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The '''Saka—Satavahana wars''' were a series of conflicts between the [[Western Satraps]] and the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahanas]] in the first and second century CE. Both sides achieved success at varying points during the conflicts, but in the end, the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahanas]] prevailed. However, constant wars with the Sakas severely weakened them and was a major contributor in their fall. | The '''Saka—Satavahana wars''' were a series of conflicts between the [[Western Satraps]] and the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahanas]] in the first and second century CE. Both sides achieved success at varying points during the conflicts, but in the end, the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahanas]] prevailed. However, constant wars with the Sakas severely weakened them and was a major contributor in their fall. | ||
==Wars== | |||
====First phase==== | |||
The Saka ruler [[Bhumaka]] was succeeded by his son [[Nahapana]] who became a very powerful ruler. During 15-40 CE, he occupied portions of the Satavahana empire in western and central India. He is known to have ruled the former Satavahana territory, as attested by the inscriptions of his governor and son-in-law, [[Rishabhadatta]].{{sfn|R.C.C. Fynes|1995|p=44}} [[Nahapana]] Nahapana held sway over [[Malwa]], Southern [[Gujarat]], and Northern [[Konkan]], from [[Bharuch]] to [[Sopara]] and the [[Nasik]] and [[Poona]] districts.<ref>"The Satavahanas did not hold the western Deccan for long. They were gradually pushed out of the west by the Sakas (Western Khatrapas). The Kshaharata Nahapana's coins in the Nasik area indicate the Western Kshatrapas controlled this region by the 1st century CE. By becoming master of wide regions including Malwa, Southern Gujarat, and Northern Konkan, from Broach to Sopara and the Nasik and Poona districts, Nahapana rose from the status of a mere Kshatrapa in the year 41 (58 AD) to that of Mahakshatrapa in the year 46 (63 AD)." in "History of the Andhras"</ref> | |||
It was probably during the reign of [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahana king]] [[Sivasvati]] that the [[Western Satraps|Kshaharatas]] invaded Northern [[Maharastra]] and [[Vidarbha]] and occupied the districts of [[Pune]] and [[Nashik]], forcing the Satavahanas to abandon their capital [[Junnar]] and to move to Prastisthana (modern [[Paithan]]) in the vicinity of [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]].<ref name="Choubey">Tripurī, history and culture - M. C. Choubey - 2006 page 168</ref><ref>Coinage of the Satavahana Empire - Inguva Karthikeya Sarma - 1980 page 132</ref> | |||
====Second phase==== | |||
[[File:Gautamiputra Sri Satakarni overstruck on a coin of Nahapana.jpg|thumb|A coin of [[Nahapana]] restruck by the [[Satavahana]] king [[Gautamiputra Satakarni]]. Nahapana's profile and coin legend are still clearly visible.]] | |||
[[File:Saka-Yavana-Pahlava inscription in the Nasik cave 3 inscription of Queen Gotami Balasiri.jpg|thumb|The defeated "[[Western Satraps|Saka]]-[[Indo-Greeks|Yavana]]-[[Indo-Parthians|Palhava]]" ([[Brahmi script]]: '''{{script|Brah|𑀲𑀓 𑀬𑀯𑀦 𑀧𑀮𑁆𑀳𑀯)}}''' mentioned in the [[Nasik Caves|Nasik cave 3]] inscription of Queen Gotami Balasiri (end of line 5 of the inscription).<ref name="EI60">{{cite book |last1=Hultzsch |first1=E. |title=Epigraphia Indica Vol.8 |date=1906 |page=60 |url=https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.56654#page/n75/mode/2up}}</ref>]] | |||
The Satavahana power was revived by [[Gautamiputra Satakarni]], who is considered the greatest of the Satavahana rulers.{{sfn|Charles Higham|2009|p=299}} The king defeated by him appears to have been the Western Kshatrapa ruler [[Nahapana]], as suggested by Nahapana's coins overstruck with names and titles of Gautamiputra.{{sfn|R.C.C. Fynes|1995|p=44}} The [[Nashik]] ''[[prashasti]]'' inscription of Gautamiputra's mother Gautami Balashri, dated to the 20th year after his death, records his achievements. The ''Nashik prashasti'' inscription states that Gautamiputra uprooted the [[Kshaharata]] (or Khagarata) family, to which Nahapana belonged. The Nashik inscription dated to the 18th year of Gautamiputra's reign states that he reaffirmed a grant of land to Buddhist monks living at the Triraśmi peak. This land was earlier in the possession of Nahapana's son-in-law [[Rishabhadatta]] (also known as [[Ushavadata]]), who had donated it to the monks.{{sfn|Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya|1974|p=77}} He ([[Gautamiputra Satkarni]]) claimed victory on them in an inscription at [[Pandavleni Caves#Cave No.3, "Gautamiputra vihara" (circa 150 CE)|Cave No. 3]] of the [[Pandavleni Caves]] in [[Nashik]]: | |||
