The Post Mauryan period

• The period which began in about 200 BC did not witness a large empire like that of the Mauryas, but was able for intimate and widespread contacts between Central Asia and India. In Eastern India, Central India, and the Deccan, the Mauryas were succeeded by several native rulers such as the Shungas, the Kanvas, and the Satavahanas. In North-Western India, the most famous empire was the Kushanas.

Introduction:

• The fragmentation of the Mauryan empire marked the emergence of numerous regional kingdoms across India.
• Concurrently, the subcontinent experienced invasions from diverse Central Asian and Western Chinese groups, including the Indo-Greeks, Scythians (Sakas), Parthians, and Kushanas. 
• These events brought India into closer contact with Central Asian politics and culture.

Prominent Dynasties of the Post-Mauryan Period:

Several notable dynasties emerged in the post-Mauryan period, including:

Shungas (185-73 BC):

• Pushyamitra Shunga founded the Shunga Dynasty by assassinating the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, in 184 BC, as corroborated by Banabhatta in Harshacharita.
• The Shungas established their capital at Pataliputra and Vidisha.
• Information about the Shunga dynasty can be found in various sources, including Garga Samhita, Patanjali's Mahabhasya, Divyavadana, Kalidasa's Malavikagnimitram, and Banabhatta's Harshacharita.
• Pushyamitra Shunga also faced an invasion by Kharavela, the king of Kalinga.
• Dhanadeva's Ayodhya Inscription credits Pushyamitra with performing two Ashwamedha sacrifices. Pushyamitra's kingdom stretched from Narmada in the South to Jalandhar and Sialkot in the North-West, including the city of Ujjain in Central India.
• In Malavikagnimitra, there is a mention of the conflict between Pushyamitra and Yajnasena, the King of Vidarbha in Eastern Maharashtra, where Pushyamitra emerges victorious.
•  According to Buddhist tradition (Divyavadana), Pushyamitra is portrayed as someone who destroyed Buddhist monasteries and places of worship. Despite this, the Shungas repaired the Sanchi Stupa and fully constructed the Bharhut Stupa during their time. Patanjali, the author of Mahabhasya, lived during Pushyamitra's era.
•  Bhagbhadra, an important king of the Shunga dynasty, saw a reduction of the Shunga territories to Magadha and Central India during his rule.

• Devabhuti was the last Shunga king, murdered by his minister Vasudeva Kanva in 75 BC, according to Banabhatta.

Kanvas (75- 30BC)

• Vasudeva, the minister of Devabhuti, established the Kanva dynasty in 75 BC. A Vaishnavite, he used tax collections for Brahmanical rituals and grants, with his reign confined to the Magadha region after surviving Indo-Greek invasions.
• Bhumimitra, Narayana, and Susharman succeeded each other in the Kanva dynasty. The last Kanva king was reportedly killed by Balipuecha, who founded the Andhra dynasty, later known as the Satavahanas.

Satavahanas (130 BC-AD 250):

• The Satavahanas, successors of the Mauryas in the Deccan region, were also known as Andhras, Andhrajatiyah, and Andhrabbrityas in ancient texts.

• Two significant Satavahana inscriptions, Nanaghat and Nasik, have been found in Maharashtra.
• Recent excavations in Telangana have unearthed a large number of Satavahana coins and seals, indicating that Telangana was the heart of the Satavahana Empire. 
• The Nanaghat Inscription describes Satakarni I as Dakshinapatha Pati, suggesting that the Satavahana influence extended beyond the Deccan.

Important Satavahana Rulers:

Satakarni I:

• Called the Lord of Dakshinapatha, he conquered Western Malwa, Anupa (Narmada Valley), and Vidarbha (Berar).
• After his death, the Sakas attacked the Satavahanas, pushing them out of Nasik towards the Andhra region.

Hala (AD 20-25):

Reigned for a brief but prosperous period.

• Authored Gatha Saptasati, an anthology of 700 erotic verses in Maharashtra or Paisachi Prakrit.

Gautamiputra Satakarni (AD 80-104):

• Revived Satavahana power and known as Ekabrahmana.
• Considered the greatest king of the Satavahana dynasty.
• His achievements are recorded in glowing terms in the Nasik Prasasti by his mother Gautami Balashri.

Vasishtaputra Pulumavi I

• He ruled for 28 years whose coins have been found in Godavari and Guntur districts.
• The old stupa at Amaravati was repaired and ornamented with marble slabs during his reign.

Important Rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty

Administration in the Satavahana Kingdom:

• The Satavahanas based their administration on the Mauryan model but on a smaller scale, involving multiple levels of local rulers.
• The kingdom was divided into Janapadas, further subdivided into Aharas, and then into Grams.
• Local administration was decentralized, with feudatories handling most affairs under general royal oversight.

Significant Officers:

• Rajan: Hereditary rulers.
• Rajas: Petty princes who issued coins in their names.
• Kumaras: Viceroy of provinces.
• Maharathis: Hereditary lords with the authority to grant villages and family ties to the ruling family.
• Mahabhojas: Learned individuals in the court.
• Mahasenapati: Civil administrator/Governor.
• Mahatalavara: Important watchman.

Language in the Satavahana Kingdom:

• Most inscriptions and coin legends were in a Middle Indo-Aryan language known as Prakrit.
• Notably, Hala, a Satavahana king, composed the anthology Gaha Sattasai in this language.
• Sanskrit was sporadically used in political inscriptions, and bilingual coins featured Prakrit and Tamil.

Religious Life in the Satavahana Kingdom:

• The Satavahanas, with Brahmanical origins, made donations to both Brahmanical and Buddhist institutions.

• Despite their Brahmanical roots, numerous Buddhist monastic sites emerged during their rule.

• The common people in the Satavahana period did not exclusively support a particular religious group.

Economic Life in the Satavahana Kingdom

• The rulers of the Satavahana Kingdom actively promoted economic expansion by focusing on intensified agriculture, increased production of various commodities, and fostering trade within and beyond the Indian subcontinent.
• Agricultural land saw a significant increase, thanks to the clearing of forests and the construction of irrigation reservoirs.
• The establishment of new settlements played a crucial role in fostering commerce and crafts. Evidence of increased craft production during the Satavahana period is found in archaeological discoveries at sites like Kotalingala, along with references to artisans and guilds in inscriptions.
• The Satavahanas exerted control over the Indian Sea coast, dominating the burgeoning Indian trade with the Roman Empire. Notably, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions Pratishthana and Tagara as two vital Satavahana trade centers.

The Pompeii Lakshmi

• The ivory statuette known as the Pompeii Laksh