Ancient History
Part III

The Satavahanas, who are called Andhras in the Puranas, held Vidarbha for four centuries and a half from circa B.C. 200 to A.D 250. Their earliest inscriptions, however, which record their performance of Vedic sacrifices and manificent gifts to Brahmanas are found in the Poona and Nasik districts. Towards the close of the fist century A.D they were ousted by the Saka Satraps from Western Maharastra. They then seem to have found shelter in Vidarbha. No inscriptions of the Satavahanas have indeed been found in Vidarbha, but in one of the Nasik inscriptions Gautamputra Satakarni, who later on exterminated the Sakas and re-occupied Western Maharastra, is called Benakatakasvami, the lord of Benakataka. No satisfactory explanation of This expression was possible until the discovery of the Tirodi plates of the Vakataka king Pravarasena II. As shown below, these plates record the grant of a village in the Benakata, which must have comprised the territory on both the banks of the Benna or the Wainganga, now included in the Balaghat and Bhandara districts. Gautamiputra was, therefore, ruling over the country of Benakata (or Venakata), before he reconquered Western Maharastra from the Saka Satrap Nabhapana.

Gautamiputra was a very powerful king whose kingdom extended from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and comprised even Malva, Kathiavad and parts of Rajputana in the north. His son Pulumavi was similarly the undisputed master of the whole Deccan. Yajnasri also, a later descendant of the family, retained his old over the whole territory as his inscriptions and coins have been found in the Thana district in the west and the Krishna district in the east. Two hoards of Satavahana coins have been found in Vidarbha, one in the Brahmapuri tahsil of the Chanda district and the other at Tarhala in the Mangul tahsil of the Akila district. The latter hoard, which was discovered in 1939, contains coins of as many as eleven kings. Beginning from Gautamiputra Satakarni. Some of them such as (Gautamiputra) Satakarni, Pulumavi, Sivasri Pulumavi, Yajnasri Satakarni and Vijaya Satakarni are mentioned in the Puranas, while some others such as Kumbha Satakarni, Karna Satkarni and saka Satakarni are not known from any other source. This hoard shows that the Satavahanas retained their hold over Vidarbha to the last.

The Satavahanas were liberal patrons of learning and religion. As stated above, the early kings performed Vedic sacrifices and lavished gifts on the Brahmanas. Gautamiputra, Pulumavi and Yajnasri excavated caves and donated villages to provide for the maintenance, clothing and medicine of Buddhist monks. They also patronised Prakrit literature. The Sattasai, an anthology of 700 Prakrit verses, is, by tradition ascribed to Hala of the Satavahana dynasty.

About A.D 250 the Satavahanas were supplanted by the Vakatakas in Vidarbha. This dynasty was founded by a Brahmana named Vindhyasakti I, who is mentioned in the Puranas as well as in an inscription in Care XVI at Ajintha. The Puranas mention Vindhyasakti, the founder of the dynasty, as a ruler of Vidisa (modern Bhilsa near Bhopal). His son Pravarasena I ruled over an extensive part of the Deccan. He performed several Vedic sacrifices including four asvamedhas and assumed the title of Samrat (Universal Emperor). According to the Puranas he had his capital at Purika which was situated at the foot of the Rksavat or Satpuda mountain. He had four sons among whom his empire was divided after his death. Two of these are known from inscriptions. The eldest son Gautimiputra had predeceased him. His son Rudrasena I held the northern parts of Vidarbha and ruled from Nandivardhana, modern Nandardhan, near Ramtek. He had powerful support of the king Bhava-naga of the Bharasiva dynasty who-ruled at Padmavati near Gwalior who was his maternal grandfather. Rudrasena was a fervent devotee of Mahabhairaya. He has left an inscription incised on the aforementioned slab of stone found at Devatek, which contains as mutilated edict of the Dharmamahamatra of Asoka. It records his construction of a Dharmasthana (temple).