Twilight of an Empire: Epigraphic Insights from the Myakadoni and Banavasi Inscriptions of the Late Satavahanas
By
Cdr Alok Mohan
Part I: The Myakadoni (Jangali Gundu) Inscription of Sri Pulumavi (c. 225 CE)
1. Introduction: Epigraphs as Echoes of Imperial Decline
The Myakadoni Inscription, located between the villages of Myakadoni and Chinnacadaburu in present-day Bellary District, Karnataka, represents one of the final epigraphic markers of the Satavahana empire. Attributed to Pulumavi IV and dated to his 8th regnal year (c. 225 CE), this rock inscription offers critical insights into a declining central authority, the rise of local military elites, and the evolving administrative and socio-political structures of the Deccan during the early 3rd century CE.
2. Epigraphic Specifications
Regnal Year: 8 of Sri Pulumavi
Date: Approximately 225 CE
Location: Between Myakadoni and Chinnacadaburu, Bellary District, Karnataka
Language: Prakrit
Script: Brahmi
Medium: Rock (tank mentioned in inscription is no longer extant)
3. Translation of the Inscription
“Success! On the day one of the 2nd (fortnight) of the winter of the (regnal) Year 8 of Sri Pulumavi, king of the Satavahana (family), the reservoir was sunk by the householder Samba of the family of the Kauntas, living in the village Vepuraka, of the Headman (or Captain) Kumaradatta, General Sikanda Naga.”
4. Administrative Hierarchies and Local Governance
a. The Role of the Mahasenapati
The title Mahasenapati (Great General) in this inscription mirrors earlier administrative constructs such as Amaca, indicating a de facto provincial governor.
These feudatories held military and administrative authority, often controlling revenue, military forces, and even issuing coinage (e.g., Mahadrathi of Chitaldoorg).
Parallels can be drawn to the Roman “Dux” or Late Han “Junshou”, both representing provincial military-administrators during periods of central weakening.
b. Gramika and Gulmika
These terms denote village headmen or regional commanders responsible for land management, taxation, and dispute resolution.
Continued usage shows the durability of these offices even as Satavahana authority eroded.
5. Signs of Decentralization and Fragmentation
The inscription is a testament to increasing decentralization, a hallmark of late imperial Satavahana rule.
The appearance of localized figures (e.g., Samba of Vepuraka) making public works donations shows that authority and patronage were diffusing to non-royal actors.
Lekha departments (record offices) proliferated, much like China’s “shu” bureaus under the Eastern Han, to manage escalating volumes of provincial grants and orders.
6. Geopolitical and Environmental Insights
The location, in southern Karnataka, demonstrates that the Satavahana influence extended into the deeper Deccan plateau, challenging traditional views of their Andhra-centric reach.
The now-vanished reservoir reflects environmental changes, possibly linked to shifts in settlement, river courses, or forestation patterns since antiquity.
7. Numismatic and Onomastic Context
The name Pulumavi, recurring across inscriptions and coins, likely functioned as a dynastic marker.
Satavahana coinage often used symbolic legitimization, similar to the Kushanas using images of previous deities or rulers to assert divine authority.
Though Gautamiputra Satakarni is marginalized in Puranic texts, archaeological sites like Nasik elevate his importance—showing that literary and material sources must be harmonized for historical truth.
8. Historical Legacy and Dissolution
Pulumavi IV (r. c. 217–225 CE) stands as one of the last coherent monarchs of the Satavahana lineage.
Following his reign, the empire disintegrated into successor states—Ikshvakus, Chutus, Pallavas, Abhiras—each inheriting elements of Satavahana administration.
The Myakadoni inscription serves as an epitaph to centralized Satavahana power in southern India.
