Western Kshatrapas
Encyclopedia
The Western Satraps, Western Kshatrapas, or Kshaharatas (35
–405
) were Saka
rulers of the western and central part of India
(Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Southern Sindh
, Maharashtra
, Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh states). Their state, or at least part of it, was called "Ariaca
" according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
.
They were successors to the Indo-Scythians
, and were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords, and the Satavahana
(Andhra) who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western" in contrast to the "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, such as Rajuvula
, and his successors under the Kushans, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara. Although they called themselves "Satraps" on their coins, leading to their modern designation of "Western Satraps", Ptolemy
in his 2nd century "Geographia
" still called them "Indo-Scythians".
Altogether, there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years. The word Kshatrapa stands for satrap
, and its equivalent in Persian
Ksatrapavan, which means viceroy or governor of a province.
The Western Satraps are thought to have started with the rather short-lived Kshaharata dynasty (also called Chaharada, Khaharata or Khakharata depending on sources). The term Kshaharata is also known from the 6 CE Taxila copper plate
inscription, in which it qualifies the Indo-Scytian ruler Liaka Kusulaka
. The Nasik inscription of the 19th year of Sri Pulamavi
also mentions the Khakharatavasa, or Kshaharata race.
The earliest Kshaharata for whom there is evidence is Abhiraka
, whose rare coins are known. He was succeeded by Bhumaka
, father of Nahapana, who only used on his coins the title of Satrap, and not that of Raja or Raño (king). Bhumaka was the father of the great ruler Nahapana
, according to one of the latter's coins. His coins bear Buddhist symbols, such as the eight-spoked wheel (dharmachakra), or the lion seated on a capital, a representation of a pilar of Ashoka
.
Nahapana succeeded to him, and became a very powerful ruler. He occupied portions of the Satavahana empire in western and central India. Nahapana held sway over Malwa, Southern Gujarat, and Northern Konkan
, from Broach
to Sopara
and the Nasik and Poona districts. His son-in-law, the Saka Ushavadata (married to his daughter Dakshamitra), is known from inscriptions in Nasik and Karle
to have been viceroy of Nahapana, ruling over the southern part of his territory.
Nahapana is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
under the name Nambanus, as ruler of the area around Barigaza:
Under the Western Satraps, Barigaza was one of the main centers of Roman trade with India
. The Periplus describes the many goods exchanged:
Goods were also brought down in quantity from Ujjain
, the capital of the Western Satraps:
Some ships were also fitted out from Barigaza, to export goods westward across the Indian ocean
:
Nahapana also established the silver coinage of the Kshatrapas.
Nahapana and Ushavadata were ultimately defeated by the powerful Satavahana king Gautamiputra Satakarni
. Gautramiputra drove the Sakas from Malwa and Western Maharashtra, forcing Nahapana west to Gujarat. Gautamiputra restruck many of Nahapana's coins.
A new dynasty, called the Bhadramukhas or Kardamaka dynasty, was established by the "Satrap" Castana
. The date of Castana is not certain, but many believe his reign started in the year 78 CE, thus making him the founder of the Saka era. This is consistent with the fact that his descendants (who we know used the Saka era on their coins and inscriptions) would use the date of their founder as their era. Castana was satrap of Ujjain
during that period. A statue found in Mathura together with statues of the Kushan king Kanishka
and Vima Kadphises
, and bearing the name "Shastana" is often attributed to Castana himself, and suggests Castana may have been a feudatory of the Kushans. Conversely, the Rabatak inscription
also claims Kushan dominion over Western Satrap territory (by mentionning Kushan control over the capital Ujjain
), during the reign of Kanishka
(c. 127–150 CE).
in his "Geographia", where he qualifies them as "Indo-Scythians". He describes this territory as starting from Patalene in the West, to Ujjain
in the east ("Ozena-Regia Tiastani", "Ozene, capital of king Chastana"), and beyond Barigaza in the south.
, grandson of Chastana
, took the title "Mahakshatrapa" ("Great Satrap"), and defended his kingdom from the Satavahanas. The conflict between Rudradaman and Satavahanas became so gruelling, that in order to contain the conflict, a matrimonial relationship was concluded by giving Rudradaman's daughter to the Satavahana king Vashishtiputra Satakarni
.
