Kavyanushasana Part 2

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Rasiklal C Parikh, Ramchandra B Athvale
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 57

XXXVI
Kavyanusasana dominion. This event is dated by the B. G. in 138 A. D. but in or about 126 A. D. by Vincent Smith.
In the meanwhile another Kshatrapa comes on the stage. His name was Chashtana. He soon wins back the portions of Gujarāt taken by Gautamīputra.
The family of this Kshatrapa is not connected in any way with Kshaharāta Nahapāna. Some of Chashtana's coins bear the legend Rajpo Kshatrapasa Ysmotikaputrasa Chashtanasa, while others bear 'Rajpo Mahākshatrapasa Ysmotikaputrasa Chashtanas. We gather from this that his father's name was Ysmotika or Zamotika which appears to be a foreign word. His father must have been an ordinary man as no title is prefixed to his name. Another thing that we understand from the legends is that in the beginning Chashtana was only a Kshatrapa and later on became a Mahākshatrapa. When he was a simple Kshatrapa his dominion must have extended only to Malwa and North Gujarāt. He is identified with Tiastanes of Ptolemy who gives Ozene or Ujjayinī as his capital. He must have called himself Mahākshatrapa after winning back Saurashtra and Aparānta from the Andhra kings.
Chashtana became the founder of a great dynasty and had at least twentyfive or twentysix successors. His name is mentioned in the inscriptions of some of his successors.
We may imagine his appearance from the busts on his coins. “He wears a moustache, the cap is not grooved but plain, and the hair which reaches the neck is longer than Nahapāna's hair. " In one of his coins the hair seems dressed in ringlets.