Mxlras Uolverrfty ffiatorical Series-No. 16 * "A GENERAL EDITOR : PROFESSOR K. A. NILAKANTA SASTRI EARLY HISTORY OF THE ANDHRA COUNTRY THE SATAVAHANA EMPIRE CM CSl *o N w w eo O H OJ CO r-t H r1 rH THeais approved for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy PRINTED BY G. 0* fMBftft; MAMtU, COOTENTS PAGES Foreword . ix Preface . xi Chapter I. Introductory .. 1-3 Chapter IL ORIGINS OF SATAVAHANA POWER Materials for a study of Satavahana history The old theory Epigraphic, numismatic and literary evidence against it 4- 27 Chapter III. THE EARLY SATAVAHANAS The Starting point Founder of the dynasty : Simuka- Kanha I Siri-Satakani I Satakarni : Meaning Sata- kani's Imperial Position Satakani I Kharavela Syn- chronism? Hakusiri Satisiri Skandastambhi Sata- kani II Apflaka His reign: Extent of his kingdom Hala Hala : meaning of the name Events of his reign . 28-43 Chapter IV. THE LATER SATAVAHANAS (a) Gotamlputa Siri-Satakani (i) Metronymics (ii) Gotamiputa Siri-Satakani and the Ksaharatas Ksaharata inroads into Satavahana dominions Bhumaka Naha- pana (iii) Comparative Chronology of Gotamlputa Satakani and Nahapana The Satakarni of the Girnar inscription (iv) Gotamiputa Satakani cannot be identified with Gotamlputa Vilivayakura of the coins (v) Gotamlputa's empire (b) Pulumavi II Messrs R. G. and D. R. Bhandarkars' theory of the conjoint rule of Gotamiputa Siri-Satakani and Pulumavi His dominions (c) Siva Siri-Satakani (d) Sivamaka Sada (Satakani) (e) Matfhariputa Sakasena Satakani (f) Gotamiputa Siri-Yana Satakani (g) Vasithlputa Cada Sfiti (h) Pulumavi m ..44-72 Chapter V. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS IN THE SATAVAHANA EMPIRE Royal Succession The King Feudatories Nature of the titles: MahSbhoja Mahabhoji Mahara{his Mahfi- senapatis Officials and administrative divisions Appen- dix A : The Alluru inscription . 73-90 vi CONTENTS PAGES Chapter VI. SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS I. Social conditions Foreign elements in Hindu and Bud- dhist Society Yavanas and Sakas in Eastern Deccan Family ^omen Luxuries Names Place Names Military arrangements II. Economic conditions : Foreign trade: Seaports: Eastern Ports Western Porte Market-towns in the interior : Western Deccan Eastern Deccan Merchants Coins and trade Indus- trial and Commercial organisation Land III. Religion: Buddhism in Eastern Deccan Western Deccan Sects : Buddhist Sects in Western Deccan Eastern Deccan Monks and Nuns Brahmanical Religion 91-124 Chapter VIL THE IK^VAKUS THIRD CENTURY A.D. The Puranic label for the Iksvaku kings Duration of the dynasty Home of the Iksvakus Rise of the Iksvakus The founder of the line Siri Camtamula ' "The Unosbtructed His reign His personality, sisters and queens Conclusion Virapurisadata Alliance with the powerful house of Castana Other queens Alliance with the Cu^us The Buddhist monuments of his reign Ehuvula Camtamula Buddhist monuments of his reign Buddhism of the period Ceylon and Nagarjuriikon^a Buddhist Canonical Books Mentioned ^Administration : Administrative divisions Officials Official Titles: MahS- senapati Mahatalavara Mahadan^anayaka Other con- clusions 125-150 Chapter VHI. KINGS OF THE B^HATPHALAYANA GOTRA Chronology The rise of the dynasty The capital of Jayavarman Administrative organisation 151-182 Siapter IX. THE VAINGEYAKAS Salankayana A Gotra and not a Dynastic Name Salankayana not the name of a tribe Salankayana of the inscriptions has nothing to do with the bull banner of the Vaingeyakas The Dynastic Name adopted here is 'Vaihgeyaka* Origins of the Dynasty Devavarman : He was not the first king of the line But was. predecessor of Hastivarman Date of Deva- varman Events of his reign Extent of his kingdom Importance of Devavarman's Grant Hastivarman Nandivarman I: A misconception about him Nandi- varman of the Kanteru grant is probably Nandivarman I Extent of his kingdom Can<Javarman Nandi- varman n Skandavartnan Contemporary Powers- Section II: Government, Religion and Social Life: Administrative units Officers Offices borrowed The Citrarathasvimi Cult Religion 163-134 CONTENTS vii PAGES Chapter X.-THE KANDARAS Dynastic Appellation Kandara: Meaning King Kandara : His date Rise of the Dynasty Extent of his kingdom Damodaravarman : His place in the Kandara genealogy His date Attivarman His grant Atti- vannan's statusReligion and Social life Appendix B .. 185-199 Chapter XI. THE VISNUKUNDINS Visnukuntfin Genealogy .. 200-208 Additional Note to Chapters III and IV .. 209-216 Index . 