South Indian Inscriptions

EARLY RULERS

CHAPTER IV
EARLY RULERS

...THE middle of the third century A.C. marks the commencement of an important epoch in the history of South India. The Sātavāhanas, who had held a major part of the peninsula for an unusually long period of more than four centuries and a half, disappear from the stage of history about this time. Puḷumāvi IV is the last known king of the Andhra (i.e. Sātavāhana) dynasty mentioned in the Purāṇas. His rock inscription has been found at Aḍōni in the Bellāry District of Andhra State,¹ while his potin coins have been discovered at Tarhāḷā in the Akōlā District of Vidarbha². He therefore probably ruled over an extensive kingdom stretching from the Narmadā in the north to the Tuṅgabhadrā in the south. After his downfall in circa 250 A.C.,. several small kingdoms appears to have risen in the different provinces which had previously been under his sway. The Purāṇas say that on the dismemberment of the Andhra Empire the servants of the Andhras, viz. the Śrīparvatīyas, Andhras, Ābhīras, Gardabhilas, Śakas, Yavanas, Tushāras, Muruṇḍas and Hūṇas would rise to power.³ This statement has, to a certain extent, been corroborated by the discovery of inscriptions and coins. We know that the Ābhīras carved out a kingdom for themselves in Northern Mahārāshṭra, Kōṅkaṇ and Gujarāt,⁴ and the Śrīparavatīyas or the Ikshvākus did the same in the lower Kṛishṇā valley.⁵ Again, we have numismatic evidence of the rise of a Śaka dynasty in the southern parts of the Hyderabad State after the overthrow of the Sātavāhanas.⁶ The founder of this dynasty was Māna Mahisha, whose power and prestige entitled him to a mention in the Purāṇas. He had the status of Mahāsēnāpati probably under the Sātavāhanas. Later, he threw off their yoke, but continued the title for some time on his coins. The puranic statement about their yoke, but continued the Yavanas, Tushāras, Muruṇḍas and Hūṇas remains to be verified by the discovery of inscriptions and coins. They may have usurped power in the provinces north of the Narmadā. As regards the Śakas, who also are mentioned in the same context, we have evidence of an independent Śaka kingdom in Central India, different from that of the Western Kshatrapas of Saurāshṭra. It was founded by the Mahādaṇḍanāyaka Śrīdharavarman.⁷ Strange as it may appear, the Purāṇas make no mention of the Vākāṭakas among the dynasties that rose after the downfall of the Sātavahānas. They no doubt mention Vindhyaśakti, but they place his rise after the Kilakila (or Kōlikila) kings who succeeded the Sātavāhanas. We have, however, no other evidence of the rule of these Kilakila or Kōlikila kings.⁸

...Vindhyaśakti I is the earliest known king of the Vākāṭaka dynasty. He is mentioned n the aforementioned passage of the Purāṇas and also in an inscription in Cave XVI at Ajaṇṭā.⁹ The latter record calls him ‘the banner of the Vākāṭaka family’ and gives the
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¹ Ep. Ind., Vol. XIV, pp. 153 f. The editor of this record ascribes it to Puḷumāvi II, Vāsishṭhīputra, but the palaeographical evidence shows that it belongs to the reign of the last king, Puḷumāvi IV.
² J.N.S.I., Vol. II, pp. 92 f. The king’s name occurs as Puḷuhāmavi on the coins found at Tarhāḷā.
³ D.K.A., pp. 45 f.
⁴ C.I.I., Vol. IV, pp. xxxiii f.
⁵ Ep. Ind., Vol. XX, pp. 1 f.
⁶ J.N.S.I., Vol. XV, pp. 1 f.
⁷ C.I.I., Vol. IV, pp. xxxviii f.
⁸ Cf. तत:कोलिकिलेभ्यश्‍च विन्ध्यशवितर्भविष्यति । D.K.A., p. 48.
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