Indian Antiquary Vol 47

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 164

154
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JUNE, 1918
just those provinces which were under the sway of Chashtana ? The answer is simple. The date of this insoription is the 19th regnal year of Pulumavi. What is its Christian equivalent ? If we suppose, as is commonly held, that Nahapana was killed in battle shortly after the year 46 ( A.D. 124) the last date we have for him, Puļumâvi's nineteenth regnal year must correspond to circa A.D. 145. Now no less than six stone inscriptions have been discovered in Cutch, bearing the date 52 and referring themselves to the conjoint reign of Chashtana and his grandson Rudradaman.46 It appears that in the year 52 (= A.D. 130) Chashtana Was MahAkshatrapa and his grandson Rudradâman Kshatrapa, governing Kachchha and Surashtra. It was therefore between A.D. 130 and 145 that Gautamiputra Satakarņi seems to have wrested Malwa and Kathiâwâr either from Chashtana or Rudradêman, but most probably from the former. The story appears to be simply this. Gautamiputra Satakarni and his son Vasish thiputra Pulumâvi came from the south-east to regain the provinces lost to their family, overthrew Naha pâna circa A.D. 126. and re-established their power over the north-west part of Maharashtra. Not being content with this, they soon turned their arms against another dynasty of foreigners-the Kshatrapa dynasty that came immediately after Nahapâna and succeeded in wresting their dominions also about A.D. 146. This is also clear from a rock inscription of Rudradâman at Junagadh in Kathiâwâr. In this record men of all castes are represented to have gone to Rudradaman and chosen him as their lord for protection. If Rudradáman had succeeded Chashtana in the natural course of things, people of different castes would not have repaired to him and selected him as their protector. Evidently his family seems to have lost the kingdom and he to have regained it. This is also indicated by the boast of Rudrad Aman in the same inscription that the title of Mahakshatrapa he had won for himself and not inherited. 28 He was by no means slow to retrieve the glory of his family. For the same Junagadh epigraph speaks of Rudrad iman as the lord of Akarávanti, Surashtra, Kukura and Aparánta - just those countries ruled over by Gautamiputra Satakarni according to Násik Inscription No. 2 as stated above. Now the date of the Junagadh epigraph is (Saka) 72 - A.D. 150, and the date of the Nasik inscription, we have seen, is about A.D. 145. It must be, therefore, between 145 and 150 A.D. that Rudradaman succeeded in reconquering the provinces lost to his family. Again, it is worthy of note that Rudradáman is represented to have twice subdued Satakarni, the lord of Dakshinapatha, but not to have destroyed him in consequence of his relationship with him not being remote and to have acquired a good name on that account. It will be seen that this Sata karņi can be no other than Gautamiputra Satakarni.
28 I was the first to discover these inscriptions (PRASI-WC, 1905-06, 35), yet, ouriously enough, my name has not been mentioned in ASI.-AR., 1905-06, 166-7. A detailed summary of their contents has been published by me in PRASI-WC., 1914-15, 67. The date of these inscriptions is thus expressed: Rajko Chashtanasa Yamotikapulrasa rajfio Rudrada masa Jayada maputrasa ugrohe dvipaoha se 50 2 Phaguna bahulasa dvitiyam 16 2. At first I was inclined to supply pautrasa after Yedmotika putras, and refer the date to the reign of Rudradaman (JBBRAS.., XXIII. 68). Mr. R. C. Majumdar of the Calcutta University has kindly offered the suggestion that the date had better be referred to the conjoint reign of Chashtana ard Rudradaman. I entirely accept this suggestion which is a very happy one. This at once does away with the necessity of supplying the word paurasa'Waddition which seems to be highly improbable when we have to make it not to one but to six
Boords that were found in Outch and which even though it is made does not render the passage untirely free from straining. It, therefore, seems that Jayadaman died and was succeeded to his Kshatrapa rank by his son Rudrad&man during the life-time of Chashtana himeelf. # EI., VOL. 43, 1. 9.
28 Ibid, 44, 1. 15.