Approximate extent of the Satavahana Empire, circa 150 CE.

The Sātavāhanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted about 450 years. Long before that their kingdom had disintegrated into successor states. Image File history File links SatavahanaMap. ... Image File history File links SatavahanaMap. ... For other uses, see number 150. ... A dynasty is a family or extended family which retains political power across generations, or more generally, any organization which extends dominance in its field even as its particular members change. ... (Redirected from 230 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 235 BC 234 BC 233 BC 232 BC 231 BC - 230 BC...

Origins

The Sātavāhana dynasty belongs to Andra Maval, a region in western Maharashtra. They were from 96 Maratha clans. Their first capital was Junnar, near Pune. From the area where they lived they are referred to as Andhras. Present day Andhra Pradesh got its name from this dynasty. In the Pūrānas and on their coins the dynasty is variously referred to as the Andhras, Andhrabhrityas, Sātakarnīs and Sātavāhanas. They have been variously thought of as originating from present day Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh, and were probably of Dravidian origin. Shivaji and the Marathas The Marāthās is a collective term referring to a group of Hindu, Marathi-speaking castes of warriors and peasants, hailing mostly from the present-day state of Maharashtra, who created a substantial empire, covering a major part of India, in the 17th and 18th... Andhra Pradesh (ఆంధర దేశం), a state in South India, lies between 12°41 and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40E longitude . ... Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र in Devanagari) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Andhra Pradesh (ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ in Telugu) (Ä€ndhra Prādesh), is a state in south-eastern India and is part of the linguistic-cultural region of South India. ... The Dravidian Race is the name sometimes still given to the peoples of southern and central India and northern Sri Lanka who speak Dravidian languages, the best known of which are Tamil (தமிழ்), Telugu (తెలుగు), Kannada and Malayalam. ...

The Sātavāhanas started out as feudatories to the Mauryan Empire but declared independence soon after the death of Ashoka (232 BCE). The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan Empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... For other meanings, see Ashoka (disambiguation). ... (Redirected from 232 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 237 BC 236 BC 235 BC 234 BC 233 BC - 232 BC...

Silver coin of king Vasishtiputra Satakarni (c. 160 CE).
Obv: Bust of king. Brahmi legend: Siri Satakanisa Rano ... Vasithiputasa.
Rev: Ujjain/Sātavāhana symbol left. Crescented six-arch chaitya hill right. River below. Telugu legend: Arahanaku Vahitti makanaku Tiru Hatakaniko.

They were the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins with portraits of their rulers, starting with king Vashishtiputra Shri Pulumavi (r. 130-158 CE), a practice derived from that of the Indo-Greek kings to the northwest. Their coins give unique indications as to their chronology, language, and even facial features (curly hair, long ears, strong lips). They issued mainly lead and copper coins; their portrait-style silver coins were usually struck over coins of the Western Kshatrapa kings. Their coins also display various traditional symbols, such as elephants, lions, horses, and chaityas (stupas), as well as the "Ujjain symbol", a cross with four circles at the end. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1202x596, 90 KB)Satavahana king Vasishtiputra Sri Satakarni. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1202x596, 90 KB)Satavahana king Vasishtiputra Sri Satakarni. ... Brāhmī refers to the pre-modern members of the Brahmic family of scripts, attested from the 3rd century BC. The best known and earliest dated inscriptions in Brahmi are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka. ... Telugu belongs to the family of Dravidian languages and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas (35-405 CE). ... A stupa in Tibet A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent and Asia. ... Ujjain (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti) is an ancient city of central India, in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River. ...

Early rulers

After becoming independent around 230 BCE, Simuka, the founder of the dynasty, conquered Maharashtra, Malwa and part of Madhya Pradesh. He was succeeded by his brother Kanha (or Krishna) (r. 207-189 BCE), who further extended his kingdom to the west and the south. Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र in Devanagari) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Malwa (माळवा in Malvi) is a region of western India, occupying a plateau of volcanic origin lying in the western part of Madhya Pradesh state and the southeastern part of Rajasthan state. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ...

His successor Sātakarnī I defeated the Sunga dynasty of North India, and performed several Vedic sacrifices at huge cost, including the Horse Sacrifice. By this time the dynasty was well established, with its capital at Pratishthānapura (Paithan) in Maharashtra, and its power spreading into all of South India. The Pūrānas list 30 rulers of this line. Many are known from their coins and inscriptions as well. Approximate greatest extent of the Sunga empire (185 BCE-73 BCE) For other uses of the term Sunga see Sunga (disambiguation) The Sunga empire (or Shunga empire) controlled the eastern part of India from around 185 to 73 BCE. It was established after the fall of the Indian Mauryan empire. ... A dynasty is a family or extended family which retains political power across generations, or more generally, any organization which extends dominance in its field even as its particular members change. ... The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. ... Paithan, formerly Pratishthana, was the capital of the Satavahana empire. ...

