Practice Questions on Satavahanas for APPSC exams

Simuka, the founder of the Satavahana dynasty, is identified by various names across different Puranas:

• Matsya Purana: Shishuka (or Sishuka)
• Vishnu Purana: Sipraka
• Vayu Purana: Sindhuka
• Brahmanda Purana: Chhismaka (or Chhesmaka)
• Skanda Purana (Kumarika Khanda): Shudraka or Suraka 

In the Puranas, the Satavahana dynasty is primarily referred to as the Andhras. While the dynasty’s own inscriptions and coins use the name “Satavahana”. The Puranas use several specific variations to describe the dynasty and its rulers. Some of them are:

• Andhras: The most common term used in major Puranas like the Matsya Purana and Vishnu Purana.
• Andhra-bhrityas: Translating to “Andhra servants,” this term is found in sources like the Vayu Purana and may suggest they were once subordinates (possibly to the Mauryas or Kanvas) before establishing their own empire.
• Andhra-jatiya: This term, meaning “belonging to the Andhra tribe or race,” highlights their tribal origin.

Dr. P.V. Parabrahma Sastri collected over hundred early coins near the village Kotilingala on the eastern side of the hillock called Munulagutta on the right bank of the river Godavari in the Peddabankur taluk of the Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. These included seven coins belonging to Simuka, the first Satavahana ruler.

According to scholars G.V. Rao and Dr. O. Ramachandraiya, the Satavahana dynasty began in 271 BCE. These scholars based their conclusion on the following historical reconstructions:

• Identification of the 15th King: They assumed that Pulomavi I, the 15th king mentioned in the Matsya Purana list, was the ruler who overthrew the last Kanva king, Susarman, in 28 BCE.
• Total Regnal Years: By calculating back from 28 BCE and accounting for the combined reigns of the 14 preceding kings (totalling approximately 228 to 243 years depending on specific Puranic interpretations), they arrived at 271 BCE as the founding year by Simuka.

The Satavahana ruler who was the brother and immediate successor of Simuka (the dynasty’s founder) was Kanha, also known as Krishna. According to Puranic genealogy, Kanha ruled for approximately 10 to 18 years before being succeeded by Satakarni I, who was the son of Simuka

Satakarni I, the third Satavahana ruler (c. 70–60 BCE), primarily bore the title Dakshinapathapati (“Lord of the Southern Path”), as recorded in the Nanaghat inscription by his queen Naganika, celebrating his conquests over the Godavari Valley and Malwa regions

In the Matsya Purana list of Satavahana (Andhra) kings, the 23rd king is Gautamiputra Satakarni.  He is widely regarded as the greatest ruler of the dynasty, famously described in the Nashik Prashasti inscription as the “destroyer of the Shakas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas”.

• Predecessor: He was preceded by Shivasvati (the 22nd king), who ruled for 28 years.
• Successor: He was succeeded by his son, Vashishtiputra Pulumavi (the 24th king), also known as Puloma II.

The Nasik inscription (or Nasik Prashasti) of Gautami Balasri was issued during the 19th regnal year of her grandson, Vashishtiputra Pulumavi.

• Issuing Authority: Gautami Balasri, the mother of Gautamiputra Satakarni.
• Ruling King at Time of Issue: Vashishtiputra Pulumavi (her grandson).
• Regnal Year: 19th year of Vashishtiputra Pulumavi’s reign.
• Content: A Prashasti (eulogy) celebrating Gautamiputra Satakarni as the “destroyer of the Shakas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas” and the “restorer of the glory of the Satavahana race”.
• Language & Script: Written in Prakrit using the Brahmi scrip

The Satavahana king associated with the founding of the era in 78 A.D. is Gautamiputra Satakarni.

While the era beginning in 78 A.D. is historically known as the Saka Era and is most commonly attributed to the Kushan king Kanishka I, it is widely known in South India as the Shalivahana Shaka. Local traditions, particularly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, attribute its origin to Gautamiputra Satakarni’s victory over the Shaka rulers (specifically the Western Kshatrapa king Nahapana).

