GOVERNMENT OP INDIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA CENTRAL ARCHEOLOGICAL LIBRARY ACCESSION NO. CALL No.S3^,.ai6/S.Lib Buddkist Remains in AndKra AND The History of Andhra between 225 & 610 A.D. BY K. R. SUBRAMANIAN, M.A. Lecturer in llisLor}', MaliaiTijn’s College, Vizianagrani, SankarapfirvaUii prizeman for Research in Ancicnl Indian History 11127 (Madras University), Giinhir District Hoard Fellow, lt)27-2,S (Andhra University) Author of TV/c? Origin of ^aivisni and Us , Ifislory in ihe faviil land, 'flic Maratha /va/as of Tanjorc, etc., etc. 3 jMAPvS AND 6 PLATES. WITH A FOREWORD n? - Dr. G. JOUVEAU-DUBREUIL Author of The Pallavas, Pallava Antiquities, Ancient History of the Deccan, etc,, etc. -v |D.^’|3b 0' - ( ? 1 j I i e4A'*^ <• DEDICATED TO M. R, RV. C. R. REDDI GARU, M.A. (CANTAB) THE FIRST VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE ANDHRA UNIVERSITY, AS A TOKEN OF THE AUTHOR’S HIGH REGARD FOR HIS GREAT INTELLECTUAL CAPACITIES AND BROAD CULTURAL OUTLOOK. J i c LIBRARY, NEW DbiYU Aoo. f Y?-. ! Date...?--^- i ^77 , \ CaUNo..., ; — — FOREWORD The work of Mr. Subramanian will give the reader very complete details concerning 1. Archaeology of the Andhra country. 2. Its history during the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth centuries. I think that as Preface for this hook it would be well that I fix 1. in space (on the map) the archeological remains, 2. in time (chronology) the historical facts. Section 1. Geographical position of Archmological remahis in Andhra, , In examining the map opposite, one will find the Buddhist sites placed along certain lines. The country of Vengi was a great meeting place of roads. Five great routes converged at that place 1. The road to Kaliiiga (North-East), 2. The road to Dravida (South), 3. The road to Karnatic (South-West), 4. The road to Maharashtra (North-West), 5. The road to Kosala (North). These five roads converged towards the country of Vengi which lay along the coast. 'Some great ports existed in this country and from them ships used to start to Chryse, i.e., the country of gold, Burma and ^ri Vijaya. We have absolute proof of the fact that- the country of Vengi had a preponderating influence on the civilisation of Burma, of Malaya states and of Indo-China. This proof is supplied to us by the alphabet of the inscriptions found there. One would believe that Burma had close relations with Bengal and less relations with Vengi, It is quite the contrary. A Bud- dhist stupa discovered recently in old Prome contained inscriptions in Kanarese-Telugu script of the Sixth Century. We know that from-^ early times the alphabet of Indo-China was derived from that of Vengi. Thus, these overseas countries were making use of the alphabet of Vengi and not of the alphabet of the Gangetic valley. The commerce of India with the Far East was not carried, as one WQuld think, through the port of Tamarlipti (Tamluk) or the vi BUDDHIST REMAINS IN ANDHRA ports of Orissa. It is from the country of Vengi that Indian ships sailed to go to the Far East. We are astonished at this; for, we are accustomed to consider the mouths of the Gauges as a great centre of maritime commerce. This illusion is produced by the importance of the big modern town of Calcutta. But, we must understand that the valley of the Ganges is not a coastal region. On the contrary, through the valleys of the Godavari and the Krishna, the big routes of the Deccan convei’ge towards the sea in the country of Vengi. Such being the case, let us consider the map of the Buddhist sites. These sites are numerous. There are some thirty of them. And ail the Buddhist sites are along the five great routes that we have cited. 1. On the road to Kalihga, Vengi, Arugolu, Pithapuram, Kodavalli, Aiiakapalle, ^ankaram, Dharapalem, Ramatirtham, ^alihnndam. 2. On the road to the south, Gudiva(^a, Ghanfasala, Bhattiprolu, Buddhani, Chinna and Pedda Gahjam and finally Kanuparti. 3. On the road to the Karnafic, the sites of Vijayaderpuram (Bezwada), Peddamaddur, Amaravati, Garikipadu, Goli, Nagar- junikonOa- ’ 4. On the road to Maharashtra are found Alluru, Ramire^icli- palle, Jaggayyapeta. 