ABSTRACT: Satavahanas were referred as Andhras or the Andhra Dynasty.

The Empire was

established in the 3rd Century BC in the western Deccan Plateau. Aitareya Brahmana claims
Andhras as the exiled and degenerated sons of Viswamitra. Ashokas inscriptions mention the
Andhras as border people and as Dravidian people who lived between the Godavari and the
Krishna. The names of Satavahanas Rulers had emerged from Andhra Pradesh or delta areas of
Krishna and Godavari River. Though there were many principalities on the delta of Godavari and
Krishna River during Chandragupta Mauryan time , Simukha was the king to unify them into a
single kingdom in the 3rd century BC and became the founder of Satavahana dynasty. He laid
the foundation in 235 BC and ruled for 23 years.
The Satavahana Empires society reflected the existence of four classes. The first class was the
people who controlled and administered the districts, second were the officials. Third were the
Vaidhya, cultivators and fourth class were common citizens. The head of the family was the
Grihapati.Both Buddhism and Brahmanism prevailed during the Satavahana rule. Among the
various sects of people state of religious tolarence existed following varied faiths.
A reference to the Stavhanas by the Greek traveler Megasthenes indicates that they possessed
100,000 infantry, 1,000 elephants, and had more than 30 well built fortified towns. Next come
the which possesses numerous villages, and thirty towns defended by walls and towers, and
which supplies its king with an army of 100,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry, and 1,000 elephants.
INTRODUCTION: The Satavahana or Andhra empire was the next great empire after the
Mauryan, and was established in the Deccan just as the Mauryan empire was coming to an end.
It endured for 460 years in unbroken continuity and ran parallel, for a while to the Kushan
Empire with which it struggled for almost a century. Satavahanas started out as feudatories to the
Mauryan dynasty, but declared independence with its decline. They are known for their
patronage of Hinduism. The Stavhanas were one of the first Indian states to issue coins struck
with their rulers embossed. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade as well
as the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of
India.They had to compete with the Sungas and then the Kanvas of Magadha to establish their
rule. Later, they played a crucial role to protect a huge part of India against foreign invaders like
the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas. In particular their struggles with the Western Kshatrapas went
on for a long time. The great rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri
Yajna Stakarni were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and stop
their expansion. In the 3rd century CE the empire was split into smaller states.
Coins made of several metals like gold, silver, copper or other baser metals of different periods
are available. Of the available coins of almost ail the Satavahana rulers, the number of potin
(coins of a mixed character) and lead coins is more. These coins bearing the figures of an
elephant, a horse, a camel etc. indicate the probable means of conveyance commonly used in that
period.The ship-mast coins of Yajnasri Satakarni reveal the brisk maritime trade of the
Satavahana period. From the gold coins of the Roman emperors unearthed in some parts of

Andhra datable to the Satavahana-lkshvaku period, it may be concluded that the Romans carried
on commerce with Andhra and paid gold dinars. Similarly some gold coins of the Eastern
Chalukyan rulers Chalukya Chandra Saktivarma I and Rajaraja Narendra were discovered in
Burma. The coins of the Kakatiyas were in Nandi-Nagari script while the Vijayanagara were in
Nagari characters. Coins of different metals in different denominations issued in different periods
help us only to some extent in knowing about the rulers, about the extent of of the kingdom and
about the religious sentiments of the age.
The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. Although there is
some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that
it lasted about 450 years, until around 220 CE. The Satavahanas are credited for establishing
peace in the country, resisting the onslaught of foreigners after the decline of Mauryan Empire.
On the whole, it was a peaceful and economically prosperous period and trade and industry
increased tremendously, especially with Rome. The Romans brought in a continuous flow of
Roman gold, which helped to raise the level of economic life and changed the pattern of urban
life a great deal.
CONTROVERSY REGARDING THEIR ORIGIN:
Subject of controversy regarding the Satavahanas is their homeland or origin. There are
conflicting theories and contradictory opinions regarding this. Earlier scholars like D.R.
Bhandarkar conjectured that the land of the Andhras must have at the early period consisted of
certain parts of the Central Provinces together with the Visakhapatnam district and may have also
included the Godavari and Krishna districts. The eastern Deccan was not called Andhra after its
conquest by The Satavahanas Andhradesa existed where it is today even before the Satavahanas
came into prominence.

