Rudradaman I
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Obv: Bust of Rudradaman, with corrupted Greek legend "OVONIΛOOCVΛCHΛNO".
Rev: Three-arched hill or Chaitya with river, crescent and sun. Brahmi legend: "Rajno Ksatrapasa Jayadamasaputrasa Rajno Mahaksatrapasa Rudradamasa": "King and Great Satrap Rudradaman, son of King and Satrap Jayadaman"
16mm, 2.0 grams.
Rudradaman I (r. 130-150) was the Saka ruler of Malwa, a member of the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. He was the grandson of the celebrated Shakya king Chastana. Rudradaman I was instrumental in the expansion of the Ror kingdom and the decline of the Satavahana Empire. Saka or Shakya as in people of the Goddess Shakumbari and originally hailing from Northern and North-western parts of the Indian subcontinent.
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[edit] Mahakshatrapa
Rudradaman I took up the title of Mahakshatrapa ("Great Satrap"), after he became the king and then strengthened his kingdom, partly because of the declining Kushan Empire.
[edit] Victory over the Satavahana
Although Rudradaman I took the title of Mahakshatrapa, he still had to defend his kingdom from the Satavahanas. The conflict between Rudradaman 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. But that did not stop Rudradaman I from waging a war against Satavahanas and in fact Satavahanas were defeated twice in these conflicts, and Vashishtiputra Satakarni was only spared his life because of his family links with Rudradaman:
"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 [1]
As a result of his victories Rudradaman regained all the former territories previously held by Nahapana, except for the extreme south territories of Poona and Nasik.[2] Satavahana dominions were limited to their original base in the Deccan and eastern central India around Amaravati:
"Rudradaman (...) who is the lord of the whole of eastern and western Akaravanti (Akara: East Malwa and Avanti: West Malwa), the Anupa country, Anarta, Surashtra, Svabhra (northern Gujarat) Maru (Marwar), Kachchha (Cutch), Sindhu-Sauvira (Sindh and Multan districts), Kukura (Eastern Rajputana), Aparanta ("Western Border" - Northern Konkan), Nishada (an aboriginal tribe, Malwa and parts of Central India) and other territories gained by his own valour, the towns, marts and rural parts of which are never troubled by robbers, snakes, wild beasts, diseases and the like, where all subjects are attached to him, (and) where through his might the objects of [religion], wealth and pleasure [are duly attained]".
[edit] Other facts
The Sanskrit Junagadh inscription dated 150 CE[5] credits Rudradaman I with supporting the cultural arts and Sanskrit literature and repairing the dam built by the Mauryans. He in fact repaired the embankments of the lake Sudarshana, which was constructed by the Mauryas for checking floods.
Rudradaman fought many a battle against the Satavahanas(or the Andhras)and Satkarni, the son of the Andhra king Pulmayi, in an effort to end the hostilities, married the daughter of Rudradaman. Rudradaman also conquered the Yaudheya tribes in Haryana, as described in the Girnar inscription:[6]
"Rudradaman (...) who by force destroyed the Yaudheyas who were loath to submit, rendered proud as they were by having manifested their' title of' heroes among all Kshatriyas."
—Junagadh rock inscription [7]
However, in the next century the warlike Yaudheyas became more powerful. The indigenous Nagas also were aggressive toward Saka kshatrapas in the 3rd century.
Rudradaman is also known as the king who ruled when the Greek writer Yavanesvara translated the Yavanajataka from Greek to Indian, which influenced astrology in India.[8]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Source
- ^ Rapson
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- ^ Rapson, "Indian coins of the British Museum" p.lx
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- ^ Rosenfield, "The dynastic art of the Kushans", p132
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[edit] References
- Todd, James - The Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Rajputana Publications, 1942
- Michell, George - PRINCELY RAJASTHAN - Rajput Palaces and Mansions, Oriental Books, 1992
- Rosenfield, "The dynastic art of the Kushans"