Part II: The Banavasi Inscription of Vinhukada Satakarni (c. Early 3rd Century CE)
1. Introduction: Royal Patronage Amid Political Realignment
Discovered in the courtyard of the Madhukesvara Temple in Banavasi, Karnataka, the Banavasi Inscription of Vinhukada Satakarni (Regnal Year 12) exemplifies elite religious patronage and female political agency in the final phase of the Satavahana empire. Banavasi, later capital of the Kadambas, functioned as a regional hub under Satavahana administration, facilitating both Brahmanical and Buddhist traditions.
2. Epigraphic and Cultural Specifications
Date: Early 3rd Century CE
Regnal Year: 12 of Vinhukada Satakarni
Language: Prakrit
Script: Brahmi
Location: Madhukesvara Temple, Banavasi
Medium: Rock inscription in temple courtyard
3. Translation of the Inscription
“Success! On the 1st day of the 7th fortnight of the autumn season of the year 12, may it lead to a hundred-year reign of King Satakarni… These pious gifts—an elephant, a tank, and a vihara—are by Chief Queen Sivaskandanagasri, daughter of a Maharaja, mother of the Crown Prince… The administrator was Minister Skandasvati. The cobra was sculpted by Nataka, pupil of Damodara of Sajayanta.”
4. Political Personalities and Disputed Identities
a. Vinhukada Satakarni
A ruler of the Vishnukadachutu family, he likely represented a branch or offshoot of the central Satavahana line.
His usage of titles like Hariti-putto indicates an attempt to legitimize rule through matrilineal heritage, akin to similar practices among early Tamil polities (e.g., Pandyan queens).
b. Sivaskandanagasri: Royal Woman as Donatrix
Identified as Chief Queen, royal daughter, and mother of the heir.
Her gifts—an elephant (symbol of royalty), tank (public utility), and vihara (monastic retreat)—reflect elite female patronage, similar to queens like Kumaradevi of the Gupta era.
Scholarly debate surrounds her role:
Rapson and Lüders: Possibly male (prince)
G.S. Gai: Chief Queen
D.C. Sircar: Favors female identity but critiques epigraphic readings
5. Governance and Infrastructure
a. Administrative Machinery
Minister Skandasvati served as regional manager or karma-pradipa.
Reflects the adoption of delegated governance, like the Mahamatras in Mauryan and Satrapal systems.
b. Religious and Public Patronage
Donations reflect a hybrid religious landscape—Brahmanical temples, Buddhist viharas, and nature-worship (Nāga iconography).
Cobra carving by Nataka, a student artisan, reveals guild-based transmission of artistic skill, similar to Shilpa Shastras and guild records from Sanchi and Amaravati.
6. Language and Identity: Prakrit as State Language
The inscription’s use of Prakrit in Brahmi script demonstrates its continued role as official administrative language.
The linguistic spread challenges the outdated Aryan invasion model, affirming instead a Pan-Indian cultural continuum.
7. Historical Backdrop: A Waning Dynasty
By Vinhukada’s reign, the Satavahanas were confined to southern regions, their northern domains overtaken by Western Kshatrapas.
Banavasi likely served as a regional capital, highlighting decentralization akin to other dying empires (e.g., Western Roman Empire’s division into “Tetrarchies”).
Conclusion: Epigraphs of Transition
Together, the Myakadoni and Banavasi inscriptions offer rare and profound glimpses into the twilight of Satavahana power. Both inscriptions reflect:
Devolution of central authority into feudal units
Emergence of regional capitals and autonomous commanders
Increased visibility of royal women in religious and administrative spheres
Persistence of cultural and linguistic unity through Prakrit and Brahmi
These inscriptions are not just records of royal deeds, but markers of institutional evolution, social mobility, and the fluidity of Indian political culture in early historic times.
Annotated Bibliography and Scholarly References
D.C. Sircar – Indian Epigraphy; Successors of the Satavahanas
G.S. Gai – Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XXXIV
A.S. Altekar – The Rashtrakutas and Their Times
Rapson – Catalogue of Indian Coins
H. Lüders – List of Brahmi Inscriptions
Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. VII
Richard Salomon – Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Other Indo-Aryan Languages
Himanshu Ray – The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia