The Satvahanas-

• The Satvahanas were contemporary to the Sakas.

• The Satavahanas were also called Andhras.

• There is a controversy regarding their ancestry.

Founder of Satvahana dynasty-

• The founder of Satvahana dynasty was The Simuka.

• He destroyed the Kanvas of Magadha and, later, the Sungas of Vidisha and occupied a part of Central India

Important Kings of Satavahana Dynasty-

A.Krishna-

• He was brother of Simuka.

• He included Nasik in his kingdom.

B.Sri Satakarni-

• He is known for his performance of two aswamedha sacrifices.

• He conquered western Malwa, Vidbarbha (modern Eerar) and parts of the South and assumed the title of Dakishna-Pathapati

C.Gautamiputra satakarni-

• He defeated the Sakas (Scythians), Yavanas (Greeks) and Pahlavas (Parithans).

• The Saka satrap (king) Nahapana was defeated by him.

• His empire extended upto Banavasi in the south, and included Maharashtra, Konkan, Saurashtra, Malwa, west Rajasthan and Vidharbha.

• He assumed the title of Rajaraja and the lord of the Vindhya.

• He took up the title of Tri-Samudra-toya, Pita, Vahana, which means ‘one whose charges drank the waters of the three seas’—the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

D.Vasishtiputra sri Pulamavi/Puloma-

• Gautamiputra Satakarni was succeeded by his son Vashishtaputra Pulamayi.

• He extended the Satavahana power up to the mouth of the Krishna river.

• He issued coins on which the image of ships was inscribed.
• His inscriptions from Amaravati in eastern Deccan suggest that the Amaravati region was controlled by him.

• Paloma built up the city of Navalagarh and the stupa of Amravati was renovated and enlarged during his time

E.Sri Yajna Satakarni

• He was last great ruler of Satvahana dynasty

Administration and Economy of Satvahanas

1.Administration of Satvahana dynasty-

• The credit of establishing the first Empire in South India goes to the Satavahanas.

• The head of the state was the king and all powers were concentrated in him.

• They ruled according to the laws of Dharmasastras.

• The kingdom was divided into Janapadas (provinces), which were further subdivided into Aharas (districts) for the purpose of administration.

• Rajyaputra, Maharathi, Mahabhoj and several other officers looked after the administration of Janapadas and Aharas.

• The city administration was looked after by the municipalboards while village-assemblies looked after the administration of the villages with the help of local offi cers called Gramikas

2.Economy and Trade of Satavahans -

• There was a remarkable progress in the fields of trade and industry during the Satavahana rule.

• Silver coins called Karshapanas were used for trade.

• A large part of the sea-coast, both in the East and the West, was within the territories of Satavahana rulers, which helped in the increased foreign trade with the countries of the West and South-East Asia.

Important Ports of Satvahanas-

Western coasts-

• Kalyani,Bharoch,Sopal etc.

Eastern coasts-

• Gandakasela and Ganjam

Trade centres-

• Vajyanti, Nasik, Junnar, etc. were the centres of the internal trade.

• The main items of foreign trade were cotton cloth, silk, spices, medicinal herbs, skins of animals, ivory, pearls, etc.

Coinage of Satvahanas-

• The Satavahanas were the earliest Indian rulers to issue their own coins with portraits of their rulers, starting with king Gautamiputra Satakarni.

• Thousands of lead, copper and potin Satavahana coins have been discovered in the Deccan region; a few gold and silver coins are also available

Art and Culture of Satavahanas-

• The Satavahanas patronized Buddhism and Brahmanism. They built chaityas and viharas

1.Literature of Satvahanas-

Language-

• The Satavahanas patronised the Prakrit language instead of Sanskrit.

Gahasattasi/ Gāthā Saptashatī-

• The Satavahana king Hāla is famous for compiling the collection of Maharashtri poems known as the Gaha Sattasai , although from linguistic evidence it seems that the work now extant must have been re-edited in the succeeding century or two.

2.Architecture of Satvahanas-

• The sculptures of the Amaravati Stupa and the wider Amaravati style represent the architectural development of the Satavahana periods.

Stupas-

• They built Buddhist stupas in Amravati.

• They also constructed a large number of stupas at Goli, Jaggiahpeta, Gantasala, Amravati Bhattiprolu, and Shri Parvatam.

• Vashishtaputra Pulamayi repaired the old Amaravathi stupa.

• The stupas were decorated in marble slabs and sculpted with subjects including scenes from the life of the Buddha, portrayed in a characteristic slim and elegant style.

• Their architecture in Nagarjunakonda was also notable

Paintings-

• Paintings of Sattavahanas period can be seen in Ajanta