{{quote|[[Gautamiputra Satkarni|Gautamiputra Satakarni]] (…) who crushed down the pride and conceit of the [[Kshatriyas]]; who destroyed the [[Saka]]s (Western Satraps), [[Yavana]]s ([[Indo-Greek]]s) and [[Pahlava]]s ([[Indo-Parthians]]),<ref>{{cite book |last1=V.D |first1=Mahajan |title=Ancient India |date=2016 |publisher=S. Chand Publishing |isbn=9789352531325 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7TJlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA315 |language=en}}</ref> who rooted out the Khakharata family (the Kshaharata family of Nahapana); who restored the glory of the Satavahana race.|Inscription of Queen Mother Gautami Balashri at [[Pandavleni Caves#Cave No. 3, "Gautamiputra vihara" (2nd century CE)|Cave No. 3]] of the [[Pandavleni Caves]] in [[Nashik]].}} | |||
====Third phase==== | |||
A ''satrap'' named [[Chastana]] founded the Kardamaka dynasty after [[Nahapana]]'s death. His successor was probably his grandson, [[Rudradaman I]]. The Satavahanas were the aggressors of the next war. The conflict between [[Rudradaman I]] and Satavahanas became so gruelling, that in order to contain the conflict, a matrimonial relationship was concluded by giving Rudradaman's daughter to the Satavahana king [[Vashishtiputra Satakarni]]. The inscription relating the marriage between Rudradaman's daughter and [[Vashishtiputra Satakarni]] appears in a cave at [[Kanheri]]: | |||
{{quote|Of the queen ... of the illustrious [[Vashishtiputra Satakarni|Satakarni Vasishthiputra]], descended from the race of Karddamaka kings, (and) daughter of the Mahakshatrapa Ru(dra)....... .........of the confidential minister Sateraka, a water-cistern, the meritorious gift.|Kanheri inscription of Rudradaman I's daughter.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Burgess|first1=James|last2=Bühler|first2=Georg|title=Report on the Elura cave temples and the Brahmanical and Jaina caves in western India; completing the results of the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons' operations of the Archaeological survey, 1877-78, 1878-79, 1879-80. Supplementary to the volume on "The cave temples of India."|date=1883|publisher=London, Trübner & Co.|page=78|url=https://archive.org/stream/reportoneluraca00bhgoog}}</ref>}} | |||
The Satavahanas and the Western Satraps remained at war however, and [[Rudradaman I]] defeated the Satavahanas twice in these conflicts, only sparing the life of Vashishtiputra Satakarni due to their family alliance: | |||
{{quote|Rudradaman (...) who obtained good report because he, in spite of having twice in fair fight completely defeated Satakarni, the lord of [[Dakshinapatha]], on account of the nearness of their connection did not destroy him.|[[Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman]]<ref name="projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu">[http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/HISTORY/PRIMARYDOCS/EPIGRAPHY/JunagadhRockInscription.htm Source] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223182107/http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/HISTORY/PRIMARYDOCS/EPIGRAPHY/JunagadhRockInscription.htm |date=23 February 2009 }}</ref>}} | |||
Rudradaman regained all the previous territories held by Nahapana, probably with the exception of the southern areas of [[Poona]] and [[Nasik]] (epigraphical remains in these two areas at that time are exclusively Satavahana):<ref name="Sircar">{{cite book|last1=Sircar|first1=D. C.|title=Studies in Indian Coins|date=2005|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=9788120829732|page=118|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1JYwP5tVQUC&pg=PA118|language=en}}</ref> | |||
====Fourth (last phase)==== | |||
In later years, [[Yajna Sri Satakarni]] of the [[Satavahana dynasty|Šātavāhana dynasty]] emerged as a formidable figure, extending his influence over the southern territories of the Western Satraps. His coinage, adorned with images of ships, hints at the maritime prowess of the Andhra region under his rule. Beyond just [[Aparanta]] and the expansive [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan region]], there are indications that his authority may have stretched into the eastern reaches of the Central Provinces. Regarded as the culminating figure of the Satavahana lineage, his reign marked the pinnacle of their power. However, following his demise, the vast realm underwent fragmentation, giving rise to numerous independent principalities, likely still under the sway of the Šātavāhana legacy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Majumdar |first=R.C. |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.10819/mode/1up |title=Ancient India |publisher=[[University of Calcutta]] |year=1952 |pages=135}}</ref> | |||
[[File:Gautamiputra Rajni Shri Satakarni.jpg|thumb|A coin of [[Yajna Sri Satakarni|Gautmiputra Rajni Sri Satkarni]] (Yajna Sri Satkarni)]] | |||
The wars exhausted the resources of both kingdoms, especially the [[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahanas]], which was a major factor in their decline. On the other hand, the [[Western Satraps|Saka ''satraps'']] would continue to prosper for the next two centuries, until their extinction by the [[Gupta Empire]].{{cn|date=February 2024}} | |||