In the Satavahana Empire, the administrative unit equivalent to a province was called a Janapada. Some historical records also refer to Rashtra as a term for these larger administrative divisions

Below the province level, the empire was further divided into:

• Ahara: These were subdivisions of the Janapadas, equivalent to modern-day districts. Each Ahara was administered by officials known as Amatyas or Mahamatras.
• Grama: The smallest unit of administration was the village, governed by a headman known as the Gramika or Gramani.

King Hala, the 17th Satavahana dynasty ruler (1st century CE), compiled the Gathasaptasati (also known as Gaha Sattasai or Sattasai). It is an ancient anthology of 700 Prakrit poems, focusing primarily on love, romance, and rural life in the Deccan region

• Sarvavarman, probably a minister of Hala, composed the Katantra on Sanskrit grammar for the use of King Hala.
• Gunadhya composed the Brihatkatha in Paisachi Prakrit and gave it to the same King Hala.

Dhanyakataka (Dharanikota in the Guntur district) was the eastern capital of the Satavahanas. The Amaravati Stupa is located in the present-day Guntur district.

The Bhattiprolu and Amaravati Stupas were the oldest brick-built Stupas in the south.

Gautamiputra Satakarni restruck the coins of the Saka (Western Kshatrapa) ruler Nahapana after defeating him.

• The Defeated King: Nahapana, a prominent ruler of the Kshaharata dynasty.
• Evidence: A massive hoard of over 8,000 silver coins of Nahapana was found at Jogalthambi (near Nashik), many of which were restruck with the symbols of Gautamiputra Satakarni (Ujjain symbol and three-arched hill).
• Significance: This act marked the destruction of the Kshaharata dynasty and the restoration of Satavahana power in the western Deccan

Chashtana was the founder of the Western Kshatrapa Kardamaka line. According to Ptolemy, Chashtana of Ujjain was ruling at the same time when Pulomavi II (Vasisthiputra Pulomavi) was ruling at Paithan.

The Satavahana rulers were not content with the simple title of Raja. Gautamiputra Satakarni bore the imperial title ‘Rajarano’, meaning ‘King of Kings’.

Along with this title, he was also commonly referred to as Maharaja (Great King). The Nashik prashasti inscription, a key source of information regarding his reign, also refers to him as “Lord of the Dakshinapatha” (Lord of the Deccan).

Key titles of Gautamiputra Satakarni often cited:

• Rajaraja/Rajadhiraja: King of Kings.
• Maharaja: Great King.
• Ekabrahmana: Peerless Brahmin or protector of Brahmins.
• Trisamudratoyapithavahana: One whose horses drank the water of the three oceans. 

The Satavahana rulers Yajna Sri Satakarni (c. 165–194 CE) and Vasisthiputra Pulumavi (c. 85–125 CE) are the primary rulers associated with issuing ship-mast coins, which signify brisk maritime trade.

• Yajna Sri Satakarni: His coins are famously known to feature a ship with two masts and sometimes a conch-shell and fish, indicating high maritime activity and success during his reign, particularly in the coastal areas.
• Vasisthiputra Pulumavi: Coins featuring a ship with one or two masts were also issued by Pulumavi, marking his control over coastal areas like the Coromandel Coast, indicating robust sea-borne commerce

Dhanyakataka, also known as Dharanikota or Amaravati near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, was the eastern capital of the Satavahana dynasty, particularly serving as the administrative center for their eastern territories.

• While Pratishthana (modern Paithan) was their primary western capital, Dhanyakataka served as a crucial second capital, often associated with the later rulers’ expansion into coastal Andhra

The Satavahana dynasty predominantly used Prakrit (specifically Maharashtri Prakrit) as the official language for their inscriptions. These inscriptions were written using the Brahmi script. While Prakrit was the standard, later inscriptions occasionally reflected Sanskrit influences

The Girnar inscription of Rudradaman is dated in the year 72 Saka (= 150 A.D.). It shows most of the territories of Gautamiputra Satakarni as included in the kingdom of Rudradaman, the Kardamaka ruler of Ujjain. The inscription describes how Rudradaman defeated the ‘Dakshinapathapati’ Satakarni twice and released him because of his non-remote relationship (matrimonial alliance between the two dynasties).