The Satavahanas and the Western Satraps remained at war however, and Rudradaman I defeated the Satavahanas twice in these conflicts, only sparing the life of Vashishtiputra Satakarni due to their family alliance:
Rudradaman regained all the previous territories held by Nahapana, except for the southern areas of Poona and Nasik:
Recently discovered pillar inscriptions describe the presence of a Western Satrap named Rupiamma in the Bhandara
district of the area of Vidarbha
, in the extreme northeastern area of Maharashtra
, where he erected the pillars.
Rudradarman is known for his sponsoring of the arts. He is known to have written poetry in the purest of Sanskrit, and made it his court language. His name is forever attached to the inscription by Sudharshini lake.
He had at his court a Greek writer named Yavanesvara
("Lord of the Greeks"), who translated from Greek to Sanskrit the Yavanajataka
("Saying of the Greeks"), an astrological treatise and India's earliest Sanskrit work in horoscopy.
The Kshatrapa dynasty seems to have reached a high level of prosperity under the rule of Rudrasena II (256–278), 19th ruler of Kshatrapa.
The last Kshatrapa ruler of the Chastana family was Visvasena (Vishwasen), brother and successor to Bhartrdaman
and son of Rudrasena II. A new family took over, started by the rule of Rudrasimha II, son of Lord (Svami) Jivadaman.
. A fragment from the Natya-darpana mentions that the Gupta
king Ramagupta
, the elder brother of Chandragupta II
, decided to expand his kingdom by attacking the Western Satraps in Gujarat.
The campaign soon took a turn for the worse and the Gupta army was trapped. The Saka king, Rudrasimha III, demanded that Ramagupta hand over his wife Dhruvadevi in exchange for peace. To avoid the ignominy the Guptas decide to send Madhavasena, a courtesan and a beloved of Chandragupta, disguised as the queen. However, Chandragupta changes the plan and himself goes to the Saka King disguised as the queen. He then kills Rudrasimha and later his own brother, Ramagupta. Dhruvadevi is then married to Chandragupta.
The Western Satraps were eventually conquered by emperor Chandragupta II. This brought an end to the rule of the Shakas on the subcontinent.
.
Also the father of each king is systematically mentioned in the reverse legends, which allows to reconstruct the regnal succession.
), is employed together with the Brahmi
script and the Greek
script on the first coins of the Western Satraps, but is finally abandoned from the time of Chastana
. From that time, only the Brahmi script would remain, together with the pseudo-Greek script on the facing, to write the Prakrit
language employed by the Western satraps. Occasionally, the legends are in Sanskrit
instead.
The coins of Nahapana
bears the Greek script legend "PANNIΩ IAHAPATAC NAHAΠANAC", transliteration of the Prakrit "Raño Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa": "In the reign of Kshaharata Nahapana". The coins of Castana
also have a readable legend "PANNIΩ IATPAΠAC CIASTANCA", transliteration of the Prakrit "Raño Kshatrapasa Castana": "In the reign of the Satrap Castana". After these two rulers, the legend in Greek script becomes denaturated, and seems to lose all signification, only retaining an esthetic value. By the 4th century, the coins of Rudrasimha II exhibit the following type of meaningless legend in corrupted Greek script: "...ΛIOΛVICIVIIIΛ...".
The coins of the Kshatrapas were also very influential and imitated by neighbouring or later dynasties, such as the Satavahanas, and the Guptas
. Silver coins of the Gupta kings Chandragupta II
and his son Kumaragupta I adopted the Western Satrap design (itself derived from the Indo-Greeks) with bust of the ruler and pseudo-Greek inscription on the obverse, and a royal eagle (Garuda
, the dynastic symbol of the Guptas) replacing the chaitya
hill with star and crescent on the reverse.
The Western Satrap coin design was also adopted by the subsequent dynasty of the Traikutakas
(388–456).
" on their coin would suggest a recognized sujetion to a higher ruler, possibly the Kushan emperor.
Also, a statue of Chastana
was found in Mathura at the Temple of Mat together with the famous statues of Vima Kadphises
and Kanishka
. This also would suggest at least alliance and friendship, if not vassallage. Finally Kanishka claims in the Rabatak inscription
that his power extends to Ujjain
, the classical capital of the Western Satrap realm. This combined with the presence of the Chastana statue side-by-side with Kanishka would also suggest Kushan alliance with the Western Satraps.
Finally, "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara, are known from an inscription in Sarnath
to have been feudatories of the Kushans.
Generally the orientation taken by modern scholarship is that the Western Satraps were vassals of the Kushan, at least in the early period until Rudradaman I
conquered the Yaudheyas who are usually thought themselves as Kushan vassals. The question is not considered as perfectly settled.