Conflict with the Shakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas

The first century CE saw the incursion of the Sakas of Central Asia into India, where they formed the dynasty of the Western Kshatrapas. The four immediate successors of Hāla (r. 20-24 CE) had short reigns totalling about a dozen years. About this time the kingdom lost some of its territory, including Malwa, to the Western Kshatrapas. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Malwa (माळवा in Malvi) is a region of western India, occupying a plateau of volcanic origin lying in the western part of Madhya Pradesh state and the southeastern part of Rajasthan state. ...

Greek scroll (an design often seens in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara) supported by Indian Yaksha, Amaravati, 2nd-3rd century CE.

Eventually Gautamiputra (Sri Yagna) Sātakarni (r. 106-130 CE) defeated the Western Kshatrapa ruler Nahapana, restoring the prestige of his dynasty by reconquering a large part of the former dominions of the Sātavāhanas. He was an ardent supporter of the Brahminical religion. He called himself "Destroyer of Shakas (Western Kshatrapas), Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) and Pahlavas (Indo-Parthians)" in his inscriptions. Download high resolution version (886x597, 176 KB)Greek floral scroll, supported by Indian Yaksas, Amaravati, 3rd century CE. Tokyo National Art Museum. ... Download high resolution version (886x597, 176 KB)Greek floral scroll, supported by Indian Yaksas, Amaravati, 3rd century CE. Tokyo National Art Museum. ... Gandhara Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE. Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 1000 years in Central Asia, between the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century... Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient kingdom in eastern Afghanistan and north-west province of Pakistan. ... Categories: Mythology stubs | Buddhism-related stubs ... In Hinduism, Amaravati (అమరావతి) is the capital of Svarga, a temporary paradise where the dead live. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Yona, Yonaka or Yavana is a Pali word used in ancient India to designate Greeks. ... Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 CE), first and greatest king of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 AD), first king of the Indo-Parthians kingdom. ...

Gautamiputra Sātakarni's son, Vashishtiputra Pulumāyi (r. 130-158 CE), succeeded him. He was the first Sātavāhana king to issue the portrait-type coinage.

His brother, Vashishtiputra Sātakarni, married the daughter of Rudradaman I of the Western Kshatrapa dynasty, but was defeated by his father-in-law in battle, with serious effect on Sātavāhana power and prestige.

It was not until the reign of Sri Yajna Sātakarni (170-199 CE) that there was another change of fortune for the Sātavāhanas. He struggled hard against the Shakas and recovered some of the territory lost to them.

Cultural achievements

An aniconic representation of Mara's assault on the Buddha, 2nd century CE, Amaravati.

Of the Sātavāhana kings, Hāla (r. 20-24 CE) is famous for compiling the collection of Prakrit poems known as the Gāhā Sattasai ( Sanskrit: Gāthā Saptashatī), although from linguistic evidence it seems that the work now extant must have been re-edited in the succeeding century or two. Download high resolution version (528x779, 171 KB)An aniconic representation of Maras assault on the Buddha, 2nd century CE, Amaravati. ... Download high resolution version (528x779, 171 KB)An aniconic representation of Maras assault on the Buddha, 2nd century CE, Amaravati. ... // Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ...

The Sātavāhana kings are also remarkable for their contributions to Buddhist art and architecture. The great stupas in the Krishna River Valley were built by them, including the stupa at Amravati in Andhra Pradesh. The stupas were decorated in marble slabs and sculpted with scenes from the life of the Buddha, portrayed in a characteristic slim and elegant style. Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th century BCE, before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of Asia and the world. ... The Krishna River is one of the longest rivers of India (about 1300 km in length). ... Amravati is a town in Andhra Pradesh state in southeastern India. ... Andhra Pradesh (ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ in Telugu) (Ä€ndhra Prādesh), is a state in south-eastern India and is part of the linguistic-cultural region of South India. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ...

Decline

Ultimately the Sātavāhanas fell prey to the rising ambitions of their feudatories. Several dynasties divided the lands of the kingdom among themselves. Among them were:

• Abhiras in the northwestern part of the kingdom. They were ultimately to succeed the Sātavāhanas in their capital Pratishthānapura.
• Chutus in South Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Ikshvākus (or Srīparvatiyas) in the Krishna-Guntur region.

