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History of Deccan and Far South Kharvela (193 BC - 170 BC)

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History of Deccan and Far South Kharvela (193 BC - 170 BC) History of Deccan and far South Kharvela (193 BC - 170 BC) • Mahameghavahana dynasty in the Kalinga region • Hathigumpha Inscription from Udayagiri Hills, Bhubaneshwar • Military expeditions of Kharvela - Magadha, Anga, Satavahanas, in south till Pandyan territory • Brought back the Jina image from Magadha • Follower of Jainism • Maritime trade with Simhala, Burma, Siam, Vietnam, Kamboja, Borneo, Bali Satavahanas Factors responsible for the rise ofSatavahanas • Mauryas expedition in Deccan for mineral resource • Development of market centres along trade routes • Emergence of ‘Maharathis’ - Satavahanas in matrimonial alliance • Satavahanas succeeded Mauryas in Deccan from Pratisthan Satavahanas Sources • Coins - Lead, Silver, Copper. • Inscriptions - Buddhist caves • Puranas • Land charters Satavahanas • Founder - Simuka in first century bc by defeating the Kanvas • Based from North Maharashtra - Andhra and Karnataka • Conflict between Satavahanas and Shakas • Gautamiputra Satkarni (106 - 130 AD) - whole of Deccan • Destroyer of Shakas, Pahlavas and Yavanas • Defeated Nahapana and issued counter struck coins Satavahanas Gautamiputra Satkarni - first Satavahana ruler to issue portrait coins • Vasishthiputra Satakarni • In conflict with Western Kshatrapas • Married daughter of Rudradaman I Vasishthiputra Pulumayi • Consolidated power over Eastern Deccan • Increased the naval strength Yajna Sri Satakarni • Revived the struggle with Shakas Satavahana administration • Hereditary Monarchy • Administration in accordance with DharmaShastras and social customs • Divine attributes of the King • Influence of Ashokan Admin - Amatyas an Mahamatras • Military traits - Kataka, Skandhavara • Reference of feudatories - Raja, Mahabhoja and Maharathis • Senapati - Military + Provincial governor • System of Land Grants Land Grants • Began around 100 BC • Donation of revenue of village or land to Brahmins and Buddhist Sangha • No role of Bureaucracy, no army interference • Grant of Admin, Judicial, and revenue collection powers Devadana, Agrahara, Bramhadeya and Ghatika • From 700 AD onwards also as salary to officials • Land Charters on Copper plates, Cloth etc Land Grants Political implications of land grants Economic implications of land grants Social implications of land grants Society and religion during Satavahana rule • Tribes - later Brahmanised • Matrilineal society esp in royal families • Increasing influence of merchants and traders • Gandhikas Religion • Brahmanism, Ashvamedha sacrifices • Vaishnavism • Promoted Buddhism - land grants, architecture Economy during Satavahana rule • Development of new material culture - Iron in agriculture • Karimnagar and Warangal mines • Trade contact with north - Issuing coins, ring wells, burnt bricks etc. • Krishna - Godavari basin - Rice bowl, textile products Vakatakas • Succeeded the Satavahanas in the Northern Maharshtra and Vidarbha region • Contemporaries of Guptas • Founder - Vindhyashakti I • Brahmanism, Vedic sacrifices • Matrimonial alliance with imperial Guptas, Nagas of Padmavati, Kadambas of Karnataka • Issued land grants to • Brahmins Vakatakas Important rulers of Vakataka dynasty • Pravarasena I - Extended the kingdom into Vidarbha and Deccan region - Only Vakataka king - title ‘Samrat’ - Conflict with Nagas but later matrimonial alliance – son Gautamiputra with a Naga princess - Puranas - performer of Vajpeya sacrifice - His son Rudrasena II married to Parabhavati Gupta Prabhavati Gupta - Regent Queen for about two decades • Emphasised on her natal connections - ‘Vakataka - Gupta Age’ • Nandivardhana as capital Vakatakas • Pravarasena II - Largest number of copper plate inscriptions - Nadivardhana - Pravarapura - Prakrit work ‘Setubandha’ or ‘Ravanavaho’ • Dynastic struggle for succession after his death – ‘Narendrasena’ • Last king - Harishena treacherously murdered by his officials • Vakatakas succeeded by Chalukyas of Badami Chalukyan dynasty • Succeeded Vakatakas and ruled over central and southern India (6th- 12th century) • Ruled as three dynasties • i) Chalukyas of Badami (6th - 8th) • Eclipsed by the rise of Rashtrakutas in the middle of 8th century • ii) Chalukyas of Vengi (Eastern Chalukyas) • A new branch after the conquest of Vengi by Pulakeshin II • After his death, Vishnuvardhana as independent ruler • Continued to rule till 12th century (later as Chola feudatory) Chalukyan dynasty • iii) Chalukyas of Kalyani (Western Chalukyas) • Emerged in 10th century