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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Ancient History

Lecture - 19
Mercantile Era (Part-2)
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Mercantile Era (Part-2)

Satavahana Dynasty (100 BC- 200 AD):
 The area around Deccan and Central India was ruled by the Satavahanas.
 They were the immediate successor
of the Mauryas and ruled for 460
years.
 With the fall of the Maurya Empire,
most of the vassal states declared
independence, and the great empire
built by and his predecessors lay in
Ashoka fragments. There was much
feud and conflict among these small
states.
 The rise of the Satavahana Empire
in south-central India provided
much-needed peace and stability to
the land.
 Satavahana or Shaliwahana’s dynasty played an important role in the history of South India when the
fortunes of Indian culture flourished. The Satavahana dynasty has contributed a great deal to enrich the
Indian culture.
 They are also called Andhras in Puranas.
 Coins had bilingual legends.
 The name of the Kings was written in Prakrit and it was also the official language of the dynasty.
 There was also a prevalence of some South Indian languages.
 They used Satakarani as their surname.
 Edicts of Ashoka mention that Satavahanas as feudatories of Ashoka.
 Capital: Pratishthan/Paithan | Amravati (Dharanikota)
 Mainly their coins were made of lead, they also used copper, bronze, and pot.
 Famous ruler of Satavahana Dynasty:
 Simuka: (100-70 BCE)
 Kanha: (70-60 BCE)
 Sri Satakarni: (1st BCE)
 Sivaswathi: (1st century CE)
 Gautamiputra Satakarni: (2nd century CE)
 Vasishthiputra Pulumavi: (2nd century CE)
 Shivaskanda Satakarni: (2nd century CE)
 Yajna Sri Satakarni: (2nd century CE)
 Vijaya: (2nd century CE)
 There is no agreed chronology on their origin.
 The Satavahana kingdom mainly comprised the present-day Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
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Simuka:
 Simuka is mentioned in Puranas as the “first” ruler of Satavahana regime.
 However, his name has been mentioned as Sishuka, Sindhuka, Chhismaka, Shipraka, etc.
 He declared his independence from Mauryan rule in about 230 BC.
Kanha:
 Simuka’s brother who succeeded him. Extended the kingdom up to Nashik in the west.
 His successor was Satakarni I.
Shri Satakarni I:
 He was Simukas son and 3rd King of the Satavahana Dynasty.
 He conquered western Malwa, Anupa (Narmada valley) and Vidarbha, taking advantage of the turmoil
caused by Greek invasions of northern India.
 He also performed Vedic sacrifices.
 Details of Satakarni I are mentioned at Nanaghat inscription by Naganika (wife).
Satakarni II:
 He ruled for 56 years, during which he captured eastern Malwa from the Shungas.
 He was succeeded by Lambodara.
Hala (17th):
 He was the 17th ruler of Satavahana Dynasty.
 He composed Gatha Saptashati (700 erotic verses in Maharashtri or Paishachi prakrit
 Gunadhya, the author of 'Vrihat Katha' (in Prakrit), was the contemporary of Hala.

Gautamiputra Satakarni (103-127 AD):

 He was the 23rd ruler and most famous ruler of the Satavahana dynasty.
 He defeated the Saka Satraps Nahapana. He restuck 8000 coins.
 He was also known as Ekabrahmana, which means a peerless Brahmana.
 He donated land to the Buddhist monks, the Mahasamghikas, at Karle and at Nashik.
 His achievements are written in the Nasik cave inscription, built by his mother Gautami Balashri.
 In the Nashik Inscription he is described as:
 The destroyer of the Shakas, Pahlavas, and the Yavanas;
 The uprooter of the Kshaharatas
 The restorer of the glory of the Satavahanas.
 He assumed the titles Raja-Raja (King of Kings) and Maharaja (Great King), and was described as the
Lord of Vindhya.
 Donated lands to Mahasanghikas-Karle & Nashik.
Vashihstaputra Pulamayi:
 He was the son of Gautamiputra Satakarni.
 He repaired and enlarged the old stupa at Amaravati.
 He was the 24th ruler, was married to the daughter of Saka Kshatrapas Rudradaman, but defeated by him
twice.
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 Pulumavi features in a large number of Satavahana inscriptions and his coins have been found distributed over
a wide area.
 His coins featuring ships with double mast have been found on the Coromandel Coast, indicating
involvement in maritime trade and naval power.
Yajna Sri Satakarni:
 Inscriptions at Nasik, Guntur and Kanheri.
 He ruled over the whole Deccan and recovered much of the territory lost to the Western Kshatrapas, and issued
silver coinage, imitating them.
 Recovered North Konkan and Malwa from Sakas.
Pulamayi IV:
 He was the last Satavahana king and ruled until 225 BCE.
 Several Buddhist monuments were constructed at Nagarjunakonda and Amaravati.
 Satavahanas were finally succeeded by the Ikshvakus in 3rd Century AD.
Land Grants:
 Satavahanas started the practice of donating land with fiscal and administrative immunities to Brahmans
and Buddhist monks, which eventually weakened their authority. The earliest inscriptional evidence of land
grants in India belongs to the 1st century BC.