The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea notes that Barukachcha (Broach) imported wines, silver vessels, fine cloth and ornaments, while her exports included ivory, agate, silk cloth and pepper. Ptolemy described Barukachcha and Kalyan on the west as great centres of foreign trade. The Roman gold flowed into the Deccan in exchange for articles of luxury during the Satavahana period.

he Mahasaṃghika school of Buddhism, particularly its sub-sects known collectively as the Andhakas (including the Pubbaseliyas, Aparaseliyas, and Caityakas), flourished prominently in the Andhra region during the Satavahana period.

Key details regarding Buddhism under the Satavahanas include:

• Andhaka Sub-sects: The Cetikiyavada (or Cetiyaka) sub-sect was particularly prominent, with their influence found at the Amaravati Stupa.
• Emergence of Mahayana: The Andhra region, under the patronage of the Satavahanas (especially during the later period), is considered a major center for the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, with the famous philosopher Nagarjuna appearing towards the end of this period.
• Regional Centers: The Satavahanas generously patronized Buddhism, leading to the development of major centers like Amaravati (Dhanyakataka), Nagarjunakonda, Nasik, Karle, and Kanheri.

The Brihatkatha was composed by Gunadhya (also spelled Guṇāḍhya) in Paishachi (or Paisachi) Prakrit. A renowned 1st-century A.D. scholar and poet, Gunadhya wrote this massive narrative of 700,000 verses while in the court of the Satavahana king.

Legacy: The original text is lost, but its stories survive through Sanskrit adaptations like:

• Kathasaritsagara by Somadeva,
• Brihatkathamanjari by Kshemendra, and
• Brihatkatha-sloka-samgraha

The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea (composed around 60 A.D.) refers to ‘Nambanus’, whom scholars identified as Nahapana. According to the Periplus, Nahapana’s kingdom lay on either side of the Gulf of Cambay (Combay). His power was great all along the seaboard of Surashtra (Saurashtra). Greek ships going to Satavahana ports of Kalyan were diverted to Barygaza (Broach) due to Nahapana’s control.

At its zenith, the Satavahana empire stretched from the Bay of Bengal in the east to the Arabian Sea in the west, and embraced the entire region between the Narmada in the north and the Krishna in the south. There is also archaeological evidence of their conquest of Malwa and Puranic evidence for their control over Pataliputra (Magadha’s ancient capital). Gautamiputra Satakarni is said to have made his horses drink the waters of three oceans.

Yajna Sri Satakarni (128 A.D. – 157 A.D.) was the last of the great Satavahana rulers. He made attempts to recover the western (Aparanta) provinces lost to the Kshatrapas. He came into conflict with Rudradaman but was defeated twice. The Girnar inscription of Rudradaman records these defeats. After Yajna Sri, the successors — Vijaya, Chanda Sri and Pulomavi III — ruling for 17 years altogether were historically insignificant.

Of the Kshaharatas, Bhumaka was the first ruler. From the palaeography of his coin legends, he is regarded as the predecessor of Nahapana. The coins of Bhumaka mention him as a Kshaharata Kshatrapa. These coins show the symbol of the Lion-capital and were found in Gujarat and rarely in Malwa, indicating his area of rule. The actual relationship between Bhumaka and Nahapana is not clearly known.

The evidence of one matrimonial alliance between the Satavahanas and Kardamakas (Western Kshatrapas) is known from a Kanheri inscription. It mentions the daughter of Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman as the queen of Vasisthiputra Satakarni. This matrimonial alliance might also explain why the name of Vasisthiputra Satakarni is absent from the Puranic list of Andhra kings. His inscription at Nanaghat was issued in his 13th year.