Family of Rudrasimha II:
35
Year 35 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gallus and Nonianus...
–405
405
Year 405 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Anthemius...
) were Saka
Saka
The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....
rulers of the western and central part of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Southern Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Madhya Pradesh states). Their state, or at least part of it, was called "Ariaca
Ariaca
Ariaca was a region of Western India beyond Barigaza, mentioned in ancient geographical sources.According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Ariaca was part of the kingdom of Nambanus, though to be the Western Satrap ruler Nahapana:...
" according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
.
They were successors to the Indo-Scythians
Indo-Scythians
Indo-Scythians is a term used to refer to Sakas , who migrated into Bactria, Sogdiana, Arachosia, Gandhara, Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE....
, and were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords, and the Satavahana
Satavahana
The Sātavāhana Empire or Andhra Empire, was a royal Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar and Prathisthan in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward...
(Andhra) who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western" in contrast to the "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, such as Rajuvula
Rajuvula
Rajuvula was an Indo-Scythian Great Satrap who ruled in the area of Mathura in northern India in the years around 10 CE. In central India, the Indo-Scythians conquered the area of Mathura over Indian kings around 60 BCE...
, and his successors under the Kushans, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara. Although they called themselves "Satraps" on their coins, leading to their modern designation of "Western Satraps", Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
in his 2nd century "Geographia
Geographia (Ptolemy)
The Geography is Ptolemy's main work besides the Almagest...
" still called them "Indo-Scythians".
Altogether, there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years. The word Kshatrapa stands for satrap
Satrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
, and its equivalent in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
Ksatrapavan, which means viceroy or governor of a province.
First expansion: Kshaharata dynasty (1st century CE)
Taxila copper plate
The Taxila copper-plate, also called the Moga inscription or the Patika copper-plate is a notable archaeological artifact found in the area of Taxila, Gandhara, in modern Pakistan. It is presently in the collection of the British Museum....
inscription, in which it qualifies the Indo-Scytian ruler Liaka Kusulaka
Liaka Kusulaka
Liaka Kusulaka was an Indo-Scythian satrap of the area of Chukhsa in the northwestern South Asia during the 1st century BCE....
. The Nasik inscription of the 19th year of Sri Pulamavi
Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi
Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi was a Satavahana king, and the son of Gautamiputra Satakarni.He was mentioned by Ptolemy under the name Siristolemaios .He was succeeded by his younger brother Vashishtiputra Satakarni....
also mentions the Khakharatavasa, or Kshaharata race.
The earliest Kshaharata for whom there is evidence is Abhiraka
Abhiraka
Abhiraka was an Indo-Scythian king and a member of the Kshaharata dynasty, belonged to Abhira tribe . He was the father of Bhumaka, and the grandfather of Nahapana....
, whose rare coins are known. He was succeeded by Bhumaka
Bhumaka
Bhumaka was a Western Kshatrapa ruler of the early 2nd century CE.He was the father of the great ruler Nahapana, according to one of the latter's coins. He was preceded by Abhiraka , of whom a few coins are known....
, father of Nahapana, who only used on his coins the title of Satrap, and not that of Raja or Raño (king). Bhumaka was the father of the great ruler Nahapana
Nahapana
Nahapana was an important ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, descendant of the Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India. According to one of his coins, he was the son of Bhumaka.-History:...
, according to one of the latter's coins. His coins bear Buddhist symbols, such as the eight-spoked wheel (dharmachakra), or the lion seated on a capital, a representation of a pilar of Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
.
Nahapana succeeded to him, and became a very powerful ruler. He occupied portions of the Satavahana empire in western and central India. Nahapana held sway over Malwa, Southern Gujarat, and Northern Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
, from Broach
Broach
Broach may mean:* to raise a topic/subject for discussion*Broaching , a machining operation that uses a metalworking tool with a series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel...
to Sopara
Sopara
Sopara or Soparaka was an ancient port town and the capital of the ancient Aparanta. The site of this ancient town is located near the present day Nala Sopara town in the Thane district of the state Maharashtra, India.Nala Sopara is one of the busiest western suburbs of Mumbai city...
and the Nasik and Poona districts. His son-in-law, the Saka Ushavadata (married to his daughter Dakshamitra), is known from inscriptions in Nasik and Karle
Karla Caves
The Karla Caves or Karle Caves are a complex of ancient Indian Buddhist rock-cut cave shrines developed over two periods – from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, and from the 5th century to the 10th century. The oldest of the cave shrines is believed to date back to 160 BC...
to have been viceroy of Nahapana, ruling over the southern part of his territory.
