The Satavahanas were the rulers of the ancient Indian Satavahana Empire.

They ruled over regions of Deccan (core region), central and southern India between c. mid 3rd century BCE to mid 3rd century CE. 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".John Marshall, "A guide to Sanchi", p.48 His mother's Nashik Prashasti inscription praises him for his military victories. The Satavahanas were the followers of Hindu religion.

The Satavahana Empire declined for a number of reasons, 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 led to the division of the empire. The Satavahanas' greatest competitors were the Sakas, who had established power in Western India.

List of rulers

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.

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.

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. 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.

List based on Archeology Himanshu Prabha Ray provides the following chronology, based on archaeological and numismatic evidence:

+List of Satavahana dynasty rulersSerial. NuRulerReign1Simukabefore 100 BCE2Kanhac. 100–70 BCE3Satakarni Ic. 70–60 BCE4Satakarni IIc. 50–25 BCEKshatrapa interregnum rule with vassal Satavahana kings5Hāla (vassal under Kshatrapas)c. 20–24 CE6Nahapana (Kshatrapas King)c. 54–100 CERestored Satavahana dynasty7Gautamiputra Satakarnic. 86–110 CE8Pulumavic. 110–138 CE9Vashishtiputra Satakarnic. 138–145 CE10Shiva Shri Pulumavic. 145–152 CE11Shiva Skanda Satakarnic. 145–152 CE12Yajna Shri Satakarnic. 152–181 CE13Vijaya Satakarniuntil c. 200 CERegional Satavahana rulers of south-eastern Deccan:14Chandra Shri3rd century CE15Pulumavi II3rd century CE16Abhira Isvarasena3rd century CE17Madhariputra Sakasena3rd century CE18Haritiputra Satakarni3rd century CE

List based on Puranas

The various Puranas give different lists of the Satavahana rulers. The Matsya Purana states that 30 Satavahana 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 Satavahana 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.

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.

The names of the Satavahana 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.

+ Puranic genealogy of Satavahana dynasty # Ruler Coins Epigraphy Bhagavata Brahmanda Matsya Vayu Vishnu Reign (years) Alternative names and reigns 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

S. Nagaraju relies on the Puranic lists of 30 kings, and gives the following regnal dates:

+List of Satavahana dynasty rulers S. NoRulerReign1 Simuka ()2 Krishna ()3 Satakarni I ()4 Purnotsanga ()5 Skandhastambhi ()6 Satakarni II ()7 Lambodara ()8 Apilaka ()9 Meghasvati ()10 Svati ()11 Skandasvati ()12 Mrigendra Satakarni ()13 Kunatala Satakarni ()14 Satakarni III (r. 1 BCE – 1 CE)15 Pulumavi I ()16 Gaura Krishna ()17 Hāla ()18 Mandalaka aka Puttalaka or Pulumavi II ()19 Purindrasena ()20 Sundara Satakarni ()21 Chakora Satakarni ()22 Shivasvati ()23 Gautamiputra Satkarni ()24 Vasisthiputra aka Pulumavi III ()25 Shiva Sri Satakarni ()26 Shivaskanda Satakarni (r. 165–172)27 Sri Yajna Satakarni ()28 Vijaya Satakarni ()29 Chandra Sri Satakarni ()30 Pulumavi IV ()

Mid-Chronology of Satavahana rulers

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) 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. Regarding Siri Satakani and his wife Naganika, Bhandhare considers their rule to have been somewhere around 110 +/- 20 BCE.

List by Shailendra Bhandare

Bhandare also suggests the following sequence of reigns, based on his analysis of Satavahana coinage:Shimada, Akira, (2012). Early Buddhist Architecture in Context: The Great Stupa at Amaravati (ca 300 BCE - 300 CE), Brill. pp. 51-52.

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

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:

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 Middle kingdoms of India History of India History of Maharashtra History of Hinduism List of Indian monarchs List of wars involving India

References Citations

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