In the Matsya Purana’s general statement, 29 kings with a total reign of 460 years are mentioned, while in its particular statement, 30 kings with a total reign of 448½ years are listed.

The Vayu Purana’s general statement refers to 30 kings with a reign of 441 years. Despite the discrepancies, there is at least one point of uniformity across Puranic traditions: the Andhra kings were 30 and they ruled for over four centuries.

Vasisthiputra Pulomavi II (86 A.D. – 114 A.D.) was the son and successor of Gautamiputra Satakarni. He could not maintain for long his hold over the vast inheritance. During the last years of his rule, he lost the north-western provinces of the Andhra empire to Chashtana, the founder of the Western Kshatrapa Kardamaka line. His successors, Siva Sri and Sivaskanda, each ruled for seven years.

In the economic sphere, agriculture was the mainstay of both the people and the government. The king collected the traditional one-sixth of the produce as the share of the state. Salt was a state monopoly.

Industry and commerce occupied the next place in the economic life of the state. Various classes of workers such as Kularika (potters), Kolika (weaver), Vasakara (bamboo worker), Dharmika (corn dealer) and Kamara (iron worker) are mentioned in inscriptions.

• Land Tax: Land revenue (Bhaga or Deyameya) was the chief source of income, generally set at 1/6th of the agricultural produce.

The Kondapur coins bear the legend ‘Sadvahana’.

• Significance: Paleographical evidence places these coins in the 3rd century BCE.
• Founder Attribution: The legend ‘Sadvahana’ supports the theory that the king is Simuka (also referred to as Chimuka or Simuka Satavahana), the founder of the Satavahana dynasty.
• Other Findings: The site at Kondapur, Telangana, also yielded coins of other Satavahana rulers such as Gautamiputra Satakarni, Sri Satakarni, and Sri Pulamavi, as well as coins with the title “Maharathi”.

The Hathigumpha inscription, located in the Udayagiri caves near Bhubaneswar, Odisha, belongs to king Kharavela of Kalinga, who belonged to the Mahameghavahana dynasty. Dated to the 1st/2nd century BCE, this inscription records his thirteen-year reign and mentions his westward march in defiance of Satavahana king Satakarni I.

According to Puranic tradition, the Satavahana dynasty (also referred to as the Andhra dynasty) ended the rule of the Kanvas in approximately 28 B.C.

The Puranas specifically state that the last Kanva king, Susarman, was killed by Balipuccha (also identified as Simuka or Sipraka in various texts), who then established the Andhra (Satavahana) rule. While the Kanvas ruled from Pataliputra, their downfall at the hands of the Satavahanas—a power based in the Deccan—marked the final collapse of the Magadha Empire as a centralized imperial power until the rise of the Guptas

Dr. V.S. Suktankar postulated the theory that Bellary was the original home of the Satavahanas. He based his theory on the Macadoni inscription of Pulomavi IV (last of the Andhra Satavahanas) and the Hirahadagalli copper plate grant of an early Pallava ruler, which referred to ‘Satavahana ahara’ and ‘Satavahani rashtra’ respectively. However, this argument was refuted by V.S. Bakhle, who pointed out these references are from the last phase of Satavahana rule, not their origin.

Vasudeva Vishnu Mirashi postulated the theory that Vidarbha was the home of the Satavahanas. His argument was based on two inscriptions:

(1) Nasik inscription of Bala Sri, where Gautamiputra was described as ‘the Lord of Bervakata’, which Mirashi identified with the region on either side of the Wainganga; and

(2) Kharavela’s Hathigumpha inscription, where mention was made of Kannabenna, which Mirashi identified with the Kanner river near Nagpur.

There was a strong belief among some scholars that Maharashtra was the original home of the Satavahanas. P.T. Srinivasa Ayyangar and Jogelkar supported this theory. Their argument was that the Satavahanas were Andhras who lived on the banks of a river named ‘Andhra’ in Pune district of Maharashtra, and that these Andhras led a great revolution, drove away foreigners (Kshaharatas), and established a new state. Hence Maharashtra was called Navarashtra (new state).

