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THE SATAVAHANAS
Origin:
The Puranas speak only of the Andhra rule and not of the Satavahana rule. On
the other hand the name Andhra does not occur in the Satvahana inscriptions.
There is a lot of controversy regarding the original home of the Satavahanas.
The kings represented in epigraphic records are mentioned in the Puranas as
Andhras, Andhra – bhrityah and Andhrajatiyah. The Aitareya Brahmana speaks
of them as the degenerate sons of Visvamitra.
Pliny the Elder(a Roman author) , quoting Megasthenes, refers to the Andhras
as a powerful race which supplied the king with an army of 1, 00,000 infantry,
2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants.
On their coins the dynasty is variously referred to as the Satavahanas or
Salavahaṇa, Satakarnis.
The Satavahanas were also called the Andhra dynasty, which has led to the
assumption that they originated in the Andhra region, the delta of the Krishna
and Godavari rivers on the east coast, from where they moved westwards up
the Godavari river, finally establishing their power in the west during the
general political confusion on the breaking up of the Mauryan empire.
A contrary opinion has also been put forward that the family originated in the
west and extended its control to the east coast, finally giving its name, Andhra,
to this region. Since the earliest inscriptions of the Satavahanas are found in
the Western Deccan, the later view may be correct. Probably, Satavahanas
declared independence some time after the death of Ashoka (232 BCE), as the
Maurya Empire began to weaken
The Satavahanas seems to begin as feudatories to the Mauryan Empire. They
seem to have been under the control of Emperor Ashoka, who claims in Rock
Edict 13 that Andhras were in his domain. among them.
Early Satavahanas:
Later Satavahanas:
he is the one who crushed down the pride and conceit of the
Kshatriyas (the native Indian princes, the Rajputs of Rajputana, Gujarat and
Central India); who destroyed the Shakas (Western Kshatrapas), Yavanas
(Indo-Greeks) and Pahlavas (Indo-Parthians),… who rooted the Khakharata
family (The Kshaharata family of Nahapana); who restored the glory of the
Satavahana race
He ruled over a wide area extending from the Krishna in the
south to Malwa and Saurashtra in the north and from Berar in the
east to the Konkan in the west.
To the Buddhists he made munificent donations. His patronage to
Brahmanism is revealed by the epithet ‘Ekabrahmana’.
Gautamiputra was the first Satavahana ruler to issue the portrait-
type coinage, in a style derived from the Western Satraps.
After conquering Malwa from a Saka ruler, Gautamiputra
Satakarni issued local type of coins, particularly in Malwa for
convenience of the people. On the obverse, there is the figure of
an elephant with its trunk and on the reverse, the peculiar device
of Ujjain symbol.This latter, not known on any Satavahana coins.
It was prevalent only on the coins of Malwa.
Gautamiputra Satakarni took the titles of:
Trisamudrapibatohayavahana (one whose horses had drunk
waters from 3 oceans) and Sakayavanapallavanisudana (destroyer
of Saka, Yavana and Pahlavas)
He was succeeded by his son, Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi.
Shivaskanda Satakarni
King:
In this period the South was ruled over by the monarchies. King
was the highest official of the Government and his office was
hereditary.
They did not assume high sounding titles. Similarly, the Satavahana
rulers did not believe in divine rights of a king and they carried
administration in accordance with the directives of the Dharma
Shastras and the social customs.They had no absolute power.
Their power was checked in practice by customs and shastras.
The king himself led his armies in the battle-field and was
commander-in-chief of his forces.
There was also a council of ministers to aid and advise him for
carrying out the administration properly.
The king was the head of the Government as well as the protector
to his people. The Satavahana kings regarded their subjects as
their own children and always looked after their welfare.
Feudatories:
They retained soe of the admin units found in Ashokan times. Like
districts were called Ahara (Mahamatta as officer of Ahara).
Officers were known as Amatya and Mahamatta.
Barring districts that were controlled by feudatories, the empire
was divided into janapadas and aharas, the latter corresponding to
modern districts. The division below that of ahara was grama.
Non-hereditary governors were subject to periodical transfers.
The highest official in a province was ‘Amatya’ or minister. His
office was not hereditary. Men of proven ability were appointed to
this official. A village was administered by a ‘Gramika’.
There we several officials to help the king. Out of them, the most
important were ‘Senapati, ‘Mahabhoja’, ‘Koshadhyaksha’, ‘Rajadoof,
‘Amatya’ etc.
There was also a special official called ‘Uparakshita’ who was
charged with the duty of building caves etc. for the monks. The
‘bhikshus’ (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.
Local Administration:
Military Administration:
Social Condition:
Family Structure:
There were the four divisions of the society. The smallest unit was
the family in which the eldest living member commanded the
greatest respect. He was called the ‘Grihapati and was obeyed by
all the other members of the family.
Women were honoured. They were given higher education and
they took part in religious functions. Some of the rulers even
added their mother’s name to their own name, such as
Gautamiputra, Vashishthiputra, Pulumavi, Kaushakiputra etc.
This practice itself reveals that the status of women was much
high. Sometimes, women assumed guardianship of their minor
sons and acted as their regents. They also took part in the
Ashvamedhas.
Marriages:
Economic Condition:
They learnt the use of coins, burnt bricks, art of writing and ring
wells from the Mauryas and ontacts with north and added much
to the advancement of their material life.
In Peddabankur in Karimnagar district, we find regular use of re
baked bricks and use of flat, perforated roof tiles, which
contributed to the longevity of construction.
Towns appeared in Maharshtra by 1st century BC and in the
astern deccan a century later. Pliny informs us that the Andhra in
the eastern deccan included 30 walled town.
Taxes:
The taxes were neither heavy nor many. The sources of income
were proceeds from the royal domain, salt monopoly ordinary
and extraordinary taxes both soldiers and officials were paid in
kind.
Agriculture:
Coinage:
The Satavahanas are the first native Indian rulers to issue their
own coins with portraits of their rulers, starting with king
Gautamiputra Satakarni, a practice derived from that of the
Western Satraps he defeated, itself originating with the Indo-
Greek kings to the northwest.
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, copper, bronze coins; their
portrait-style silver coins were usually struck over coins of the
Western Kshatrapa kings.
The Ikshvakus, who succeded the Satavahanas in the early 3rd
century AD in eeastern Deccan also issued their coins.
The coin legends of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods,
used a Prakrit dialect without exception. Some reverse coin legends
are in Kannada & Telugu language,which seems to have been in
use in their heartland abutting the Godavari, Kotilingala,
Karimnagar in Telangana, Krishna, Amaravati, Guntur in Andhra
Pradesh.
Their 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.
The legendary Ujjayini Emperor Vikramditiya on whose name the
Vikram Samvat is initiated might be Satakarni II a Satavahana
emperor as the Ujjayini symbol also appeared on the Satavahana
coins.
Religious Condition:
During the Satavahana period, both Hinduism and Buddhism
spread rapidly. The Satavahana rulers were the followers of
Brahmanism. They performed Aswamedha Yajnas and gave
donations to Brahmanas.
Indra, Surya (The Sun God), Chandra, (the Moon God), Vasudeva,
Krishna, Pasupati and Gauri etc. were various Gods and
Goddesses worshipped by the people. Shaivism and Vaishnavism
were most popular form of Hinduism. The Brahmans occupied the
highest position in the society.
The Satavahana kings were Brahmanas but they showed tolerance
towards other faiths such as to Buddhism as well. They gave
similar donations to Buddhism as they did for the Hinduism.
Consequently, Buddhism too spread in this period. At many places,
the Buddhist caves, chaityas and stupas were built.
Almost all the caves in the south belonged to the Buddhists.
Sometimes, grants of land were made for the maintenance of
these chaityas, viharas and stupas as well as for the monks or
bhikshus. In this period, there were several sects of Buddhism in
the south and various classes of monks were always busy to
preach the Buddhist doctrines.
They built great stupas in the Krishna River Valley, including the
stupa at Amaravati. 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. The Satavahana empire
colonized Southeast Asia and spread Indian culture to those parts.
The Amaravati style of sculpture spread to Southeast Asia at this
time.
An aniconic representation of
Mara’s assault on the Buddha,
2nd century, Amaravati
Note:-
Found
Stupa &
other Found images of Lajja Gowri – the Fertility
Buddhist Goddess for Tantric worshippers. Meaning
structures Satvahan kings followed Tantric Cult.
Hence Alters & animal bones. Meaning Satvahan
believed kings scarified animals to seek male child.
Kondapur Kaolin (lime+clay) image of a Brahmin
is a priest embracing the king
Buddhist
site.
Literature:
Architecture:
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