imported>Bangaru Yachama Nayudu at 21:27, 18 June 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title = '''Samrāṭ'''
| image =
| caption =
| succession =
| reign = c. 275 - 335 CE
| predecessor = [[Vindhyashakti]]
| successor = {{plainlist|
* [[Rudrasena I (Vakataka king)|Rudrasena I]]
* [[Sarvasena I]]
}}
| spouse =
| issue = {{plainlist|
* Gautamiputra
* Sarvasena I
* Two other unnamed sons
}}
| house = [[Vakataka]]
| father =
| mother =
}}
{{for|the [[Alchon Huns]] king|Sri Pravarasena}}
{{Vakataka Infobox}}

'''Pravarasena''' ({{reign|{{circa|275}}|335 CE}}<ref>{{cite book |author1=A.S. Altekar |editor1-last=Majumdar |editor1-first=R.C. |editor2-last=Altekar |editor2-first=A.S. |title=The Vakataka-Gupta Age |date=2007 |publisher=Motilal Banarsi Dass |isbn=9788120800434 |page=90}}</ref>) was the successor of [[Vindhyashakti]], the founder of the [[Vakataka dynasty]]. He was the first and only Vakataka ruler to be called ''Samrāṭ'', meaning emperor or universal ruler.<ref name = "AIU">{{cite book |author1=D.C. Sircar |editor1-last=Majumdar |editor1-first=R.C. |title=The Age of Imperial Unity |date=1968 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |page=220 |edition=Fourth}}</ref><ref name = "upinder">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Upinder |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |date=2016 |publisher=Pearson India Education Services |isbn=9788131716779 |page=482}}</ref> It was probably under his reign that the Vakatakas were established as a major power in Central India and the [[Deccan]], where they would continue to rule for almost two centuries after Pravarasena's death.

==Reign==
No inscription or record from Pravarasena's reign has been discovered so far.<ref name = "AIU" /> Our information on his reign and accomplishments is dependent on later records of the Vakataka dynasty as well as from the Puranic literary tradition. The Puranas are unanimous in giving Pravarasena (or "Pravira", as he is called in the Puranic texts) a long reign of 60 years. That Pravarasena lived to old age seems to be supported by the fact that Pravarasena's grandson was among the successors to his empire.<ref>{{cite book |author1=A.S. Altekar |editor1-last=Yazdani |editor1-first=Ghulam |title=The Early History of the Deccan |date=1960 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=158}}</ref>

Although the details of Pravarasena's military campaigns are unknown, their number and significance can be gauged from the many Vedic sacrifices that he is said to have performed. Pravarasena performed no less than four ''[[ashvamedha]]'' horse sacrifices during his reign, and each one may have marked the termination of a successful campaign.<ref>Altekar (2007), p.91</ref> As an orthodox Hindu and champion of the Brahmanical religious tradition, Pravarasena also performed many other Vedic sacrifices including the ''Agnishṭoma'', ''Āptoryāma'', ''Jyotishṭoma'', ''Bṛihaspatisava'', ''Sādyaskra'', ''Ukthya'', ''Shoḍaśin'', and ''Atirātra'' sacrifices.<ref name ="AIU" /> At the end of his career, after he had achieved overlordship over the Deccan, Pravarasena celebrated the ''Vājapeya'' sacrifice and formally assumed the imperial title of ''Samrāṭ''.<ref>Altekar (1960), p. 162</ref>

To the north of Pravarasena's empire were the powerful [[Nagas of Padmavati|Bharashiva Naga]] kings, who were a strong force in the central regions of India. Pravarasena forged an important political alliance with King Bhavanaga of the Bharashiva dynasty by marrying his son Gautamiputra to Bhavanaga's daughter.<ref name="upinder" /> This alliance secured the northern border of the Vakataka dominions and left Pravarasena free to expand into the south. It is also possible that Pravarasena performed his multiple ''ashvamedha'' sacrifices in imitation of the Bharashiva Nagas, for the latter are said to have performed no fewer than ten ''ashvamedha'' sacrifices.<ref name = "AIU" />

Pravarasena's capital was called Kanchanaka and has been identified with Nachna in the [[Panna district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]], where several early Vakataka inscriptions and contemporary structural remains have been found.<ref name = "upinder" /> This suggests that Pravarasena's original power base was in the Vindhyan region of present-day Madhya Pradesh, from which the Vakatakas spread southward into [[Maharashtra]]. At its greatest extent, Pravarasena's empire covered almost the whole of the Deccan between the [[Narmada river|Narmada]] and [[Krishna river|Krishna]] rivers, while his sphere of influence extended over [[Malwa]], [[Gujarat]], [[Andhra Pradesh|Andhradesha]], and [[Dakshina Kosala|southern Koshala]].<ref>Altekar (1960), p. 161</ref> Pravarasena had four sons who were appointed as viceroys over different provinces of his empire, and these provinces seem to have become independent following Pravarasena's death.<ref>Altekar (2007), p. 94</ref>

==Successors==
Pravarasena's eldest son was Prince Gautamiputra, but he predeceased his father. Gautamiputra's son [[Rudrasena I (Vakataka king)|Rudrasena]] thus succeeded Pravarasena upon the latter's death, with Rudrasena and his descendants forming the "main" branch of the Vakataka dynasty ruling over northern Berar ([[Vidarbha]]) and parts of Madhya Pradesh.<ref>Altekar (1960), pp. 163-164</ref> Another one of Pravarasena's sons, [[Sarvasena]], seems to have been a viceroy ruling over southern Berar and the [[Marathwada]] region of Maharashtra, and upon his father's death Sarvasena founded a branch of the Vakataka dynasty at Vatsagulma (identified with [[Washim]]).<ref>Singh (2016), p. 484</ref> Nothing is known about the branches set up by the other two sons.<ref>Mahajan V.D. (1960, reprint 2007) ''Ancient India'', New Delhi: S. Chand, {{ISBN|81-219-0887-6}}, p. 588</ref>

Pravarasena left a lasting legacy and was remembered up until the final demise of the Vakataka dynasty. All of the [[Indian copper plate inscriptions|copper plates]] of the Vakataka rulers begin the family genealogy with Pravarasena instead of Vindhyashakti.<ref>Altekar (1960), pp. 156-157</ref> None of Pravarasena's successors adopted his lofty title of ''Samrāṭ'', instead contenting themselves with the relatively modest title of ''[[Mahārāja]]''.<ref name = "upinder" /> Pravarasena's unique imperial title, his expansive empire, and his performance of numerous Vedic sacrifices made him stand out as a particularly illustrious ruler in the eyes of posterity.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pravarasena 01}}
[[Category:Vakataka dynasty]]
[[Category:3rd-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:4th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

Pravarasena I - Revision history

imported>Bangaru Yachama Nayudu at 21:27, 18 June 2021