Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

Author(s): Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan

Page 33

Introduction CE (Dehejia 1972: 30). The Satavahanas mainly ruled in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka with Paithan as the capital. At its zenith under Gautamiputra Satkarni (106 CE to 130 CE), the Satavahana empire stretched from the Vidarbha in the east to the Arabian Sea in the west and Narmada in the north to Krishna in the south (Sircar, 1990b: 201202).
After the fall of the mighty Satavahana Empire, several small kingdoms appeared in different parts. Again, this period of history is not very clear. The Abhiras are known to have risen in north Maharashtra and northern Konkan (Mirashi 1963: xvii Sircar 1990a: 221). They continued to rule as late as the middle of the 4th century CE (Sircar 1990a: 223). The Shriparvatiyas or the Ikshvakus came to power in the districts around the mouth of the Krishna and Godavari. They ruled independently till about the end of the third century and lingered as a local power for many years after the Pallava conquest of the region (Sircar 1990a: 226).
Though the Vakatakas are not mentioned by the Puranas among the dynasties that rose to power after the Satavahanas, the archaeological evidence suggest that it was an important dynasty, which became very prominent in the post-Satavahana period. The chronology of the Vakatakas is much debated, but it is generally believed that they ruled from around 250 CE to 500 CE (Mirashi 1963: vi). They ruled in Maharashtra and adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh. Though from time to time they extended their territories in all directions, their base had always been in Vidarbha. Two branches of the family are known, the main branch (circa 330 to 490 CE) with their capital at Purika, situated somewhere at the foot of the Satapuda mountain and the Vatsagulma branch (circa 330 to 500 CE) with their capital at Vatsagulma or Washim, the district headquarters. By the end of 5th century CE the family had disappeared.
After the fall of the Vakataka empire a few small dynasties came to prominence in different parts of Maharashtra. During the period of 5th to the second half of the 6th century CE, Traikutakas came to power in northern Maharashtra and northern Konkan. They were originally subordinates of Abhiras and acquired their territories from them (Sircar 1988: 192-193). In the second half of 6th century CE, the Kalachuris became powerful in northern Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Malwa. However, they were driven away from Maharashtra by the Chalukyas of Badami (Sircar 1988: 194). An early Rashtrakuta family is known to have ruled in the southern parts with Man in the Satara district as the capital. It is not clear whether they were subdued by the Chalukyas of Badami or some other family (Sircar 1988: 200-201).
The Chalukyas, who came to power after the Vakatakas, became important in the service of the later Satavahanas and their successors. They rose to prominence under Pulakesin I around 543 CE and ruled for about two centuries, except for a short interval of about fifteen years, from their capital at Badami in Karnataka. During this period, they established two semi-independent kingdoms, one in Gujarat and the other in Vengi. These kingdoms, eventually, turned into two branches of the family, which sustained the empire in their respective domains much after the main branch disappeared.
The Chalukyas were followed by the Rashtrakutas. Though some early rulers of the dynasty are known to have flourished, mainly as the district officers under the Chalukyas (Altekar 1967: 250) between circa 570 to 630 CE, the family rose to power in circa 735 CE. They originally belonged to Lattalura, modern Latur. In around circa 640