Successes and achievements of Gautamiputra Satakarni as a ruler and conqueror.
Successes and achievements of Gautamiputra Satakarni as a ruler and conqueror.
Who was the best emperor of the Satavahana dynasty? Discuss his achievements.
Discuss the success and achievements of Gautamiputra Satakarni as a ruler and conqueror.
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Gautamiputra Satakarni.
After the fall of the Maurya empire, several kingdoms were built on top of this ruined empire. Namely - Shunga Kingdom of North India, Kharbel Kingdom of Orissa and Satavahana Kingdom of West and South India. Among them, the Satavahana empire occupied an important place in terms of expansion and stability. Dr. Hemchandra Roy Chowdhury believes that the Satavahana Kingdom was established in the first century BC. But historians such as Smith think that the Satavahana dynasty existed from the third century BC, especially from 235 BC to 225 BC. The best emperor of this dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni.
(A) Historical Controversy Regarding Satavahana Dynasty :-
There is historical debate about the Satavahana dynasty. However, it has been possible to determine Gautamiputra's reign from a few sources. He was a contemporary of Nahapan and defeated him decisively. This event is believed to have happened in 124 - 125 AD. That is because there is no evidence of Nahapan's existence after that. It is also believed that he defeated Nahapana in the eighteenth year of Gautamiputra's reign. So, his reign began in 106 AD. His last work was written in the twenty-fourth year of his reign. He was probably crippled then. Because this text was written in association with Gautami Balashri. Thus, his reign can be dated between 106 and 130 AD.
(B) Inscription of Gautami Balashri :-
The inscriptions of Gautami Balashri, the mother of Gautamiputra Satakarni, provide a detailed account of her reign and conquest of the kingdom. This inscription describes Gautamiputra Satakarni as a orthodox Brahmin and the ouster of the Shakas, Yavanas (Greeks) and Pallavas. Besides, in the said inscription he is called Adhiswara of the states of North Konkan, Saurashtra, Avanti etc.
(C) Expansion of Empire:-
Satakarni restored the lost glory of the Satavahana dynasty by recovering Maharashtra and neighboring provinces. The restoration of Maharashtra was his main achievement but not the only one. The Nasik Prasthi contains an extensive list of the names of the territories he ruled. These names are Nasik (Maharashtra), Mulak (region around Paithan), Surath (Kathiabar), Vidarbha (Berar), Akar (Eastern Malab) and Avanti (Western Malab). Besides, Gautamiputra is said to be the ruler of a vast region from the Vindhya Mountains to the Malay Mountains and from the Eastern Ghats to the Western Ghats.
According to Dr. Roy Chowdhury, Andhra and South Kosala are not mentioned in this list. But the accounts of Lekh and Hien Tsang suggest that these two regions were at some point included in the Satavahana empire. Gautamiputra claims that his army drank water from the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
Besides, Dr. K. Gopalachari says that Mahendra is mentioned among the places occupied by Gautamiputra. From Kalinga to Andhra were included in his empire .
(D) Shaka-Yavana-Pallava Destroyer:-
Gautamiputra is described as the destroyer of the Shakas, Yavanas and Pallavas in the Nasik Prasthi. His struggle with the Shakas is known from coins found at Yogal Thembi. From the numerous coins of Nahapana found there, two-thirds of them were reprinted by Gautamiputra. From this it becomes clear that Nahapana was defeated by Gautamiputra. This success of Gautamiputra exceeded the ambition of the Satavahanas. As a result of this victory Gautamiputra got the places like Alup, Saurashtra, Akar, Avanti etc. This victory freed northern Deccan and parts of western and central India from foreign rule. To mark this victory Gautamiputra built a city at Nasik and adopted the titles 'Rajaraja' and 'Maharaj' in imitation of the Sakas.
(E) Pulumayi's marriage: indicative of political foresight:-
There is no reason to think that Gautamiputra continued to prosper till the end of his life. After the decline of the Shaka dynasty, the Kordmak Shaka clan came forward to recover the lost power under the leadership of Chasthan. He may have annexed Ujjain to his empire. After Chasthan the success of the Sakas against the Satavahanas of Mahakshatrapa Rudradamana is known. In this perilous situation, Gautamiputra married one of his sons, Pulumayi with Rudradamana's daughter. This marriage is indicative of Satkarni's real political knowledge.
(F) Religious Generosity:-
Gautamiputra, despite being a patron of Brahmanism, adopted a liberal attitude towards Buddhists. He gave land and caves to the inhabitants of places like Nasik. Dr. Gopalachari says that his policy of religious liberality won Gautamiputra the support of other religions and helped him manage his empire successfully.
(G) Governance skills:-
According to Dr. Gopalachari, Gautamiputra's rule was based on classical principles and humanism. This sense was reflected in his fiscal system. From the official documents and personal documents of Gautamiputra, we can learn about the governance system of his time. He kept the traditional governance of his predecessors largely intact.
Ruler Satakarni had absolute authority in the system of governance and ruled the kingdom according to divine authority. The king himself commanded the army. For the convenience of administration - "Mahartaka", "Mahaaryaka", "Bhandargarik", "Mahamatr", - etc.
(H) Taxation and Trade:-
Revenue was collected through taxation; But taxes were never high. Taxes on the king's estates and lands, the salt monopoly, and court fees were sources of revenue. Foreign trade flourished during Satakarni's reign. Also, trade relations between India and Western countries were established during his tenure. The capital Paithan was a prominent trading centre.
(I) Social Reforms: Establishment of Predominance of Brahmin Class:-
Gautamiputra Satakarni was not only a good warrior but also had a reputation as a social reformer. He was careful to protect the interests of all castes. But he was strongly opposed to caste mixing. According to the Nasik Prasasti, he established the supremacy of the Brahmins by crushing the legacy of the Kshatriyas. He was a benevolent ruler.
Finally, Gautamiputra Satakarni's political contribution was twofold - on the one hand, the provision of security by resisting foreign powers, and on the other, the expansion of the Satavahana kingdom by resisting various regional powers.
Gautamiputra Satakarni achieved special success as a ruler and conqueror. After the death of the first Satakarni, the glory of the Satavahana dynasty was temporarily dimmed by the shaka invasion. But Gautamiputra Satakarni restored this lost glory. Historians claim this to be Gautamiputra's most glorious achievement.
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