BELLARY OR CANARESE ORIGIN

Satavahanas did not belong to the Andhra area as the field of their early activity was confined to
the west of India and Paithan was their capital.He postulated the theory that Bellary was the
original home of the Satavahanas. He based his theory on the evidence of Macadoni inscription
of Pulomavi, the last of the Andhra Satavahanas and the Hirahadagalli copper plate grant of an
early Pallava ruler, wherein references were made to 'Satavahana ahara' and 'Satavahani rashtra'
respectively. According to him, both these names might be derivatives from Satavahanas only.
The Satavahanas reigned several regions but no other places were known after them. Hence,
Suktankar concluded, those two places located in the Bellary region must be the area of original
inhabitance of the Satavahanas and the latter subsequently conquered Maharashtra and later
Andhra. However V.S. Bakhle did not accept Suktankar's identification of the original home of
the Satavahanas with the Bellary region which they made their home in later times. The two
inscriptions prove that the Satavahanas ruled the Bellary region in their last years of rule. But

they do not prove that it was their original home. There was a gap of more than 400 years
between the time of the issue of the two inscriptions and the founder of the dynasty who had
nothing to do with the Bellary region. Moreover there are several hills and villages in different
parts of Deccan which were known by the name of the Satavahanas. So the argument of
Suktankar that except the two places mentioned in the inscriptions, no other places were known
after the Satavahanas is incorrect

VIDARBHA ORIGIN

Vasudeva Vishnu Mirashi postulated the theory that Vidarbha was the home of the Satavahanas.
His argument HISTORY OF THE ANDHRAS was on the strength of two other inscriptions. One
is the Nasik inscription of Bala Sri, wherein Gautamiputra Satakarni was described as 'the Lord
of Bervakata'. Mirashi identified Benakata with the region on either side of the Wainganga. The
other inscription is Kharavela's Hathigumpha inscription, wherein mention was made that
Kharavela marched westwards, heedless of Satakarni, upto Kannabenna. According to Mirashi,
Kannabenna is identical with the Kanner near Nagapur. Since Satakarni's dominions ware
mentioned to be in the west of Kalinga, Vidarbha wherein Kanner flows must have been the
original home of the Satavahanas. However the river Krishnaveni and the city of Dhanyakataka
have better claims to be identical with Kannabenna and Benakata. Benakata or Benakataka just
like Kalyana Kataka, can only be the name of a city but not of a region. With regard to the
argument that Satakarni's dominions lay in the west and Andhra lay to the south of Kalinga, is
not correct, Satakarni was 'Dakshinapathapati', i.e., the lord of the whole ofDeccan. Then it must
be understood that his dominions were not confined only to the west of Kalinga and moreover
Bastar and the neighbouring regions which lay to the west of Kalinga were portions of
Andhradesa from very early times.

MAHARASHTRA ORIGIN

There is a strong belief among some scholars that Maharashtra was the original home of the
Satavahanas. P.T. Srinivasa Ayyangar, who accepted the Andhra-Satavahana identity, put forth
arguments to show that the Andhras were a Vindhyan tribe, that their kings originally ruled over
Western India and spoke Prakrit and not Telugu and that the extension of their authority was
from the west to the east down the Godavari-Krishna valley. When their power declined in the
west, the name Andhramandalam travelled to their eastern districts and became established there.
Jogelkar further strengthened this theory. His contention was that the Satavahanas were Andhras,
but not Andhras of the east coast. They were known as Andhras because they lived on the banks
of a river by name. The Satavahanas Andhra in Pune district of Maharashtra. These Andhras ted
a great revolution and drove away the foreigners (Kshaharatas),united the various tribes of
Deccan and established a new rashtra. So Maharashtra was known as Navarashtra.