Nahapana is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
under the name Nambanus, as ruler of the area around Barigaza:
Under the Western Satraps, Barigaza was one of the main centers of Roman trade with India
Roman trade with India
Roman trade with India through the overland caravan routes via Anatolia and Persia, though at a relative trickle compared to later times, antedated the southern trade route via the Red Sea and monsoons which started around the beginning of the Common Era following the reign of Augustus and his...
. The Periplus describes the many goods exchanged:
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, the capital of the Western Satraps:
Some ships were also fitted out from Barigaza, to export goods westward across the Indian ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
:
Nahapana also established the silver coinage of the Kshatrapas.
Nahapana and Ushavadata were ultimately defeated by the powerful Satavahana king Gautamiputra Satakarni
Gautamiputra Satkarni
Gautamiputra Satakarni was the twenty-third ruler of the Satavahana Empire.-Rule:...
. Gautramiputra drove the Sakas from Malwa and Western Maharashtra, forcing Nahapana west to Gujarat. Gautamiputra restruck many of Nahapana's coins.
Kardamaka dynasty, family of Castana (1st–4th century)
Chastana
Chastana, or Castana, was a ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India around 130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period....
. The date of Castana is not certain, but many believe his reign started in the year 78 CE, thus making him the founder of the Saka era. This is consistent with the fact that his descendants (who we know used the Saka era on their coins and inscriptions) would use the date of their founder as their era. Castana was satrap of Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
during that period. A statue found in Mathura together with statues of the Kushan king Kanishka
Kanishka
Kanishka ) was an emperor of the Kushan Empire, ruling an empire extending from Bactria to large parts of northern India in the 2nd century of the common era, and famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements...
and Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises was a Kushan emperor from around 90–100 CE. As detailed by the Rabatak inscription, he was the son of Vima Takto and the father of Kanishka.-Rule:...
, and bearing the name "Shastana" is often attributed to Castana himself, and suggests Castana may have been a feudatory of the Kushans. Conversely, the Rabatak inscription
Rabatak inscription
The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak, near Surkh Kotal in Afghanistan...
also claims Kushan dominion over Western Satrap territory (by mentionning Kushan control over the capital Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
), during the reign of Kanishka
Kanishka
Kanishka ) was an emperor of the Kushan Empire, ruling an empire extending from Bactria to large parts of northern India in the 2nd century of the common era, and famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements...
(c. 127–150 CE).
Territory under Chastana
The territory of the Western Satraps at the time of Chastana is described extensively by the geographer PtolemyPtolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
in his "Geographia", where he qualifies them as "Indo-Scythians". He describes this territory as starting from Patalene in the West, to Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
in the east ("Ozena-Regia Tiastani", "Ozene, capital of king Chastana"), and beyond Barigaza in the south.
Victory against the Satavahanas: Rudradaman I
Around 130 CE, Rudradaman IRudradaman I
Rudradaman I was a Saka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the celebrated Sah king Chastana. Rudradaman I was instrumental in the decline of the Satavahana Empire.- Mahakshatrapa :...
, grandson of Chastana
Chastana
Chastana, or Castana, was a ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India around 130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period....
, took the title "Mahakshatrapa" ("Great Satrap"), and defended his kingdom from the Satavahanas. The conflict between Rudradaman and Satavahanas became so gruelling, that in order to contain the conflict, a matrimonial relationship was concluded by giving Rudradaman's daughter to the Satavahana king Vashishtiputra Satakarni
Vashishtiputra Satakarni
Vashishtiputra Sātakarni , was a Satavahana king in Central India, who ruled during the 2nd century century CE. He was the brother of Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi Vashishtiputra Sātakarni (r. 130-160 CE), was a Satavahana king in Central India, who ruled during the 2nd century century CE. He was the...
.
Rudradaman regained all the previous territories held by Nahapana, except for the southern areas of Poona and Nasik:
Recently discovered pillar inscriptions describe the presence of a Western Satrap named Rupiamma in the Bhandara
Bhandara
Bhandara is a city and a municipal council in Bhandara district in the state of Maharashtra, India.- Overview :It is the second major city in Vidharba a region that is Maharashtra. Bhandara is an agricultural centre for the farmers around its region majorly growing rice. The district speaks...
district of the area of Vidarbha
Vidarbha
Vidarbha is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar . It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra...