Naganika was the queen of Satakarni II. Her Nanaghat inscription (Nanaghat record) refers to Satakarni as ‘Aprathihatacakra’ (of unobstructed authority) and ‘Dakshinapadhapathi’ (Lord of Southern Regions). This inscription is one of the earliest Satavahana records and is crucial for establishing the chronology of the dynasty. Both the Nanaghat and Hathigumpha inscriptions are contemporary documents on palaeographical grounds.

Sramanas (or Shramanas) were ancient Indian ascetic movements (circa 8th-6th century BCE) that rejected Vedic authority, the caste system, and ritualism, focusing instead on personal renunciation, meditation, and ethical living to achieve liberation (moksha). Meaning “seekers” or “one who strives,” they founded heterodox philosophies, most notably Buddhism, Jainism, and Ajivika.

Kanha (Krishna), the brother and successor of Simuka, constructed a cave at Nasik for the Sramanas (Buddhist/Jain monks). He came under the spell of Asoka’s increasing zeal for Dharma. Taking advantage of Asoka’s death and disturbed conditions in the Magadhan capital, Kanha probably broke off from the Mauryan yoke and acquired an independent status for the area under his authority. This is the earliest known cave excavation associated with the Satavahana family.

The philosophical school that flourished under the patronage of Yajna Sri Satakarni (c. 2nd Century CE) was Mahayana Buddhism, specifically the Madhyamaka school of philosophy. 

• Association with Nagarjuna: The renowned Mahayana Buddhist philosopher Acharya Nagarjuna is believed to have lived in the Andhra region during the Satavahana period, with many scholars placing him in the court of Yajna Sri Satakarni.
• Founding of Madhyamaka: Nagarjuna founded the Madhyamaka (“Middle Way” or “Centrism”) school, which champions the doctrine of Shunyata (emptiness).
• Monastic Support: Under Yajna Sri Satakarni, Buddhism thrived, and he is believed to have supported monastic centers like Nagarjunakonda and Amaravati, which were major centers of Mahayana study.

Most Satavahana rulers issued coins in the largest quantity made of lead, followed by potin (an alloy of copper, lead, and tin) and copper. While they did issue silver coins (mostly portrait coins after Gautamiputra Satakarni), they were relatively rare compared to the vast number of lead coins circulated in the Deccan region

Satakarni I (also known as Sri Satakarni) is the Satavahana ruler generally identified as the contemporary of Kharavela of Kalinga, who was defied or challenged, and who performed Vedic sacrifices, including the Aswamedha.

• Defiance of Kharavela: While the Hathigumpha inscription mentions that Kharavela sent an army to the west “undeterred” by Satakarni (often interpreted as challenging the Satavahana power) in his second regnal year, Satakarni I is recognized as a major ruler who expanded his territory to include Madhya Pradesh and the Godavari valley.
• Aswamedha Sacrifice: Satakarni I, husband of Queen Nayanika (Naganika), performed two Aswamedha sacrifices (horse sacrifices) and a Rajasuya sacrifice, which are recorded in the Naneghat inscription.
• Title: He assumed the title of “Lord of Dakshinapatha” (Dakshinapathapati)

The rise of the Ikshvaku dynasty (also known as the Andhra Ikshvakus) in the eastern Deccan (Krishna-Guntur region) was a major factor that contributed to the fall of the Satavahana Empire in the early 3rd century CE. 

• Successor Dynasty: The Ikshvakus, based in the Nagarjunakonda Valley, replaced the Satavahanas in the eastern region in the early 3rd century AD.
• Fragmentation: After the last notable ruler, Pulumavi IV, the Satavahana empire disintegrated, with the Ikshvakus taking the East, the Abhiras taking the West, and the Pallavas taking the Southeast.

