Indian Antiquary Vol 47

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

Page 75

MARCH, 1918]
DEKKAN OF THE SATAVAHANA PERIOD
population, and their kingdom was then an important second-rate independent power of India. The next important notice of this people is supplied by Asoka's Rock Edict XIII 5 promulgated about 256 B.C. It speaks of many independent and feudatory princes to whose kingdoms the Maurya monarch dispatched missionaries. In this connection the king of the Andhras is mentioned, but his name is included in the list of those of the feudatory princes. We thus see that about 300 B.C. the Andhra king was independent but was a subordinate chief about 256 B.O. We know from Asoka's inscriptions that Kalinga was the only province which he conquered. Evidently the Andhras were deprived of their independence either by Chandragupta or his son Bindusara.
We do not hear of the Andhras again till about 75 B.C. The Purâņas tell us that one Sisuka (Simuka) of the Andhra race uprooted not only the Kånvas, but also " whatever was left of the power of the Sungas,” who, we know, supplanted the Maurya dynasty to which Asoka belonged. It appears that the Kânvas, like the Pesh was of the modern day, usurped the power of their masters, the Sungas, and that Sisuka (Simuka) by supplanting the power of the Kanvas supplanted that of the Sungas also..
The Telugu country lying between the rivers Kistna and Godâvari is called Andhra-desa at present. But whether or not it was the original home of the Andhras, has been called in question. One Buddhist Jâtaka, however, speaks of two traders going from the Seriva kingdom to a town called Andhapura situated on the Telavaha river. Andhapura certainly corresponds to the Sansksit Andhrapura, and as pura is invariably used in early PAli literature to signify a capital-town,' Andhrapura must mean the capital town of the Andhra kingdom. The river Telavaha is either the modern Tel or Telingiri 8 both not far distant from each other and flowing near the confines of the Madras Presidency and the Central Provinces. This, indeed, locates the original Andhra country which must, therefore, have comprised parts of both these provinces.
The name of the Andhra dynasty that came to power about 75 B.C. is Satavahana. There can be no doubt that the order of succession of its first three kings has been correctly given by the Purâņas, viz. (1) Sisuka (Simuka), (2) Krishộa, and (3) Sri-Satakarņi. Krishna, we are told, was a brother of Simuka and father of Sri-Satakarņi. No record of Simuka has come to light, but of Krishna we possess an inscription in a cave at Nâsik. It tells us that the cave was scooped out by the Mahâmâtra Sramana; inhabitant of Nâsik, when Krishna of the Satavahana family was the king.10 Of the third prince, Satakarņi we have two inscriptions, the most important of which has been engraved in the cave at Nânâghåt, a pass in the Western Ghâts in the Poona District. Though it is mutilated, it is of great importance. In the same cave figures have been carved on the front wall with their names inscribed above them, which are supposed to represent the royal personages referred to in the big inscription. A combined study of these monuments gives us the following results. Satakarņi was the supreme ruler of Dakshiņâpatha (Dekkan). His queen was Nâganikâ. They together performed a number of sacrifices, and Afvamedha we are told was celebrated twice-which
• EI., II. 471. 6 Vide Appendix A.
. 11. 111. 5-8. SI owe this suggestion to my friend Mr. K. P. Jayaswal.
9 Simuka is the name given by a NapaghAt inscription (ASWI., V. 64, No. 3) and must therefore represent the correct original (ibid, 69-70).
X0 EI, VIII. 93, No. 22.