, in the extreme northeastern area of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, where he erected the pillars.
Rudradarman is known for his sponsoring of the arts. He is known to have written poetry in the purest of Sanskrit, and made it his court language. His name is forever attached to the inscription by Sudharshini lake.
He had at his court a Greek writer named Yavanesvara
Yavanesvara
Yavaneśvara, Sanskrit for "Lord" "of the Greeks" , was a man who lived in the Gujarat region of India under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa Saka king Rudrakarman I....
("Lord of the Greeks"), who translated from Greek to Sanskrit the Yavanajataka
Yavanajataka
The Yavanajātaka of Sphujidhvaja is an ancient text in Indian astrology....
("Saying of the Greeks"), an astrological treatise and India's earliest Sanskrit work in horoscopy.
Rudrasena II (256–278 CE)
The last Kshatrapa ruler of the Chastana family was Visvasena (Vishwasen), brother and successor to Bhartrdaman
Bhratadarman
Bhartrdaman was a Saka ruler of the Western Kshatrapas in northwestern India from around 278 to 295. For the first four years, his coins name him only as kshatrapa, after which time his coins name him mahakshatrapa...
and son of Rudrasena II. A new family took over, started by the rule of Rudrasimha II, son of Lord (Svami) Jivadaman.
Defeat by the Guptas (c. 400 CE)
A new family took control under Rudrasimha IIIRudrasimha III
Rudrasimha III was the last ruler of the Western Satraps in India, in the 4th century CE.A fragment from the Natya-darpana mentions the Gupta king Ramagupta, the elder brother of Chandragupta II, decided to expand his kingdom by attacking the Western Satraps in Gujarat. The campaign soon took a...
. A fragment from the Natya-darpana mentions that the Gupta
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
king Ramagupta
Ramagupta
Ramagupta was an emperor of the Gupta dynasty in ancient India. He was the elder son and immediate successor of Samudragupta and succeeded by is younger brother Chandragupta II. Initially, he was known from the traditional narratives only. But later, three inscriptions on Jaina tirthankara images...
, the elder brother of Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II the Great, very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta Vikramaditya in Sanskrit; was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India. His rule spanned c...
, decided to expand his kingdom by attacking the Western Satraps in Gujarat.
The Western Satraps were eventually conquered by emperor Chandragupta II. This brought an end to the rule of the Shakas on the subcontinent.
Coinage
The Kshatrapas have a very rich and interesting coinage. It was based on the coinage of the earlier Indo-Greek Kings, with Greek or pseudo-Greek legend and stylized profiles of royal busts on the obverse. The reverse of the coins however is original and typically depict a thunderbolt and an arrow, and later, a chaitya or three-arched hill and river symbol with a crescent and the sun, within a legend in Brahmi. These coins are very informative, since they record the name of the King, of his father, and the date of issue, and have helped clarify the early history of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Regnal dates
From the reign of Rudrasimha I, the date of minting of each coin, reckoned in the Saka era, is usually written on the obverse behind the king's head in Brahmi numerals, allowing for a quite precise datation of the rule of each king. This is a rather uncommon case in Indian numismatics. Some, such as the numismat R.C Senior considered that these dates might correspond to the much earlier Azes era instead.Also the father of each king is systematically mentioned in the reverse legends, which allows to reconstruct the regnal succession.
Languages
Kharoshthi, a script in use in more northern territories (area of GandharaGandhara
Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
), is employed together with the Brahmi
Brāhmī script
Brāhmī is the modern name given to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of scripts. The best-known Brāhmī inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north-central India, dated to the 3rd century BCE. These are traditionally considered to be early known examples of Brāhmī writing...
script and the Greek
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
script on the first coins of the Western Satraps, but is finally abandoned from the time of Chastana
Chastana
Chastana, or Castana, was a ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India around 130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period....
. From that time, only the Brahmi script would remain, together with the pseudo-Greek script on the facing, to write the Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
language employed by the Western satraps. Occasionally, the legends are in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
instead.
The coins of Nahapana
Nahapana
Nahapana was an important ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, descendant of the Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India. According to one of his coins, he was the son of Bhumaka.-History:...
bears the Greek script legend "PANNIΩ IAHAPATAC NAHAΠANAC", transliteration of the Prakrit "Raño Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa": "In the reign of Kshaharata Nahapana". The coins of Castana
Castana
Castana may refer to a number of towns:* Castana, Iowa, United States* Castana, Lombardy, ItalySee also*Chastana, the Western Satrap king...
also have a readable legend "PANNIΩ IATPAΠAC CIASTANCA", transliteration of the Prakrit "Raño Kshatrapasa Castana": "In the reign of the Satrap Castana". After these two rulers, the legend in Greek script becomes denaturated, and seems to lose all signification, only retaining an esthetic value. By the 4th century, the coins of Rudrasimha II exhibit the following type of meaningless legend in corrupted Greek script: "...ΛIOΛVICIVIIIΛ...".
Influences
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
. Silver coins of the Gupta kings Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II the Great, very often referred to as Vikramaditya or Chandragupta Vikramaditya in Sanskrit; was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India. His rule spanned c...
and his son Kumaragupta I adopted the Western Satrap design (itself derived from the Indo-Greeks) with bust of the ruler and pseudo-Greek inscription on the obverse, and a royal eagle (Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
, the dynastic symbol of the Guptas) replacing the chaitya
Chaitya
A chaitya is a Buddhist or Jain shrine including a stupa. In modern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaitya-griha is often used to denote assembly or prayer hall that houses a stupa.-History:...
hill with star and crescent on the reverse.
The Western Satrap coin design was also adopted by the subsequent dynasty of the Traikutakas
Traikutakas
The Traikutakas were a dynasty of Indian kings who ruled between 388 and 456 CE. The name "Traikutakas" seems to derived from the words for a three-peaked mountain . The Traikutakas are mentioned in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa, in which they are located in the area of northern Konkan...
(388–456).
Vassalage to the Kushans?
It is still unclear whether the Western Satraps were independent rulers or vassals of the Kushans. The continued use of the word "SatrapSatrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
" on their coin would suggest a recognized sujetion to a higher ruler, possibly the Kushan emperor.
Also, a statue of Chastana
Chastana
Chastana, or Castana, was a ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India around 130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period....
was found in Mathura at the Temple of Mat together with the famous statues of Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises was a Kushan emperor from around 90–100 CE. As detailed by the Rabatak inscription, he was the son of Vima Takto and the father of Kanishka.-Rule:...
and Kanishka
Kanishka
Kanishka ) was an emperor of the Kushan Empire, ruling an empire extending from Bactria to large parts of northern India in the 2nd century of the common era, and famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements...
. This also would suggest at least alliance and friendship, if not vassallage. Finally Kanishka claims in the Rabatak inscription
Rabatak inscription
The Rabatak inscription is an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak, near Surkh Kotal in Afghanistan...
that his power extends to Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, the classical capital of the Western Satrap realm. This combined with the presence of the Chastana statue side-by-side with Kanishka would also suggest Kushan alliance with the Western Satraps.
Finally, "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara, are known from an inscription in Sarnath
Sarnath
Sarnath or Sārnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India...
to have been feudatories of the Kushans.
Generally the orientation taken by modern scholarship is that the Western Satraps were vassals of the Kushan, at least in the early period until Rudradaman I
Rudradaman I
Rudradaman I was a Saka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the celebrated Sah king Chastana. Rudradaman I was instrumental in the decline of the Satavahana Empire.- Mahakshatrapa :...
conquered the Yaudheyas who are usually thought themselves as Kushan vassals. The question is not considered as perfectly settled.
Kshaharata dynasty
- Yapirajaya
- Hospises
- Higaraka
- AbhirakaAbhirakaAbhiraka was an Indo-Scythian king and a member of the Kshaharata dynasty, belonged to Abhira tribe . He was the father of Bhumaka, and the grandfather of Nahapana....
(Aubhirakes) - BhumakaBhumakaBhumaka was a Western Kshatrapa ruler of the early 2nd century CE.He was the father of the great ruler Nahapana, according to one of the latter's coins. He was preceded by Abhiraka , of whom a few coins are known....
(?-119) - NahapanaNahapanaNahapana was an important ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, descendant of the Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India. According to one of his coins, he was the son of Bhumaka.-History:...
(119–124)
Bhadramukhas or Kardamaka dynasty
Family of Chastana:- ChastanaChastanaChastana, or Castana, was a ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India around 130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period....
