II. Ancient and Classical Periods, 3500 B.C.E.–500 C.E. > C. Early Civilizations and Classical Empires of South and East Asia > 2. South Asia, 72 B.C.E.–500 C.E. > b. The Deccan
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  The Encyclopedia of World History.  2001.
 
 
b. The Deccan
 
The DECCAN was dominated (from c. 100 B.C.E. to c. 225 C.E.) by a dynasty called Andhra by the late Puranas but Satavahana or Satakani in their own Prakrit inscriptions. Founded by Simuka on the ruins of the Sunga-Kanva power, with its capital at Pratishthana (Paithan) on the upper Godavari, its early conquests to the north and northwest were appropriated by the Saka satraps. A Saka satrap Bhumaka established Scythian power on the northwest coast (c. 70 C.E.). Nahapana, junior to him, ruled many years over Surashtra (Kathiawar) and the adjacent coast with a capital probably at Junnar, east of Bombay. Named Mambanos in the Periplus (c. 89), his inscriptions are dated “41–46” (?119–124 C.E.), probably with reference to the Saka era of 78.  1
 
c. 109–132+
 
Gotamiputa Siri Satakani conquered Surashtra from Nahapana and in an inscription at Nasik (18th year of his reign, c. 126) claimed not only the Deccan from the Vindhyas to Banavasi, but less probably Malwa as well. Very likely by this epoch the Satakani had extended control over the properly Andhra Teluga (Dravidian) lands of the Godavari and Kistna deltas. The Prakrit poems of the Sattasai in part date from this time. Liberal toward all religions, the Satakani especially exalted the Brahmans.  2
Sculptures about the great Buddhist stupa of Amaravati on the lower Kistna reveal union of Hindu traditional style with its crowding and naturalism, already more refined than at Bharhut and Sanchi, with Greco-Buddhist motifs which were borrowed from Gandhara and in turn transmitted to Malaya, Sumatra-Java, Cambodia, and Champa.  3
 
c. 120–c. 395
 
A DYNASTY OF WESTERN SATRAPS of Ujjain in Malwa was founded by Bhumaka's son Chashtana (Tiastanes of Ptolemy, c. 150).  4
 
c. 170
 
Rudradaman, Chashtana's grandson, in a Sanskrit inscription at Girnar in Kathiawar, records repair of a dam which broke in 150 C.E., defeat of northern tribesmen, and repeated rout of the southern Satakani. (See Deccan and Western India)  5
 
 
 
The Encyclopedia of World History, Sixth edition. Peter N. Stearns, general editor. Copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Maps by Mary Reilly, copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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