ANDHRA ORIGIN

The theory that the eastern part of Deccan, i.e. Andhradesa was the homeland of the Satavahanas,
is championed by scholars like E.J. Rapson, V.A. Smith, R.G. Bhandarkar, J. Burgess and others.
Suktankar and others held this opinion that the Satavahanas came to power from Andhradesa as
unwarranted mainly on four grounds:
(1) Their earliest records, epigraphic and numismatic, have been discovered at Nanaghat and
Nasik in the Western Deccan;
(2) In Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela, the dominions of the contemporary Satakarm are
spoken of as being to the west of Kharavela's own kingdom of Kalinga;
(3) Bala Sri's inscription while recounting the territorial possessions of her son, Gautamiputra
Satakarni makes no mention of any locality in the Andhra area; and
(4) the first available Satavahana records begin to appear in Andhradesa only during the reign of
his successor Vasisthiputra Pulomavi.These arguments are the result of inadequate appreciation
of the available information. The preconceived notion, thatthe Satavahanas had nothing to do
with Andhradesa until the reign of Pulomavi I, blurred the vision of Suktankar and others in
holding the Andhra origin as unwarranted. It is forgotten that Satakarni (II) of the Nanaghat
record, who performed two Asvamedhas, one Rajasuya and other sacrifices, bore the title
'Dakshinapathapati', i.e. the lord of Deccan. Deccan naturally includes Andhradesa which is its
eastern part. If it is conceded that the Satavahanas were Andhras and that they were masters of
the Deccan, then the sentence 'heedless of Satakarni,he sent his forces to west' in Kharavela's
inscription does not mean that Satakarni's dominions were confined only to the west of Kalinga
and had no connection with the Andhra area.
SOURCES :
(a) Puranas - mention 30 kings,..
(b) Literary sources -- Gunadhya's Brihatkatha. And Leelavati, which deals with the military
exploits of Hala. sriti and smriti works like the Aitareya Brahmana, the Epics, the
Puranas, the early Buddhist and Jain works. Gunadhya's Brhatkatha, Hala's
Gathasaptasati and Vatsyayana's Kamasutras reflected the social and cultural life of the
Satavahana period. Mention was made to the details of the Rashtrakuta-Eastern Chalukya
conflicts in poet Pampa's Gadeyuddha and Vikramarjuna Vijaya, both Kannada Kavyas,
Historical data relating to the Kakatiya, Reddi and Vijayanagara times was obtained from
the Sanskrit and Telugu literary works dedicated by poets and scholars to their royal and
princely patrons. Purely literary works and quasi-historical kavyas like Prataparudra
Yasobhushanam, Siddheswara Chantramu, Somadevarajiyamu, Saluvabhyudayamu,
Rayavachakamu, Rangarajacharitra and others, after being purged of all exaggerations,
provided some solid historical information relating to the deeds of the kings, princes and
potentates. The Kalajnanas and Vamsavalis also rendered help in the reconstruction of

history.
(c) Nasik inscription of Gautami Balsari.
(d) Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela for inferring the date of the first ruler.
(e) Sanchi inscription extent of the Satavahanas kingdom till Malwa
(f) 'Siege of Bobbili' and ballads relating to Sarvaya Papadu and others show the courage,
heroism and reckless valour of the local heroes of different Andhra regions.
List of rulers:

Simuka (271-248 B. C. )
Krishna (248-230 B.C.)
Satakarni (I) (230-220)
Purnotsanga (220-202)
Skandastambhi ( 202-184)
Satakarni(II) ( 184-128)
Lambodra (128-110)
Apilaka (110-98)
Megasvati (98-80)
Svati (80-62)
Skandasavati (62-56)
Mrgendra (55-52)
Kuntalasvati (44-43)
Pulomavi(I) (43-19)
Gaurkrishna ( B.C. 19-6 A.D,)
Hala ( 6-7 A,D.)
Mandulka (7-12)
Purindrasens (12-33)
Sundra-svatlkarni (33-34)
Chakora svatikarma (34-34)
Sivasvati (34-62)
Gautamiputra-satakarni (62-86)
Pulomavi (II) ( 86-114)
Siva sri (114-121)
Sivaskanda (121-128)
Yajna sri (128-157)
Vijya (157-163)
Chandra sri (163-166)
Pulomalli (166-174)

imukha is regarded as the founde of Satvahana 9ynasty since his name tops the list of
ndhrakings given in the *uranas./e is descri'ed as Srimukha Satvahana Sirimata. Simuka ruled
for #$years according to the )ain accounts. Simuka conquered the present3day (aharashtra and
parts of (adhya *radesh 0including (alwa1. /owever, he grew so wicked 'y the end of his reign
that hewas dethroned and killed. /e was succeeded 'y his 'rother 5anha 0or 5rishna1 0#
%?;<>= &"1,w h o f u r t h e r e x t e n d e d h i s s t a t e t o t h e p r e s e n t d a y n d h r a
* r a d e s h . - a t e r , S i m u k a m a d e Srikakulam as his capital.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/243525112/Satvahana-Dynasty

CHORONOLOGY:
The founder was one Simukha - probably the first century B.C. - supplanted the lingering Sunga
and Kanva rulers - rule of the dynasty was for 300 years. Simuka was succeed by Krishna or
Kanha.