5. Lastly, at the beginning oi the road to Ko^ala which started from Vengi and followed the Godavari to go to the centre of India z>/a Nagpur, we find the site of Guntapalle. Another road towards the north lay through Korukon^a and Yerrampalem. It was because the Buddhist monks lived on charity, they were obliged to live near the big towns and the great roads in spite of their love for solitude and meditation. I think that it is necessary to mention these routes, for we are familiar with the present-day geography only. We must therefore say here what the old road map was. I. Road to Kaliiiga. If you look at a modern map, ydlt see that there is absolutely no road in the region comprised between the Kolleru lake and the sea. The whole right bank of the river Upputteru is devoid of villages and roads. * pr. J. Pubrenil is of opinion that Chejaria is not BuddhistT FOREWORD vii The Grand road, therefore, lay on the north of the Kolleru lake througfli Vengi and Arugolu and crossed the Godavari probably near Dowleswarani through the island of Bobberlanka. This place is precisely the one where the sacred river which, so far, was running in one stream divided itself into many branches. Dowleswarain situated near the source of the Gautami must have been particularly sacred for the pious Buddhists. Thus, the Grand road to Kaliiiga lay far away from the mouth of the Godavari, and it is for this reason that no Buddhist site is found in the delta of the Godavari. From Dowleswarain the road led to Pithapuram where there was a stupa; then, towards the well-known site of Kodavalli; thereafter the road followed the coast through Anaka- palle and Sankaram, Dharapalem near Simhachalam and, finally, Ramatirtham. 2. Road to Dravida* Gudivada was a very important town. It was the capital of the Kudiira country. A good road connects even to-day Peddav^i (through Ellore) and Gudivada. This good modern road continues as far as Pamarru. It is probable that the island of Potarlanka favoured the passage across the this place was three Krishna ; for, surrounded by famous sanctuaries : i^rikakulam which was probably Buddhist in olden days and on each side of the river two big stupas, Ghaiitasala on the left bank and Bhaftiprolu on the right. Potarlanka is the biggest island in the Krishna. So, in the Roman epoch, the capital of the country was MalankaJthe big island). That is perhaps the reason why the inhabitants of Srikakulam say that the capital was in a place situated in the middle of the Krishna. It is there that Anantapala the minister of Simukha, the King of the Andhras, lived. It must be noted that even to-day 'the town of Repalle is iso- lated and a fine road connects Bhattiprolu with Bapatla through Biiddhani where were discovered Buddhist statuettes. The road from Bapatla to Ongole is now followed by the rail and it is on that road that you find Chinna and Pedda Ganjam and Kanu^Darti. 3. Road to the Karnafic. It crossed the Krishna probably in its largest width between Vijayadherpiiram and Peddamaddur not far from Amaravati. More to the west is Garikapadu. Finally, the road crossed the Krishna near about GoH and Nagarjunikonda. 4. Road to Maharashtra. It commenced probably in the environs of Alluru and passed near Ramire(l(lipalle to join Viii BDDDHIST REMAINS IN SNDHRA Jagfgayyapeta from where it turned towards Tagara (Ter) and then towards Sopara or Bhartikkacha. 5. We know only of one site on the route from Vengi to Kosala and it is Guntapalle. The road followed the Godavari for some distance and then turned towards Nagpur and from there towards Northern India. A second road started from Rajahmun- dry and passed through the Buddhist sites of Korukonda S’Ud Yerrampalem. Thus, we see that all the Buddhist sites known at present are found along the grand roads of communication. Section IL The chronology from 150 to 610 A,D. In 150 A.D. Rudradaman ruled over Aparanta. He was replaced in this country by Gautamiputra Yajna Sri. In fact, we have found in the ruins of the stupa of Sopara constructed by Yajna a coin belonging to this king, quite different from the ordinary coins of the Andhras. It is a silver coin and it bears the effigy of the king, Yajna. As this piece is evidently an imitation of the coins of Rudradaman it is not doubtful that Yajna reigned immediately after Rudradaman in Aparanta. If we place Yajna towards 170 or 180 A.D., and, if we can believe the references of the Puranas that after Yajna, ruled the three kings Vijaya, Chandra ^ri ^antikarpa and Puloma, the last king should have lived towards 225 a.d., and the dynasty of the ^atavahanas woulu jjave ceased to reign towards 230-240 A.D. In the Maharashtra the ^atavahanas would have been replaced by the Abhiras. In fact the inscription (No. 1137 of Lflder’s list) at Nasik the script of which resembles that of the ^atavahanas is dated in the ninth year of the reign of the King Madhariputra IsvaraSena an Abhira, son of ^ivadatta. In the Telugu country it was the Ikshvakus who replaced the ^atavahanas. I think it necessaiy to draw attention here to a detail which seems to have escaped the historian’s attention till now.