On the boundaries of the old Sātavāhana Kingdom arose a number of new states, which seized their territory. The most important were the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, of whom the first ruler was Simhavarman I (r. 275-300 CE). chutus were the feudatories of the Satavahana Dynasty. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Main rulers

• Simuka (r. 230-207 BCE)
• Kanha (or Krishna) (r. 207-189 BCE)
• Sātakarnī I
• Hāla (r. 20-24 CE)
• Gautamiputra Sātakarni (r. 106-130 CE)
• Vashishtiputra Pulumāyi (r. 130-158 CE)
• Vashishtiputra Sātakarni
• Sri Yajna Sātakarni (r. 170-199 CE)

(Redirected from 230 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 235 BC 234 BC 233 BC 232 BC 231 BC - 230 BC... (Redirected from 207 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC - 200s BC - 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC Years: 212 BC 211 BC 210 BC 209 BC 208 BC - 207 BC... Events Sun Quan battles Huang Zu at Xiakou Births Liu Shan, last emperor of the Kingdom of Shu Deaths Guo Jia, brilliant military advisor to Cao Cao Ling Cao, a general under Sun Quan Categories: 207 ... (Redirected from 189 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC - 180s BC - 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC 130s BC Years: 194 BC 193 BC 192 BC 191 BC 190 BC - 189 BC... For other uses, see number 20. ... For other uses, see number 24. ... For other uses, see number 106. ... For other uses, see number 130. ... For other uses, see number 130. ... Events Change of era name from Yongshou to Yangxi of the Chinese Han Dynasty Births Deaths Categories: 158 ... For other uses, see number 170. ... Events Pope Zephyrinus succeeds Pope Victor I Geodeung succeeds Suro as king of the Korean kingdom of Gaya. ...

MIDDLE KINGDOMS OF INDIA
Timeline:	Northern empires	Southern Kingdoms	Foreign kingdoms
6th century BCE  5th century BCE  4th century BCE  3rd century BCE  2nd century BCE  1st century BCE  1st century CE  2nd century CE  3rd century CE  4th century CE  5th century CE  6th century CE  7th century CE  8th century CE  9th century CE 10th century CE 11th century CE Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 6th century BCE through to the Islamic invasions and the related Decline of Buddhism from the 7th century CE. // Kingdoms and Empires The Aryans had invaded India from the Northwest, according to the Aryan Invasion Theory, and... Coin of the Western Kshatrapas Bhratadaman (278 to 295 CE). ...	Magadha empire Nanda empire Mauryan empire Satavahana empire Sunga empire Kuninda kingdom Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ... Nanda dynasty was established by an illegitimate son of the king Mahanandin of the previous Shishunaga dynasty. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan Empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... Approximate greatest extent of the Sunga empire (185 BCE-73 BCE) The Sunga empire (or Shunga empire) controlled the eastern part of India from around 185 to 73 BCE. It was established after the fall of the Indian Mauryan empire. ... Silver coin of the Kuninda Kingdom, c. ... Gupta empire Pratihara Pala Empire Solanki	Pandya Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455) CE (Western territories). ... The Pratiharas, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas were an Indian dynasty who ruled kingdoms in Rajasthan and northern India from the sixth to the eleventh centuries. ... Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire. ... For the English cricketer, See Vikram Solanki Siddhraj Jaysinh The Solanki or Chalukya is a Hindu Rajput dynasty of India, who ruled the kingdom of Gujarat from the 10th to the 13th centuries. ... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... Kalinga Chera Chola Kalinga was an ancient kingdom of central-eastern India, in the province of Orissa. ... The Cheras were one of the three ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern peninsula of India at the beginning of its recorded history. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... Pallava Chalukya Rashtrakuta	(Persian rule) (Greek conquests) This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between 550 and 750, and again between 973 and 1190. ... The Rashtrakutas were a dynasty which ruled the Deccan during the 8th-10th centuries. ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... In ancient times, trade between India and Greece flourished with silk, spices and gold being traded. ... Indo-Greek kingdom Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire Western Kshatrapas Indo-Sassanians Kidarite Kingdom Indo-Hephthalites (First Islamic conquests) Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 CE. They were the successors in India of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty... Early anepigraphic coinage of the Indo-Scythians (c. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 CE), first and greatest king of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Coin of the Indo-Sassanian king Varahran I (early 4th century). ... Coin of Kidara (reigned circa 360-380 CE), founder of the Kidarite Kingdom Obv: King Kidara standing. ... Billon drachm of the Hephthalite King Napki Malka (Afghanistan/ Gandhara, c. ... During the middle ages, several Islamic regimes established empires in India. ... Shahi (Islamic invasion of India) Coin of the Shahi king Spalapati Deva, circa 750-900. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Islamic conquest of South Asia. ...

See also

• Indo-Greek Kingdom
• Indo-Scythians
• Indo-Parthians
• Western Kshatrapas
• Kushan Empire

Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 CE. They were the successors in India of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty... Early anepigraphic coinage of the Indo-Scythians (c. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 AD), first king of the Indo-Parthians kingdom. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ...

References

• K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, A History of South India (Madras, 1976).