According to R.G. Bhandarkar, the Andhrabhritya dynasty of the Puranas is the same as the Satavahana dynasty of inscriptions. He explained the term ‘Andhrabhritya’ as meaning ‘Andhras who were once servants or dependents.’

Dr. K. Gopalachari asserted that the Satavahanas were Andhras by tribal connection — either scions of the royal family in Andhradesa or Andhra fortune-hunters who accepted service in the western Deccan under Mauryan suzerains, thereby getting the Puranic appellation ‘Andhrabhritya’.

K.P. Jayaswal regarded the Satavahanas as probable representatives of the Satiyaputras of the Asokan records. He was among the scholars including V.S. Suktankar, H.C. Roychaudhuri, and V.S. Bakhle who rejected the Andhra-Satavahana equation. Jayaswal also suggested that when the centre of political gravity shifted from Magadha, the Puranas described the imperial dynasties with reference to their place of origin — just as Vakatakas were described as Vindhyakas, Satavahanas were called Andhras.

Gautami Bala Sri’s Nasik inscription describes her son Gautamiputra Sri Satakarni as the destroyer of the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas and the annihilator of the line of the Kshaharatas. His phenomenal success realized his ambition to recover the imperial position of the Satavahanas.

• Military Successes: It credits him with destroying the power of foreign invaders: the Sakas (Western Kshatrapas), Yavanas (Indo-Greeks), and Pahlavas (Indo-Parthians).
• Specific Title: He is given the title Shaka-Yavana-Pahlava-nisudana, meaning the “destroyer of Shakas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas”.
• Uprooter of Kshaharatas: The inscription specifically mentions he “rooted out the Khakharata (Kshaharata) race,” the family to which the Saka ruler Nahapana belonged.
• Vast Empire: He is described as Tri-samudra-toya-pita-vahana, meaning one whose horses drank the water of the three oceans (the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean).
• Other Epithets: He is also called Ekabrahmana (a peerless Brahmin) and Khatiya-dapa-mana-madana (destroyer of the pride and conceit of the Kshatriyas).

A large number of Nahapana’s coins found in the Jogelthembi hoard were restruck by Gautamiputra Satakarni. This was a clear symbolic statement of victory — the practice of restruck coins signified Gautamiputra’s complete defeat of Nahapana and the Kshaharata dynasty. After this victory, Gautamiputra seems to have restruck the coins of Nahapana as is known from this hoard. This is one of the important numismatic evidences for understanding the Satavahana-Kshaharata conflict.

At its zenith, the Satavahana empire embraced the entire region between the Narmada in the north and the Krishna in the south, from the Bay of Bengal in the east to the Arabian Sea in the west. There is also archaeological evidence of their conquest of Malwa and Puranic evidence for their control over Pataliputra. Gautamiputra’s dominions included Asika, Asaka, Mulaka, Surashtra, Kakura, Aparanta, Anupa, Vidarbha, Akara, Avanti and many other regions.

The Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela (c. 2nd–1st century BCE) mentions Satakarni II of the Satavahana dynasty as a contemporary adversary, noting Kharavela’s military campaigns against him in western regions. Scholarly analysis, based on Puranic chronologies and inscriptional cross-references, dates Satakarni II’s accession around 166 BCE, marking one of the longest Satavahana reigns

Most of the Satavahana rulers were staunch followers of the Vedic religion with its ritual and caste system. Satakarni II performed Vedic sacrifices including Aswamedhas and Rajasuya. Gautamiputra restored the caste system. Yet the Satavahana kings were renowned for their spirit of tolerance and extended their patronage to Buddhist ascetics.

• Brahmanical Adherence: The Satavahanas were staunch followers of Hinduism and represented a revival of Brahmanism in the Deccan.
• Vedic Sacrifices: Kings and queens performed prominent Vedic rituals, including Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice), Rajasuya, and Vajapeya, to legitimize their rule.
• Land Grants: They were among the first Indian rulers to make extensive tax-free land grants to Brahmins.