Satavahana Dynasty

Definition

A Deccan dynasty (the Satavahanas, also called the Andhras) that ruled over the Deccan and central India from about the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE, the first major indigenous power to rise after the Mauryas in the south.

Key points

• The dynasty was founded by Simuka; its greatest king was Gautamiputra Satakarni, praised in the Nasik prashasti issued by his mother Gautami Balashri.
• They had matrilineal naming traits, with kings named after their mothers (for example Gautamiputra, son of Gautami, and Vasishthiputra).
• Capitals were at Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati; the dynasty patronised the Amaravati school of art (white marble) and Buddhist stupas.
• The Satavahanas issued lead and copper coins, promoted trade with the Roman world, and used Prakrit as the official language.
• They began the practice of granting tax-free land (agrahara grants) to Brahmins and Buddhist monks, an early step in the land-grant economy.

Why it matters for CAPF

Gautamiputra Satakarni and the Nasik prashasti, the matronymic naming, the Amaravati art link, and the early land grants are recurring Deccan facts for the post-Mauryan age.

Common confusion

The Satavahanas (Deccan, indigenous) are distinct from the contemporary Kushanas (north-west, Central Asian); the Amaravati school (white marble) is theirs, not the Kushanas' Gandhara or Mathura schools.

Parent note

post mauryan and gupta age