwamedha
yajna. /e also was in conflict with the 5alinga ruler 5haravela, who mentions him in the
K/athigumphaK inscription. ccording to the Luga *urana he conquered 5alinga following the
death of 5haravela. /e extended Satavahana rule over (adhya *radesh and pushed 'ack the
Sakas from *ataliputra 0he is thought to 'e the Luga *uranaKs 6Shata6, an a''reviation of the full
name 6Shri Sata6 that occurs on coins from 7jjain1, where he su'sequently ruled for <% years.
&y this time the dynasty was well esta'lished, with its capital at maravati and *ratishthnapura
0*aithan1.
Na.ani+a
She was the daughter if (arathi Tranakayiro and the wife of Satakarni I. She was a remarka'le
lady and left the impression of he great personality on the administration. -ike her hus'andshe
was the champion of Dedic religion. She issued the @aneghat inscription to record the
achievements of her hus'and.
6urnotsan.a8!9-!$2 B5::
The history of Satvahana 9ynasty following the death of Satakarni I is vague.It is known that
after @aganika,the empire was divided among her + sons. Taking advantage of the confused
scenario in the Satvahana 5ingdom,5haravela attacked and destroyed the flourishing city of
*ritrudanagra. Important events that took place during the rein were the deaths of *ushyamitra
and 5haravela around <+= &".
Sata+arni II 8!$2-#= B5::
The long rule of Satakarni II extended for ,I years. It was during his rule that *ataliputra,the
metropolis of ancient India came under the control of Satavahanas. Hor the <st time a south
Indian 9ynasty esta'lished itKs sway over the north. Satakarni II advanced upon Didisa and
annexed it. /e conquered 5alinga also which had come under the control of the sakas after the
death of 5haravela. Hurther from 5alinga Satakarni II proceeded to *ataliputra and conquerd it.
Satakrni is mentioned in an inscription on the gateway to Sanchi, the yugapurana and a few
coins.
;untala Sata+arni8"<-" B5::
/e ruled for a short period of > years. /e is mentioned in a num'er of literary works like the
5avya (imasa,5amasutra and &rihat 5atha. /is rule is memora'le as Sanskrit replaced *rakrit
as the official language of the empire. 5untala Satakarni was a powerful ruler. /is dominions
included 9akshinanpatha and parts of north India.
Hala8!#-2> B5::
/e was known as 5avivatsala or the patron of poets. The *rakrit poetical work -ilavai 'y
5utuhala narrates a love story of /ala and -ilavati, a princess from Sri -anka.
fter /ala the fortunes of the dynasty once again declined. They lost their provinces in "entral
and 4estern India and also (agadha.They were confined to their home territories in ndhra
9esa.
The -ater Satvahanas included prominent kings like the Mautamipura Satakarni 0?>3<%#
91,Dashistaputra *ulomavi0<%#3<$%1, Sivasri Satakarni 0<$%3<,+1 and Mautamiputra
Lajnasri0<?+3#%$1.
A%ministration:
The Satvahanas organised a sound administration to control their vast empire. They followed the
(auryan model and at the same time made new innovations to suit the local needs. The
Satvahana rulers were not cruel despots 'ut tried to discharge their duties according to the tenets
of the 9harmaSastras to promote the well3'eing of all sections of the society.
The King and the Council:
The king was known as the (aharaja or !aja. The Satvahana 5ings did not assume high3
sounding titles like Samrat or claim divine origin. The crown price was known as 5umara. The
king was assisted 'y a num'er of ministers of different grades and status. mong the ministers,
Disvasa matya held the pre3eminent position as he was consulted 'y the king on all important
matters. !aja matyas who ranked 'elow the Disvasa matya constituted the ministerial council.
Administrative services:
The administration was manned 'y officials noted for their efficiency, hard work and loyalty.
8fficials of the higher rank included
(aha Senapati 3 "ommander3in3chief
(ahamatras 3 /ead of departments
(ahataraka 3 cham'erlain
/eranika3 treasurer
*ratihara N 9uta 3 messengers.
rovinces:
The empire was divided into a num'er of provinces called the haras. These were placed in
charge of governors called 3 matyas. They were appointed for a period of , years. haras were
named after headJuarters of the governor. peculiar feature of the Satavahana administration
was the presence of feudatories of different grade. The highest class was that of petty princes
'earing the kingly title raja and striking coins in their own names. @ext in rank was the
maharathi and maha'hoja. &oth titles from the 'eginning were hereditary and restricted to a few
families in a few localities. *ro'a'ly maha'hoja ranked higher than that of maharathi.
The maha'hojas were the feudatories of Satavahanas. They were primarily located in western
9eccan. They were related 'y 'lood to the feudatory maharathi. It is definitely known that the
maharathi were the feudatories of Satavahanas. They also granted in their own name villages
with physical immunities attached to them. The maharathis of the "hitaldrug enjoyed the
additional privilege of issuing coins in their own name.
Towards the close of the Satavahana period two more feudatories were created (ahasenapathi
and (ahataralavara. &arring districts that were controlled 'y feudatories2 the empire was divided
into janapadas and aharas, the latter corresponding to modern districts. The division 'elow that
of ahara was grama. @on3hereditary governors were su'ject to periodical transfers. There were
other functionaries like great cham'erlain, store keepers, treasurers and dutakas who carried
royal orders.