The next known king was Satakarni - the kingdom expanded - probably defeated by Kharavela performed Ashvamedha Pratishthana was the capital - confusion after him. Kshaharatas or sakas
occupied parts of Maharashtra.

Hala is the 17th in the list of Puranas - his book is saptasataka - deals with both erortic and
philosophical themes. Gundhaya's Brihatkatha deals with the rivalry between Prikrit and
Sanskrit.
Beginning from 25 A.D. to 75 A.D. there was confusion - saka eruption.
The greatest ruler was Gautamiputra Satakarni. He was the 23rd according to Pupranas - around
72 A.D. the Nasik inscription of his mother talks of his being the destroyer of Sakas, Yavanas
and Kshaharata - also says that he crushed the pride of Kshatrias - overran konan, Saurashtra,
Bihar and Malva. A Philanthropist, he maintained Arya Dharma - put an end to Varna - Sankara some regard him to be Vikramaditya. Built the city of Benakataka and assumed the titles of Raja
Raja and Svamin.
The next known ruler was Pulumayi II around 96 A.D. - first ruled Andhra country - Vaijyanti
and Amaravati famous cities - Satavahanas a naval power - probably overseas colonisation large number of inscription.

The next know ruler was Vasishtiputra Batakarni of sri Pulumayi - married the daughter of
Rudradaman, a Saka ruler -- however Rudradaman twice defeated him. Also, Sri Pulumayi lost
to Chastana, son of Bhosmotika.
Next known ruler was Yajna Sri Satakarni - around 160 A.D. - Malva, Kathiawad and North
Konkan - inscription found in Konkan and Krishna - coints found in Gujarat and Kathiawad defeated Kshatapas.
After the declined Salankeyanas ruled over the Satavahana territory.
Satavahana Administration:
The Satavahana administration was very simple and was according to the principle laid down in
Dharmashastras. The king laid no claim of divine right. They had only the most modest title of
rajan. They had no absolute power. Their power was checked in practice by customs and
shastras. The king was the commander of war and of threw himself into the thickest of the
frays.The Satavahana coins, inscriptions and literature are the rich source of our knowledge
about their administrative system. In this period the South was ruled over by the monarchies.
King was the highest official of the Government and his office was hereditary.
They did not assume high sounding titles. Similarly, the Satavahana rulers did not believe in
divine rights of a king and they carried administration in accordance with the directives of the
Dharma Shastras and the social customs. The king himself led his armies in the battle-field and
was commander-in-chief of his forces.
There was also a council of ministers to aid and advise him for carrying out the administration
properly. The king was the head of the Government as well as the protector to his people. The
Satavahana kings regarded their subjects as their own children and always looked after their
welfare.
The Satavahana Empire was very vast. Their administrative system was feudal. They had divided
their empire among a number of feudal chiefs who managed the land revenue system and looked
after the administration.
There were three grades of feudatories the Raja, the Mahabhoja and the Maharathi or
Senapati. The Raja belonged to the highest grade. He had the right to impose taxes and to
strike coins. The kingdom was divided into provinces and Janapadas for administrative
efficiency.
The highest official in a province was Amatya or minister. His office was not hereditary. Men
of proven ability were appointed to this official. Each unit had several villages. A village was
administered by a Gramika. There we several officials to help the king. Out of them, the most
important were Senapati, Mahabhoja, Koshadhyaksha, Rajadoof, Amatya etc.