217-226 FOREWORD Dr. K. Gopalachari's book comprises the results of the re- search he carried on in this department in the years 1934-36. The subject of his study, The Early History of the Andhra Country, is well known in its outline but is full of many little problems in epigraphy and archaeology that need elucidation. Dr. Gopalachari's thesis does not claim in any way to revolutionise of its our interpretation the history of the period ; value consists in a large number of detailed suggestions confirming results now generally accepted by stronger arguments or bringing forward fresh points of view. Parts of the thesis may be found therefore highly technical and possibly of little interest to the general reader; but there is much in the thesis not merely in the selection of facts but also in their elucidation and presentation that I hope will be recognised to be of permanent value to all historians of India. I have great pleasure in tendering on behalf of Dr. Gopala- chari and myself our sincere thanks to the Syndicate of the Uni- versity of Madras for their sanctioning the inclusion of the work in the Departmental series. University Buildings, Triplicane, Madras, K. A. N. 15th Sept. 1941. PREFACE This book represents my work as a research scholar in the Department of Indian History in the University of Madras from 1934 to 1936. It is an attempt to present a connected history of the Andhras and the Andhra country from the earliest times to the advent of the Eastern Calukyas. The Visj^ukim^ins had to be brought into the picture as they close the epoch* A full account of the dynasty would have involved a study of Ae many contempo- rary dynasties and increased the bulk of the volume. So the last chapter is a compromise) a treatment of the skirts and fringes of the subject. The first five chapters traverse a field covered long ago by great scholars like Prof. Rapson, R. G. Bhandarkar and Bhaga- wanlal Indraji and unruffled by startling discoveries. This has I saved me from pioneering work ; but have had the difficult task of challenging great names and accepted conclusions. An inde- pendent study of inscriptions and monuments in situ has neces- sitated my doing so in some cases. Palaeography and the dis- covery of a few coins like the Apilaka coin and the silver coin of Vasithlputa Sataka^i have enabled me to reconstruct Andhra and K^atrapa chronology on less insecure foundations and ques- tion Rapson's identification of Pulumavi with the son-in-law of Rudradaman. The much neglected social, economic and cultural conditions of the period, upon which a flood of light is thrown by inscriptions and Buddhist remains, have been dealt with at length. One of the conclusions which should not be lost sight of is that the Satavahanas were Andhras but began their political career in Western Deccaru The second period in Andhra history beginning with the Iksvakus, one of many short-lived dynasties, is a comparatively unexplored field. The evidence is also scanty. I have built up the chronological scheme with the help of palaeography. A fuller chapter on the Iksvakus than anything written before, the date of the Brhatphaliyanas, Kandara and Vaingeyaka genealogy and chronology are some of the contributions to the subject D. C. Sircar's monograph on The Successors of the Sdtavahanas in East- ern Deccan was published while I was writing my thesis. I am idi PREFACE indebted to him only for the Vi^nukun^in genealogy, but even here I have modified his conclusions with the help of palaeography. The Akola hoard of S&tavahana coins discovered in 1939 does not necessitate a modification or abandonment of the conclusions reached in the thesis. Some of the epigraphical notes in the thesis have been pub- lished in VoL XXTV No. 6 of Epigraphia Jndica. My task of reading the Alluru inscription has been greatly"* facilitated by the article 6f Rao Bahadur C. R. Krishnamacharlu waiting for publication in the Epigraphia Indica. The manuscript was with me whej^i I was reading the inscription. Readings like 'ailasa* and Vadalabhikaro', to mention only a few and the transla- tions of a few words I owe to the article. I am indebted toJProf , V. V. Mirashi of Nagpur for promptly supplying me a copy of the photograph of the coins of the Akola hoard mentioned above as also his readings. Professor K. A. Nilakanta Sastri has more than guided me in my work. Discussions with him have led me to new lines of approach and new conclusions. Apart from specific suggestions, I owe to him in no small measure the habit of minute attention to details and of exactitude. K. G. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Epigraphia Indica EC Epigraphia Carnatica IA Indian Antiquary JA Journal Asiatique ASWI Archaeological Survey of Western India ASSI Archaeological Survey of Southern India CTI Cave Temples of Western India Burgess and Indraji JRAS Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society JBBRAS Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asia- tic Society JBORS Journal of the Bihar and Orissa Research Society JASB Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal YB of the AS of B Year-Book of the Asiatic Society of Bengal CAI Coins of Ancient India, Cunningham CSI Coins of Southern India, Elliot ZDMG Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft CIC Catalogue of the Indian Coins in the British Museum ARE Annual Report on Epigraphy (Madras) ASR Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report BG Bombay Gazetteer ABRI Annals of the Bhandarkar Research Institute SBE >Sacred Books of the East ABIA Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology M.