!evenue
(ain source of the stateKs income was land revenue. The royal share of the agricultural prduce
was known as K&hogaK and KdeyameyaK. Taxes called KkarukaraK were collected from artisans.
5oina.e
The Satavahanas are the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins with portraits of their
rulers, starting with king Mautamiputra Satakarni, a practice derived from that of the 4estern
Satraps he defeated, itself originating with the Indo3Mreek kings to the northwest.Satavahana
coins give unique indications as to their chronology, language, and even facial features 0curly
hair, long ears and strong lips1. They issued mainly lead and copper coins2 their portrait3style
silver coins were usually struck over coins of the 4estern 5shatrapa kings.
The coin legends of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods, used a *rakrit dialect without
exception. Some reverse coin legends are in Telugu language which seems to have 'een in use in
their heartland a'utting the Modavari, 5otilingala, 5arimnagar, 5rishna, maravati, Muntur in
ndhra *radesh.Their coins also display various traditional sym'ols, such as elephants, lions,
horses and chaityas 0stupas1, as well as the 67jjain sym'ol6 a cross with four circles at the end.
The legendary 7jjayini .mperor Dikramditiya on whose name the Dikram Samvat is initiated
might 'e Satakarni II a Satavahana emperor as the 7jjayini sym'ol also appeared on the
Satavahana coins.
5ultural achievements
n aniconic representation of (araKs assault on the &uddha, #nd century, maravati.8f the
Stavhana kings, /la 0#%;#+ ".1 is famous for compiling the collection of (aharashtri poems
known as the Maha Sattasai, although from linguistic evidence it seems that the work now extant
must have 'een re3edited in the succeeding century or two. The -ilavati descri'es his marriage
with a "eylonese *rincess.
The Satavahanas influenced South3.ast sia to a great extent, spreading /indu culture, language
and religion into that part of the world. Their coins had images of ships.
Art o7 Amaravati
Scroll supported 'y Indian Laksha, maravati, #nd;$rd century "..
The Stavhana rulers are also remarka'le for their contri'utions to &uddhist art and
architecture. They 'uilt great stupas in the 5rishna !iver Dalley, including the stupa at maravati
in ndhra *radesh. The stupas were decorated in mar'le sla's and sculpted with scenes from the
life of the &uddha, portrayed in a characteristic slim and elegant style. The Satavahana empire
coloni:ed Southeast sia and spread Indian culture to those parts. (ahayana &uddhism, which
may have originated in ndhra 0northwestern India 'eing the alternative candidate1, was carried
to many parts of sia 'y the rich maritime culture of the Satavahanas. The maravati style of
sculpture spread to Southeast sia at this time.
Art o7 Sanchi
The Satavahanas contri'uted greatly to the em'ellishment of the &uddhist stupa of Sanchi. The
gateways and the 'alustrade were 'uilt after ?% &"., and appear to have 'een commissioned 'y
them. n inscription records the gift of one of the top architraves of the Southern Mateway 'y the
artisans of the Satavahana .mperor SatakarniGMift of nanda, the son of Dasithi, the foreman of
the artisans of rajan Siri Satakarni. Throughout, the &uddhist art of the Satavahanas remained
aniconic, denying any human representation of the &uddha, even in highly descriptive scenes.
This remained true until the end of the Satavahana rule, in the #nd century "..
Social an% 4conomic 5on%itions:
castes and professions:
&rahminism gained ascendency and the four3fold caste system of &rahamana, 5shatriya, Daisya
and Sudra tended to 'ecome more rigid. The religions of /induism and &uddhism co3existed in
perfect harmony and their mutual tolerance. Horeign invaders like Sakas and Lavanas settled in
India and em'raced either of the two religions. .ventually they adopted Indian names and
customs and were a'sor'ed into te /indu fold.The caste system lost its flexi'ility and 'ecame
more rigid,'ut the assimilation of foreign tri'es into the /indufold went on una'ated.
The society was further divided into a four class system 'ased on professions of people,the
professions were vi:.
/alika 3 cultivator
Sethi 3 merchant
vachaki 3 carpenter
kamara 3 'lacksmith
suvarnakara 3 goldsmith
tilapisaka 3 oil monger
The + sections were 3 (aharathisOmahajo'asOmahasenapatis 3 top officials, amatyas and sethis,
halikas and +th vachiki kolika.
*eople of same profession grouped themselves into guilds.
6osition -7 3omen:
/igh status was accorded to women. !oyal -adies like @aganika,'alasri played a dominant role
in the affairs of the state. The social structure was however, patrilinear in form. The rulers
championed /induism however the royal ladies and those 'elonging to affluent classes
patronised &uddhism.
Satvahana women were fashion3conscious. ccording to the various sculptures different
hairstyles are noticed which were in vogue. lso ornaments,jewels like
earings,necklaces,'angles. They did not have any inhi'ition in consuming intoxicants. Satvahana
dynasty was free and open 'ut not permissive.
he people developed a healthy attitude towards religion,morals ad sex.
Biblio.ra,hy
3eb Sources:
httpGOOwww.'haratadesam.comOhistoryOsatavahanaPempire.php
httpGOOen.wikipedia.orgOwikiOSatavahanaPdynasty
Boo+s :
i. /istory and "ulture of ndhra *radesh 'y *.!.!ao,Sterling *u'lishers *vt. -imited.
ii. .arly India 'y !omila Thappar.
iii. Indian /istory for pre3law 'y 7.S.Singh,llah'ad -aw gency.