Position of 'Bhikkhus' (monks) and Brahmanas:

 The ‘bhikkhus’ (monks) and Brahmanas were held in high esteem and they too observed and preached high
standards of conduct. They were beyond the ordinary laws of the Government.
 The Satavahanas also started the practice of granting tax-free villages to the Brahmans and Buddhist
monks.
 The Brahmans and Buddhist monks in turn used to make the society peaceful and stable with their teachings.
The Satavahana kingdom had three grades of feudatories.

Caves and Stupas for Buddhists:

 Under the Satavahanas, many Chaityas (worship halls) and Viharas (monasteries) were cut out from rocks
mainly in North-West Deccan or Maharashtra. Famous examples were Nasik, Kanheri and Karle.
 Stupas (large round structures erected over a sacred relic) were seen scattered all around Ellora. The most
famous of these attributed to the Satavahana period are Amravati, a sculptural treasure house, and
Nagarjunakonda.
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Satavahana Administration:
 At different times, their rule extended to parts of modern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. The
dynasty had different capital cities at different times, including Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati
(Dharanikota).
 The kingdom fragmented into smaller states by the early 3rd century CE.
 The Satavahanas were early issuers of Indian state coinage struck with images of their rulers.
 They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade and the transfer of ideas and culture to and from
the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India.
 They supported Brahmanism as well as Buddhism, and patronised Prakriti literature.
 They had to compete with the Sungas and then the Kanvas of Magadha to establish their rule. Later, they
played a crucial role to protect a huge part of India against foreign invaders like the Sakas, Yavanas and
Pahlavas. In particular their struggles with the Western Kshatrapas went on for a long time.
 The great rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri Yajna Satakarni were able
to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and stop their expansion.
 In the 3rd century CE, the empire was split into smaller states and later on it disintegrated.
 Satavahanas were tolerant rulers. The Satavahana rulers were followers of the Vaishnav religion, but
Buddhist art and architecture flourished a great deal and resulted in Buddhist monuments from Ellora (a
UNESCO World Heritage Site) to Amaravati.
 They were the first solid and strong dynasty of south India, who ruled for more than four centuries and provided
peace and glory towards the history of Deccan, while there was uncertainty and instability in south India.
 The Satavahana coins, inscriptions and literature are a rich source of our knowledge about their administrative
system.
 The Satavahanas followed the administration guidelines of the Shastras. Their government was less top-
heavy than that of the Mauryans, and featured several levels of feudatories:
 Rajan, the hereditary rulers
 Rajas, petty princes who struck coins in their own names
 Maharathis, hereditary lords who could grant villages in their own names and maintained matrimonial
relations with the ruling family
 Mahasenapati, civil administrator under Pulumavi II; governor of a janapada under Pulumavi IV
 Mahatalavara, they were the "great watchman"
 The royal princes (kumaras) were appointed as viceroys of the provinces.

Representation of King:
 The Satavahana rulers strived to achieve the ideals set forth in Dharmashastra. The king was represented as
an upholder of Dharma.
 The Satahavana King is represented as possessing the qualities of mythical heroes like Ram, Bhima,
Keshava, Arjuna, etc. All this was meant to attribute divinity to the King.
 Several officials helped the king.
 Senapati and Amatya
 Koshadhyaksha Rajdoot
 Special officials called Uparakshita charged with the duty of building caves etc for the monks.
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 The king was the head of the Government as well as the protector of his people.
 The people were involved in decision making and their opinions were respectable at every level.
 Public grievances were well heard and there was an effective mechanism of redressal of their complaints.
 Their administrative system was feudal. They had divided their empire among a number of feudal chiefs who
managed the land revenue system and looked after the administration.
 The Satahavanas retained some of the administrative units found in Ashokan times. For example:
 The districts were called Ahara.
 The Officials were called Amatyas and Mahamatyas.
 Other Officials were known as Senapati, Koshadhyaksha, and Rajdoot.
 There were special officials called ‘Uparakshita’ charged with the duty of building caves, etc. for the
monks.