There was also a special official called Uparakshita who was charged with the duty of building
caves etc. for the monks. The bhikshus (monks) and Brahmanas were held in high esteem and
they too observed and preached high standards of conduct. They were beyond the ordinary laws
of the Government.
In this period, the local administration had its own importance. There were separate organization
to look after the administration of the towns and the villages. The towns were administered by a
body called the Nagarsabha while in villages there were Gram Sabhas. These organizations
carried their functions independently without any interference.
The military administration of the Satavahanas was also quite efficient. Their army consisted of
foot soldiers, cavalry and elephants. Foot soldiers or infantry was the backbone of the army and
they formed the vanguard and were flanked on either side by horses and elephants. The soldiers
used swords, spears, axes and armours as weapons of war.
It was by dint of efficient military administration that the Satavahanas succeeded in expanding
their empires. They kept a regiment posted in each village for maintaining peace and order. They
were maintained at the expense of the rural inhabitants.
The system of administration was monarchical. The king himself was the commander of his
force. He sought advice from his council of ministers to carry out his administration efficiently.
The administration was feudal. The whole kingdom was divided into provinces, districts and
villages.
The king was always prepared to take steps for the welfare of his subjects. The main sources of
income were land tax, salt tax, property tax, justice- cess and income from import and export
trade. The military administration was efficient. The army which consisted of infantry or foot
soldiers, cavalry or horses and elephants were well-equipped.

Society during Satavahana Period:

The coins, sculpture and literature of the Satavahana period are the source of our knowledge not
only in respect of the contemporary administration but also about the political, social, economic
and religious and cultural conditions.
Social Condition:
The Satavahana society was divided into four classes. This division was based on economic
activity and status. The first class consisted of high officials and feudatory chief who ruled over
provinces and districts. The second class included petty officers like Amatyas Mahamatras and
wealthy traders. In the third class were the middle class peoples such as Vaidyas or physicians,
writers, peasants, goldsmiths, perfumers etc.

The fourth and the last class were constituted of the lowest vocations such as carpenters,
blacksmiths, fishermen and gardeners. There were the four divisions of the society. The smallest
unit was the family in which the eldest living member commanded the greatest respect. He was
called the Grihapati and was obeyed by all the other members of the family.
Women were honoured. They were given higher education and they took part in religious functions. Some of the rulers even added their mothers name to their own name, such as
Gautamiputra, Vashishthiputra, Pulumavi, Kaushakiputra etc.
This practice itself reveals that the status of women was much high. Sometimes, women assumed
guardianship of their minor sons and acted as their regents. They also took part in the
Ashvamedhas. The Satavahanas were Brahmanas.
Therefore, Brahmansnism made rapid strides under their rule. The Brahmanas were accorded the
highest place. Effort was also made to revice the Varna system. In their bid to exalt Brahmanism
the Smritis declared that a ten years old Brahman would be more revered than a 100 years old
Kshatriya.
Mixed marriages were considered obnoxious though there are some instances of such marriages.
Vashishthiputra Pulumavi himself married the daughter of the Saka ruler Rudradaman thus
giving respectability to such marriages. In this period, inter marriages among the Hindus and
foreign tribes of the Sakas, the parthians and the Greeks were freely consummated so that these
foreigners were absorbed forever in the Hindu social order.
Social life:
The Royal Way of Life
From as early as the Mauryan-Sunga period there was six emblems to denote a royal personage.
These were the ushnisa or turban, a pair of flywhisks, umbrella, sword, sandals, and the royal
standard. Of these, the two most important and almost always used on all formal occasions were
the umbrella and the flywhisks. The umbrella was white and gold for kings and nobles, and was
carried by the chattradhara or umbrella carrier. The flywhsiks or Chauri were made of yak tails
with gold handles, usually two, which were waved alternately by the chauri bearers. In addition
to this a fan of palm leaves gaily chequered and made of bark, usira grass, or peacock feathers
was waved by another attendant.
The sword or khadga, a symbol of power, was carried by a female attendant, the khadgavahini,
on her shoulder. She normally stood close behind the king or prince. Thonged sandals originally
of boarskin were the kings prerogative. Both sword and sandals were said to rule the kingdom in
the absence of the king.
Early Satavahana [200-100 B.C.]

