SATAVAHANA DYNASTY

SATAVAHANA DYNASTY

The Satavahana dynasty (sAtavAhana rAjvamsha) (ಸಾತವಾಹನ ರಾಜವಂಶ) which succeeded the Mauryas and ruled over vast regions of South India, held sway over some parts of Karnataka also. Legendray references relating to this dynasty are found in mythology. However it is reliably confirmed that the Satvahana dynasty was founded by Seemuka, who established the kingdom after defeating the Kanva kings. Satavahanas also known as ‘shAtakarNi’s and ‘Andhrabhritya’s were in power during the period 121 B.C. and 174 A.D. This brief account is confined only to the material that is of relevance to Karnataka.

Bellary district as well as Banavasi and its surrounding regions were ruled by this dynasty. Bellary was then known as Shaatavaahanapura. Two branches of the original Satavahanas ruled from Shatavahanapura and Chandravalli. Haritiputra ViNhukaDa cuTukulAnanda sAtakarNi and Maharathi Sadakana KulAlaya were ruling over these regions. Some coins found at Kolhapura in Maharashtra mention three more kings belonging to this clan.

The southern boundary of the Satavahana kingdom passed through Kolhapura, Banvasi and Chitradurga regions. The part of Karnataka to the north of this demarcating line was then known as ‘kuntala rAjya’. One of these kings was actually called kuntala shatakarni. This ‘kuntala rajya’ included Banavasi, Balligame, Harihara, Hampi, Hangal, Lakshmeshvara, Lakkundi, Gadag, Belgaum, Savadatti, Manoli, Konnuru, Pattadakallu, Ihole, Teradal, Bijapur and Kalyani. Obviously all of Karnataka towards the north of the Tungabhadra river as also its immediate south once belonged to the Satavahana kings.

Little evidence is available about the social and religious life during this regime. The information about the parts that belonged to Karnataka is even more hazy. Pottery and some crude lead coins of the Satavahana vintage were found during the excavations at Chandravalli. Inscriptions found at Malavalli, Banavasi and Talagunda provide ample evidence about the rule of Satavahanas. Banavasi (Vaijayanti) became a business centre during their regime. Archaeologists have unearthed beads, tiles, pots and bangles belonging to that period at vaDagaon near beLagaum and hirEhaL near bAgalakOT. Sannathi near Gulbarga is particularly unique because the relics of a Buddhist temple are found there. A series of drawings on stone tablets depicting events selected from the life of Buddha are found in good number. The colour paintings of Ajanta, the Naga statue at Banavasi, the Buddhist stUpa near Kolhapura and the tArABagavati statue found at Balligame prove that the Satavahanas and their subordinate Chutu kings were great patrons of arts and architecture even in Karnataka.