Provincial Governance:
 The kingdom was divided into provinces and ‘Janapadas’ for administrative efficiency.
 The highest official in a province was ‘Amatya’ or minister. His office was not hereditary. Men of proven
ability were appointed to this official. Each unit had several villages.
 The Satahavanas appointed their Senapati as provincial governors. Strong military control in the Deccan was
necessary as the tribal people were not thoroughly and reconciled.

Village Administration:
 Rural areas during Satavahanas were put under the control of Gaulmikas.
 Gaulmika was the head of a military regiment consisting of 9 chariots, 9 elephants, 25 horses and 45-foot
soldiers.
 The military character of Satavahana rule is also evident from the use of terms such as Kataka and
Skandhavaras in their inscriptions. These were military camps and settlements which served as administrative
centres so long as the king was there.
 There were separate organisations to look after the administration of the towns and the villages.
 The towns were administered by a body called the ‘Nagar Sabhas’ while in villages there were ‘Gram
Sabhas’.

Army:
 The Military character of Satavahana rule is also evident from use of terms such as Kataka and
Skandhavaras in their inscriptions.
 These were camps and settlements which served as administrative centres so long as the king was there.
 Their army consisted of foot soldiers, cavalry and elephants.
 Foot soldiers or infantry was the backbone of the army and they formed the vanguard and were flanked on
either side by horses and elephants.
 The soldiers used swords, spears, axes and arm ours as weapons of war. They kept a regiment posted in each
village for maintaining peace and order.
 They were maintained at the expense of the rural inhabitants. Thus, the village was an important unit in the
Satavahana administration.
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Religion in Sathavahana:
 The worship of Siva and Krishna was popular. They were originally practising Hindu religion. However, in
spite of this, they gave patronage to Buddhism.
 The Nanaghat inscription refers to other gods like Dharma, Indra, and guardians of the four quarters Yama,
Varuna, Kubera, and Vasava. It also mentions sacrifices by Satkarni I.
 Social harmony and cohesion were great character of the period.
 All Satavahanas cave temples are located on ancient caravan root which starts from Sopara (Suprak) and
through Junnar, Ellora, Bhogwardhan. The trading emporiums as well as art centres have flourished around
these cave temples.
 The Edicts of Ashoka mention the Satavahanas as feudatories of Emperor Ashoka.

Art and Architecture during Satavahana Period:

 The Satavahana period witnessed high water marks in the field of art, architecture and painting due to their
superiority in the economic fields, especially in trade and commerce which was responsible for their artistic
achievements.
 The Satavahanas are among the earliest Indian rulers to issue their own coins with portraits of their rulers,
starting with king Gautamiputra Satakarni.
 The Satavahana during their regime had carved out
more than 450 caves in entire South India.
 Amravati school evolved in the period as a distinct
identity of south Indian art.
 Buddhist art and architecture flourished in the
Satavahana period due to their active support for the
all-round development of art and architecture.
 The Chaityas at Bhaje and Karle are the unique
creations of this period.
 In the Ajanta caves, Cave Nos. 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13 were mostly carried during the Satavahana period.
 The oldest paintings in the Ajanta caves, especially in caves No. 9 and 10 belong to the Satavahana period.
 Due to huge advancements in art and architectural aspects during the Satavahana period, they can be described
as forerunners of the Classical Gupta Age.

Amravati School of Art:

 The third main centre of early Buddhist art in India was the Amravati School of Art in South India.
 Amravati was the capital of Andhra Ruler in South India. Amravati of the late Andhra Empire (25 B.C.-
320 A.D.), was ruled by the Satavahana Dynasty.
 Buddhist art was created by the artists of South India in both architecture and sculpture.
 The Buddhist monuments at Amravati marked another important landmark of Indian Buddhist art like the
stupas of Sanchi and Bharhut.
 The Amaravati School of Art flourished in the Guntur district.
 The grand stupa of Amravati built on the basin of river Krishna belongs to this style.
 This stupa has rows of different figures and not only its railings but also its dome is covered with marble.
 Throughout, the Buddhist art of the Satavahanas, denies any human representation of the Buddha, even in
highly descriptive scenes.
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Features of Amaravati Stupa:

 Nothing remains now of Amaravati stupa, only its relics can
be seen.
 It consisted of a dome or Anda or egg of about 50 m in
diameter rising to a height of 30 m.
 A terrace or Medhi, high from the ground was added
forming a separate ambulatory or Pradakshina Path
about 2m wide.
 The upper part of the dome was plastered and ornamented
with a garland-like pattern while the lower part of the dome was covered by huge slabs of marble measuring
2-3 m wide and covered with Triratna and Poornakumbham ornamentations.
 At the top of the dome was a Harmika covered with a stone umbrella.
 One notable feature of this stupa is the improvement in the architectural appearance by providing a
rectangular platform (Ayaka) to the base of the dome at four cardinal points.
 While the front side of the platform was used to provide a base for a group of five Aryakar worshipping
pillars each nearly 6 m in height which represented five celestial Buddhas as well as five important episodes
in Buddha’s life.
 The stupas were decorated in marble slabs and sculpted with scenes from the life of the Buddha, portrayed in
a characteristic slim and elegant style.
Sanchi Stupa:
 The Satavahanas contributed greatly to the
embellishment of the Buddhist stupa of Sanchi.
 It was heavily repaired under King Satakarni II.
The gateways and the balustrade were built after
70 BCE, and appear to have been commissioned
by the Satavahanas.
 An inscription on the Southern Gateway records
that it was the work of Satakarni II's royal
architect Ananda.
 An inscription records the gift of one of the top architraves of the Southern Gateway by the artisans of the
Satavahana Emperor Satakarni.

Satavahanas in Foreign Countries:

 The Satavahana Empire colonized Southeast Asia and spread Indian culture to those parts.
 Mahayana Buddhism, which may have originated in Andhra (north-western India being the alternative
candidate), was carried to many parts of Asia by the rich maritime culture of the Satavahanas.
 The Amaravati style of sculpture spread to Southeast Asia at this time.

Coinage in the Satavahana Period:

 The Satavahana period is known for its rich coinage history.
Thousands of lead, copper and potin (base metal silver-like alloy).
Satavahana coins have been discovered in the Deccan region; a few
gold and silver coins are also available.
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 These coins are not in uniform design or size, and thus suggest
that multiple minting locations existed within the Satavahana
territory, leading to regional differences in coinage.
 The Prakrit dialect has been used in these coins without
exception.
 Several coins carry titles or matronyms that were common to
multiple rulers (e.g. Satavahana, Satakarni, and Pulumavi), so
the number of rulers attested by coinage cannot be determined
with certainty. The names of 16 to 20 rulers appear on the various
coins. Some of these rulers appear to be local elites rather than
the Satavahana monarchs.
 The Satavahana coins give unique indications as to their chronology, language, and even facial features (curly
hair, long ears and strong lips).
 They issued mainly lead and copper coins; their portrait-style silver coins were usually struck over coins of
the Western Kshatrapa kings.
 The Satavahana coins also display various traditional symbols, such as elephants, lions, horses and chaityas
(stupas), as well as the "Ujjain symbol", a cross with four circles at the end.

A coin of Nahapana restruck by the Satavahanas king Gautamiputra Satakarni. Nahapana's profile and coin
legend are still clearly visible.

Bilingual under Vashistaputra Pulmamayi Prakrit+Dravidian in Brahmi Script

Language:
 The official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit.
 All their inscriptions were composed in Prakrit and written in the Brahmi script, as was the case in Ashokan
times.
 Some Satavahana kings may have composed Prakrit books also.
 One Prakrit text called Gathasattasai, or the Gathasaptasati, is attributed to a Satavahana king called Fiala
or Hala.
 It consisted of 700 verses, all written in Prakrit.
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Disintegration of the Satavahana Period:

 The dynasty reached its zenith under the rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his successor
Vasisthiputra Pulamavi.
 The kingdom fragmented into smaller states by the early 3rd century CE. Satavahana empire fragmented into
five smaller kingdoms:
 Northern part, ruled by a collateral branch of the Satavahanas (which ended in the early 4th century.
 Western part around Nashik, is ruled by the Abhiras.
 Eastern part (Krishna-Guntur region), ruled by the Andhra Ikshvakus.
 South-western parts (northern Karnataka), ruled by the Chutus of Banavasi.
 South-eastern part, ruled by the Pallavas.
 Deccan was ruled by Vakatakas.
 Mysore was ruled by the Kadambas.

Chedi/Cheti Dynasty of Kalinga:

 Rose to prominence in the middle of the 1st
century BC under Kharavela whose
achievements are given in the Hathigumpha
inscription; Split of Kalinga into a number
of principalities and its decline after its
death.
 The history of Kalinga after the death of
Ashoka is shrouded in obscurity. A new
dynasty, known as the Cheti or Chedi
dynasty, rose in the region probably in the 1st century BC.
 A follower of Jainism, Kharavela was a liberal patron of Jain monks for whose residence he constructed
caves on the Udayagiri hill, near Bhubaneswar in Orissa.
 Jainism was the state religion.
 Kharavela achievements are given in the Hathigumpha inscription.
 He was called as a bhikkhu raja.
 He constructed a great palace, the palace of Victor.
 Split of Kalinga into a number of principalities and its decline after his death.

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