Costume
The people of the Deccan were a hybrid race, a mixture of the aboriginal Dravidians and foreign
invaders. In the first century BC their costumes too were an interesting mixture of foreign and
indigenous garments. All these clothes are represented in Caves IX and X in Ajanta.
In the first Century BC we find tunics, Kancuka in the stripes or beehive design worn by
attendants or hunters. The kancuka are of mid-thigh length with short or long sleeves; in some
the opening is on the left side, and in others it is at the front. The tunic worn by a king in hunting
dress has no discernible opening at the neck, so it is probably at the back. Necklines too differed
in that some were V-shaped and others were round in shape. With the tunic a thick Kayabandh
was wound once or twice around the waist. An elaborate turban ushnisa, intertwined with the
long black hair of the aborigine wearers was also worn. In addition to these, hunters wore twobar type sandals with a strap for buckling, which is still seen in the Deccan. As influences from
the north and from foreign invaders percolated, the Dravidians aboriginal village women too
changed their costume using short antariyas, large uttariyas with elaborate board borders
covering the head and back, tikkas on the forehead and a series of conch or ivory bangles on the
arms. Except for the skirt, they looked very much like the Lambadis who are a gypsy tribe of
Deccan today.
In the royal court dress of the Mauryan-Sunga people the female attendant wore transparent long
antariyas with loose kayabandhs tied in a knot at the centre having beautiful ornamental tips.
Their many stringed girdles or mekhala were made of beads. Shoulder-length hair held by fillets
or top knots tied at the centre of the head seems to denote that these attendants were foreigners,
although nothing in the garments worn seems foreign. The king and most of his courtiers wore
indigenous antariya, short and informal at home, with the longer style worn in a variety of ways
on ceremonial occasions. With this the decorative kayabandh was tied in different styles and
knots. The kayabandh could be tied like a thick cord or be worn looped in a semi-circle at the
front with conspicuous side tassels, or be made of thick twisted silk. The ushnisa was always
worn and a crown or tiara was used when necessary.
Cotume of woman:
VILLAGE WOMAN [Ajanta, Cave X]:
Antariya: Lower cloth, calf length, of fine cotton with fluted ends in front, worn in kachcha
style, that is between the legs.
Uttariya: Upper cloth of printed cotton worn crosswise on the head.
Kayabandh: Embroidered flat cloth band, pattika style, worn in a looped knot with fringed ends.
Mekhala: Six-stringed hip belt of gold or silver beads.

Lambanam: long necklace made of chains held at intervals by flat bands, phalakahara style.
Kantha: Short necklace of five strings of beads in gold or silver.
Karnika: Trumpet-shaped earrings.
Kangan: Ten bracelets adorning each hand.
Baju Band: Decorative armlets worn on upper arms.
WOMAN [Amravati, 4th period]:
Ghagri: gathered calf-length skirt probably with a drawstring at the waist
kayabandh: simple vethaka style, but longed and wound several times around the waist
Uttariya: wrapped loosely around the hips and draped over the left arm
valaya: several bangles of ivory or rhinoceros horn
Kundala: ring-type earrings
Manjira: hollow light anklets, coiling twice around and probably making a tinkling sound in
movement
Man costume:
NAGA KING [Ajanta, Cave IX]
Kantha: broad and flat short necklace with four pendant pieces (base-metal)
Karnika: large cylindrical earring with a decorative design (base metal)
Kangan: heavy and cylindrical bracelets (base metal)
Baju Band: thick cylindrical armlets with pendant pieces (base metal)
Head-dress: turban is twisted around the head and held with a decorative band; hair is long, as
worn by aboriginal, and is arranged in a topknot and five crests with ribbons like serpents' hoods
Prince [Amravati, 1st period]:

Antariya: worn in kachcha style to below the knees; the stripes indicate the folds of the drape
Kayabandh : kakshyabandha style, a thick roll worn aslant at the hips with beautiful ornamental
tips and tied in large loop-knot
Belt : with granulated pattern worn higher than antariya.
MALE [Ajanta, Cave X]
Ushnisa: turban tied casually in a knot with one end going down the other up
Kundala: suspended
FEMALE [Ajanta, Cave X]
Kirita: a crown-like headgear with semi-circular motifs in front and larger lotus petal designs at
the back
Kundala: large ring-type earrings
Headgear and Hairstyles
The aboriginal jungle women wore rolls and headbands with peacock feathers attached. Village
women and commoners wore their hair in a simple knot at the nape covered by a large uttariya,
which, at times, had elaborate broad borders. Court attendants and women of the richer classes
wore their hair more fashionably, either in a topknot on the right side with a loop of flowers
suspended or in a plait. A fillet, simple or gold embroidered could be worn to hold it in place.
Most often, the long hair of men was worn intertwined with lengths of cloth to form an ushnisa
in a variety of ways. Frequently it had a knot - the original top knot of the aboriginal-covered
with the cloth of the turban. This knot could be at centre front or protrude over the forehead in a
conch-shell shape, or the tuft of hair could be visible on top of the turban.
Jewellery
Jewellery in this period had a massive primitive character in strong contrast to that worn in the
later Satavahana period. When indigenous garments are shown on men, whether at court or in
villages, all wear some form of jewellery. But when the foreign dress, the kancuka or tunic, is
worn by hunters, attendants and soldiers, very little or no jewellery is seen. Most often it consists
of just earrings of the wheel pattern type.
Indigenous jewellery however, consisted of Lambanam, earrings, and a pair of kangan and
bajuband for the males. Women did not wear the baju band but wore a large number of bangles