due to decline of Rashtrakutas • Founder ‘Someshvara I’ - Kalyani • Ruled till the end of 12th century Chalukyan dynasty • Pulakeshin I - the first sovereign ruler who estd. the hill capital of Vatapi (Badami) • ‘Vallabsheshvara’ and performed Ashvamedha Yajna • Kirtivarman I - extended the kingdom by defeating later Mauryas of North Konkana, Nalas of Bellari and Kadambas of Banavasi • Pulakeshin II - Defeated Western Gangas, Alupas in South and Malavas and Gurjaras in the north Chalukyan dynasty • Checked the forces of Harshavardhana on the Banks of river Narmada • Annexed Vengi and sent brother Vishnuvardhana as governor • Conflict with Pallavas - Defeated Mahendravarman I but was later defeated by Narsimhavarmana • Diplomatic relations with Iranian king Khusrau II Chalukyan dynasty Pulakeshin II • Patronage to art and culture - Ravi Kirti his court poet – Aihole Inscription • Hiuen Tsang’s visit Vikramaditya I - Regain the lost territory to Pallavas - Raided Kanchipuram • The last Chalukyan king Kirtivarman II was defeated by ‘Dantidurga’ - Rashtrakuta dynasty Kadambas •Decline of Satavahanas and rise of Kadambas in mid 4th century in North Karnataka region •Capital Vaijayanti or Banavasi •Founder Mayurasharma in 345 AD •First indigenous dynasty to use Kannada as official language •Marital relations with Guptas and Vakatakas •Successors of Mayurasharma - Kangavarma, Kakusthavarma, Ravivarma. •From mid 6th century contd. to rule as vassals of Chalukyas and then Rashtrakutas Kadambas Inscriptions and coins as the basis of historicity • Coins - Punch marked gold and copper coins with Nagari, kannada and Grantha legends • Inscriptions - Prakrit then Sanskrit and Kannada as language Talagunda Inscription - Rise of Mayursharma as an independent ruler against the Pallavas Halmidi Inscription - Kannada Inscription along with Kadamaba copper coins Gudnapur inscription - Mayursharma’s ancestry Political History of South India Evolution of political entities from Megalithic communities • Shift from uplands - fertile river basins and marshy deltas • Contact with North India - Heterodox sect saints, conquerors, Dakshinapath Factors responsible for state formation: • Iron technology • Indo-Roman Trade • Punch marked coins Political History of South India Sangam Polity (300 bc – 300 AD) • Chiefdoms ruling over pre- states • Ecological division of society - Occupations • Hills - Hunting gathering • Grasslands - Agro pastoralism • Wetlands - Paddy + Plough agriculture • Littoral - Fishing • Parched zone - predatory Political History of South India Early Tamil kingdoms Cholas (lower Kaveri valley) • Capital - Uraiyur - Puhar • ‘Karaikal’ - defeated the confederacy of Cheras, Pandyas and 11 other chiefs - Battle of Venni • Overlord of the entire Tamilkam • Irrigation tanks across river Kaveri Cheras • Capital - Vanji • Sea ports - Tondi and Muziri • Reference to the Chera king ‘Cheran Senguttuvan’ – • Himalayan expedition and brought stone for idol of Kannagi Political History of South India Pandyas • Capital - Madurai • The Sangam assembly was organised by the Pandyans • Mixed ecological region with pastoral and coastal tracts End of the Sangam age • By the end of third century the ‘Kalabhras’ occupied the • Tamil country for the next two and a half centuries Sangam Assembly (3rd BC - 3rd century CE) • Assembly of poets under the patronage of Pandyan Kings at their capital • Three assemblies attended by around 9000 poets • Sage Agastya • First Sangam assembly, Madurai - No literary work survived • Second Sangam assembly, Kapadapuram - Tolkappiyam • Third Sangam assembly, Madurai - Few literary works survived • Sangam literature • Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu • Epics - Silappathikaram - Ilango Adigal - Manimegalai - Sittalai Sattanar Pallavas • Feudatories of Satavahanas to power in 3rd century AD with capital - Kanchipuram • 1st great Pallava king - Siva Skandavarmana of 3rd century • Rise of Pallava dynasty by overcoming the Kalabhras and defeating the Pandyas - ‘Simhavishnu’ (6th century AD) • Political history of Pallavas - Conflict with Chalukyas (North) and Pandyas (South) • Mahendravarmana I (600 - 625 AD) defeated by Pulakeshin II • Narsimhavarmana I avenged the defeat ‘Vatapikondan’ - Naval expeditions to Ceylon • In mid 8th century, Nandi Varmana defeated by Chalukyan king Vikramaditya II • Last Pallava king Aparajit defeated by Aditya Chola in a battle in 897 CE. Pallavas Administration • Monarchy + councillors • Administrative units – • Mandalas • Kottam - Nadu - Grama • Elaborate taxation system • Sabha - Judicial functions + • Trustee of Public property .
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