The Satavahana realm breaks up
In the early 3rd century the Satavahana state, which had ruled the Deccan since at least the 1st century BC, broke apart. After the last king of the main line, Pulumavi IV, died around 225, its lands were divided among former feudatories and neighbours: the Abhiras around Nashik, the Ikshvakus on the lower Krishna, the Chutus at Banavasi and the Pallavas in the south-east.
- Date
- between 220 and 230exact date unknown: an interval is given
- Place
- Dhanyakataka (Dharanikota), the centre of the late Satavahanasapproximate locationtoday: Dharanikota near Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India · South Asia
- Participants
- Satavahana dynasty, Ikshvaku dynasty of Andhra
- Threads
- South Asia (1st–5th c.)
- Also known as
- Decline of the Satavahanas; End of the Satavahana dynasty; Падение Сатаваханов; Конец династии Сатавахана
The last powerful Satavahana king was Yajna Sri Satakarni (c. 170–199 by S. N. Sen’s reckoning, 178–207 in other lists). After him the dynasty soon died out as its feudatories grew stronger, perhaps because the central power had weakened; by then the centre of the realm lay in the east, at Dhanyakataka (Dharanikota) near Amaravati. His successors reigned briefly — Vijaya for six years, Vasishthiputra Chadha Satakarni for ten — and the last king of the main line, Pulumavi IV (Pulumavi III in some lists), ruled until about 224–225. The reconstructions of this chronology differ by a decade or more, and some place the break-up before 220.
According to Sen, five smaller states took the place of the empire. A collateral branch of the Satavahanas kept the north until the early 4th century. The west around Nashik passed to the Abhiras, whose king Ishvarasena is credited with the era of 248/249 later known as the Kalachuri–Chedi era, which remained in use in central India until the 13th century. The Ikshvakus took the Krishna–Guntur region in the east, the Chutus ruled northern Karnataka from Banavasi, and the Pallavas rose in the south-east. From the middle of the century the Vakatakas became the most important successors of the Satavahanas in the Deccan.
Connections
Consequences
- Vijayapuri of the Ikshvakus: the monasteries of Nagarjunakondabetween 210 and 250 – between 300 and 350 · South Asiathe Ikshvakus took the eastern lands of the Satavahanas
Related events
- Gautamiputra Satakarni defeats Nahapanabetween 71 and 130 · South Asiathe dynasty’s greatest revival, under Gautamiputra Satakarni
- Vindhyashakti founds the Vakataka dynastyc. 250 · South Asiathe Vakatakas became the most important successors of the Satavahanas in the Deccan
Same participants
- Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman Ic. 150 · South Asiavia Satavahana dynasty
Adjacent events in the thread
- Funan’s embassy to India: Su Wu sails to the Gangesbetween 240 and 250 · South Asia
Meanwhile in the world
Other regions, within a year of this event
Eastern Europe
- The Goths settle in Oiumc. 180 – c. 230
- Kyiv culturec. 200 – between 400 and 430
- Chernyakhov culturebetween 200 and 250 – between 400 and 430
Middle East and Egypt
- Battle of Hormozdgan28 April 224
- Mishnah of Judah ha-Nasibetween 189 and 220
Central and Northern Asia
- Cang Ci, governor of Dunhuang, protects the western merchantsbetween 227 and 233
- Shapur I conquers Kushanshahrbetween 230 and 262
- Toprak-Kala, palace of the kings of Khwarezm200–299
- The Kushano-Sasanian kingdom in Bactriabetween 230 and 262 – between 350 and 370
East Asia
- Cao Pi deposes the last Han emperor: the Three Kingdoms beginbetween 25 November and 11 December 220
- Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expeditionsbetween 23 February and 9 April 228 – between September and October 234
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Fan Shiman, the ‘Great King of Funan’c. 205 – c. 225
- Óc Eo, the port of Funanbetween 1 and 100 – between 601 and 700
- Gold pendant copying a coin of Antoninus Pius at Óc Eobetween 152 and 600
North America
- Hopewell traditionbetween 200 and 100 BC – c. 500
- Late Basketmaker II erac. 50 – c. 500
Latin America
- Nazca culture and the Nazca Linesbetween 200 and 100 BC – between 500 and 800
- Preclassic Maya collapse: El Mirador is abandonedc. 100 – c. 250
- Rise of Teotihuacanc. 1 – c. 250
The same period
Sources
- Wikipedia (English): Satavahana dynasty
- Wikipedia (English): Abhira dynasty
- Wikipedia (English): Kalachuri Era
- Wikipedia (Russian): Сатавахана
- Sen S. N. Ancient Indian History and Civilization. — New Delhi: New Age International, 1999. — P. 172–176.
- Sarkar H., Misra B. N. Nagarjunakonda. — New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, 1980. — P. 13.