Samipya 2000 Vol 17 Ank 03 04

SR No.: 535817
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bhartiben Shelat, R T Savalia
Publisher: Bholabhai Jeshingbhai Adhyayan Sanshodhan Vidyabhavan
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 84
Language: Gujarati
Classification: Magazine, India_Samipya, & India
File Size: 8 MB

Page 5

relations between the royal couple were one of the best that can be imagined and that Nāganikā enjoyed considerable political authority and influence. In fact, the nature of their mention in the coin-legends is enough to indicate that at the time they were issued both were rulers with equal power and rank: there is no fixed order of mentioning the two, and they are found not unoften exchanging position. We may, therefore, conclude that in his old age king Sātakarņi was unable to fun the government by himself, perhaps owing to disabilities resulting from old age or some serious ailment and that queen Nāganikā had to look after his administrative responsibilities. And she claimed or was given due credit for it by being treated as a joint ruler.
Not only this, she had most probably to look after the kingdom after the passing away of her husband on behalf of her elder (perhaps eldest) son Vedisri who was then a minor and it must have been for quite a few years. And as such she exercised quite a good deal of political power and respect of the courtiers. And after Vediśri grew major and became king, she naturally commanded high spontaneous respect from officials, evidently because she had played a highly important part in preserving the throne against all odds for the minor son who was now the reigning king and certainly had the highest love and regards for his mother who must have now been quite old. And when she died, her grateful son had her statue together with that of his father installed in the family's statue-gallery at Nāņeghāt. What is even more puzzling and interesting is that Vediśri in this case gave a good bye to the age-old Indian convention which enjoined for wife a place to her husband's left, which is enough to show the great importance attached to her during the rule of her son Vedišri.
This was in first century B.C.-A.D. as, according to our chronological scheme Sātakarņi ruled in c. 10 B.C.-c. 45 A.D. Shortly afterwards there was another lady of equal grit and political grip. She was Balasri of the Gautama gotra and consequently styled Gautami, the full name in common parlance being a combination of both these, viz. Gautami Balaśrī. She was the mother of the great Sātakarni, the name being preceded by the metronymic Gautamiputra (“son of Gautami'). The measure of the great importance attached to her by the composers of the dynastic sections (vamsānucharita) of the Purānas is transparent enough from the fact that in this section he is referred to only as Gautamiputra, and not as Sātakarņi which was his personal name. In fact, it is noteworthy that he is the first chronologically among the known bearers of a metronymic among the Sātavāhanas. She had a very high position and status and her son and grandson both were anxious to do everything to earn her favour and keep her pleased and happy. Her son made the grant to the Buddhist monks living in Cave III' at Nasik of a field from his own estate (rājaka kheta) in exchange for one granted earlier when it was found that the latter was uncultivable (fellow) and the
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