(c 78), son of Zamotika - JayadamanJayadamanJayadaman was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, although possibly only a Kshatrapa, rather than a Mahakshatrapa. He was the son of Chastana, and the father of Rudradaman I, but he may have pre-deceased Chastana, and never ruled as supreme ruler of the Western Kshatrapas...
, son of Chastana - Rudradaman IRudradaman IRudradaman I was a Saka ruler from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the celebrated Sah king Chastana. Rudradaman I was instrumental in the decline of the Satavahana Empire.- Mahakshatrapa :...
(c 130–150), son of Jayadaman - Damajadasri IDamajadasri IDamajadasri I was a ruler of the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. His reign saw the decline of dynasty after his dominions were conquered by the Satavahanas and saw the rise of the Abhiras in the south and Malavas in the north....
(170–175) - JivadamanJivadamanJivadaman was a Saka ruler of the Western Kshatrapas in northwestern India from during the 2nd century CE. He was the son of Damajadasri I , and the brother of Satyadaman....
(175 d 199)
- Rudrasimha IRudrasimha IRudrasimha I was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, who reigned from 178 to 197 CE. From the reign of Rudrasimha I, the date of minting of each coin, reckoned in the Saka era, is usually written on the obverse behind the king's head in Brahmi numerals, allowing for a quite precise datation of the rule of...
(175–188 d 197) - Isvaradatta (188–191)
- Rudrasimha IRudrasimha IRudrasimha I was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, who reigned from 178 to 197 CE. From the reign of Rudrasimha I, the date of minting of each coin, reckoned in the Saka era, is usually written on the obverse behind the king's head in Brahmi numerals, allowing for a quite precise datation of the rule of...
(restored) (191–197) - JivadamanJivadamanJivadaman was a Saka ruler of the Western Kshatrapas in northwestern India from during the 2nd century CE. He was the son of Damajadasri I , and the brother of Satyadaman....
(restored) (197–199) - Rudrasena IRudrasena IRudrasena I was a Saka ruler of the Western Satrap dynasty in the area of Malwa in ancient India.He is mainly known from his coins. Several have a date in Brahmi numerals on the reverse...
(200–222) - Samghadaman (222–223)
- Damasena (223–232)
- Damajadasri II (232–239) with
- Viradaman (234–238)
- Yasodaman I (239)
- Vijayasena (239–250)
- Damajadasri III (251–255)
- Rudrasena II (255–277)
- Visvasimha (277–282)
- Bhartrdaman (282–295)
- Visvasena (293–304)
Family of Rudrasimha II:
- Rudrasimha II, son of Lord (Svami) JivadamanJivadamanJivadaman was a Saka ruler of the Western Kshatrapas in northwestern India from during the 2nd century CE. He was the son of Damajadasri I , and the brother of Satyadaman....
(304–348) with - Yasodaman II (317–332)
- Rudradaman II (332–348)
- Rudrasena III (348–380)
- Simhasena (380- ?)
- Rudrasena IV (382–388)
- Rudrasimha IIIRudrasimha IIIRudrasimha III was the last ruler of the Western Satraps in India, in the 4th century CE.A fragment from the Natya-darpana mentions the Gupta king Ramagupta, the elder brother of Chandragupta II, decided to expand his kingdom by attacking the Western Satraps in Gujarat. The campaign soon took a...
(388–395)
See also
- History of IndiaHistory of IndiaThe history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
- Indo-Greek KingdomIndo-Greek KingdomThe Indo-Greek Kingdom or Graeco-Indian Kingdom covered various parts of the northwest regions of the Indian subcontinent during the last two centuries BC, and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other...
- Indo-ScythiansIndo-ScythiansIndo-Scythians is a term used to refer to Sakas , who migrated into Bactria, Sogdiana, Arachosia, Gandhara, Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE....
- Indo-Parthians
- Kushan EmpireKushan EmpireThe Kushan Empire originally formed in the early 1st century AD under Kujula Kadphises in the territories of ancient Bactria on either side of the middle course of the Oxus in what is now northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.During the 1st and early 2nd centuries...
- Rulers of MalwaRulers of MalwaFollowing is a list of rulers of Malwa since the Kshatrapas:-Kshatrapa Empire:* Nahapana * Chastana * Rudradaman I * Damajadasri I * Jivadaman * Rudrasimha I * Isvaradatta...
External links
- History of the Andhras, with many references to Western Satrap rule.
- Online catalogue of Western Kshatrapa coins
- Coins of the Western Kshatrapas
- The Kshatrapas in Nasik