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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXII
to dissociate the rule of the Airas over the Guntur region in the valley of the Krishna in the second century A.D. from the above facts of the early history of Kalinga especially in view of the title Mahārāja claimed by Manasada, which was popular with the Chedi-Mahämeghavahanas but not with the Satavahanas. It is thus not impossible that Aira rule was established in the Krishna-Guntur region as a result of one of Kharavela's expeditions in those areas.
In the second century A.D., the title Mahārāja, enjoyed by the Aira king in our record, indicated an imperial status. The Aira rule in the Krishna valley in the period in question seems to go against the suggestion that the Satavahanas, called Andhras in the Puranas, ruled over the KrishnaGuntur region in the heart of the present Andhra country from the post-Maurya age down to the beginning of the third century A.D. Elsewhere we have suggested that the Andhra people were originally living in the northern parts of the Deccan, that the early rulers of the Satavahana family belonging to the Andhra race ruled over territories to the north of the Krishna and that it was Vasishṭhiputra Pulumāvi (circa 130-59 A.D.) who conquered the Krishna-Guntur area in the second quarter of the second century A.D. The main argument in favour of the suggestion is that no inscription of the Satavahanas down to the days of Gautamiputra Satakarni (circa 106-30 A.D.) has been discovered in the area in question and that no land lying to the south of the Krishna seems to be included in the long list of territories quoted in the Nasik inscription of the ninteenth regnal year of Puļumāvi as comprised in his father's dominions. The present inscription seems to support our view. It now appears that the Airas ruling over the Krishna-Guntur region were supplanted by the Later Satavahanas. This is indicated by the existence of many Later Satavahana epigraphs in this region such as the Amaravati (Guntur District), inscription of Väsishṭhiputra Puļumāvi, Chinna (Krishna District) inscription of Gautamiputra Yajña Śātakarņi, Kodavali inscription of Chanda or Chandra Sata and the Myakadoni (Bellary District) inscription of Puļumāvi.
TEXT
1.. [*] namo Bhagavato [*] Ga[la]
2 yasal Airasa Mahārā[ya]
3 [sa] Hāriti[putasa] [s]ir[i]-[MA]
4 [sa]dasa11 di[s]i-[dh]ārikaya
5 [v]ayals. [gava].18 Bhutaga[ha]
+
6. [sa ma]ḍa[pa(po)] [e]ko [niva]hito [*]
1 Cf. K. Gopalachari, Early History of the Andhra Country, p. 5.
The Age of Imperial Unity, pp. 193 f., 204.
Select Inscriptions, pp. 196, 198 note.
Arch. Surv. S. Ind., Vol. I, p. 100, Plate LVI, No. 1.
Above, Vol. I, pp. 95f.; JASB, Vol. XVI, 1920, pp. 327 ff.
Above, Vol. XVIII, pp. 316 ff.
'Ibid., Vol. XIV, p. 155.
From impressions and the facsimile published in JAHC, Vol. I, No. 2, Plate facing p. 64. We have also utilised one of Mr. Sastri's impressions for illustrating the present article.
The lost word may be sidha or sidham.
10 The intended reading may be Galaveyasa (i.e. Galaveyasa)-Sanskrit Galaveyasya.
11 Traces of the damaged letter at the beginning of the line seem to suggest the reading na. The name of the king thus appears to have been Manasada.
13 As suggested above, the name of the lady was something like Revd, Devd, etc.
18 The word may be restored as Bhagavato.
14 The intended reading seems to be Bhútagahakasa. The aksharas sa and ma are trae eable on Mr. Sastri's impressions but are lost now on the stone.