made of conch or ivory, disc-type earrings, the lambanam, and tikka on the forehead. Women
attendants at court wore, in addition, the mekhala.
Military Costume
Soldiers wore short-sleeved tunics or jackets, with elaborate headgear consisting of either a
turban with a topknot, chin band and earflaps or two topknots with a turban. They were equipped
with axes, and bows and arrows, or carried sickles. Palace guards however wore the antariya
with a heavy cloak draped over the left shoulder.
Late Satavahana [100 B.C - A.D. 250]
Costume
Clothing was generally spares and made of thin cotton. The three articles of clothing, the
antariya, uttariya and kayabandh were widely used, but interesting mixtures of foreign and
indigenous garments were fairly prevalent.
The uttariya for both men and women was usually white and of cotton or silk. It was however, at
times, of beautiful colors and embroidered. Men could wear it across the back and over both
shoulders are merely thrown over the chest, and they seldom wore it as a head covering. The
antariya was still worn by both sexes in the kachcha fashion, which meant that one end was
passed between the legs and tucked in behind, but this way of draping had its own fanciful
fashions. For men it was normally to the knees or even shorter. Generally, the antariya appeared
to have been made of almost transparent cloth and was worn very tight and clinging in the case
of women. It is almost invisible in the early Andhra sculptures with only double incised lines to
show the drape. The nivi bandha or preliminary knot to tie the antariya at the waist is often
alluded to in the literature of ancient India.
The kayabandh tied in a bow-shaped knot was worn by both sexes to give further support to the
uttariya at the waist. This item was worn in a variety of ways. The kayabandh in the form of a
simple sash was called the vethaka. The women also wore the pattika, which was made of flat
ribbon-shaped pieces of cloth, usually silk. A heavy-looking thick jewelled roll with hanging
tassels-kakshyabandha-was worn by men. The kalabuka was a girdle made of many strips plaited
together, and the muraja had drum-headed knots at the ends instead of tassels.
It is in the distinctive ways of wearing these three simple garments the antariya, uttariya and
kayabandh and in the headgear and jewellery, that we can trace the evaluation of costumes and
the fashion of the times in areas of India where they were in use. The true yajnopavita or sacred
thread is found on the sculptures of this period. Before this, it existed more in the form of the
uttariya worn draped over the left shoulder and under the right arm in the upavita fashion from
which the term yajnopavita consisted of three cotton threads each of nine twisted strands, but of
hemp for the kshatriya and of wool for the vaisya. At a later stage this sacred thread continued to

be used in a limited way by other castes but was retained most strongly by the Brahmins.
A stitched skirt-like foreign garment called the kancuka was frequently used by attendants,
grooms, guards and so on in the kings court, and an indigenous long tunic was worn by eunuchs
and other attendants in the womens apartments in the palace. Women too wore the short
kancuka with an indigenous antariya, or when calf-length it was worn with a kayabandh and
uttariya, and in many other ways.
Headgear and Hairstyles
The ushnisa of the men was generally wrapped around three or four times after covering the
topknot of hair with one end. It was normally white but could also be of dyed cloth, and simple
turbans were held in position by ornamental gold strips or pattabandha. Gold turbans were worn
on special occasions. Kirta or crowns were also in use, of which one type was a short cylindrical
cap studded with gems and ornamented with designs. The maulibandha was an elaborated turban
wound with the hair which itself was decorated with strings of pearls or flowers wreaths. The
turban normally covered the hair, which was arranged in a large topknot at centre front, and
could have jewelled clasp or maulimani at the centre to hold in place the folds of the turban. This
topknot could also be pear-shaped or elliptical to give it variety. Without the turban, the hair
could be worn in one or two topknots, or one loop and one topknot. Short hair parted in the
middle and reaching the neck was fairly prevalent, especially among the common people.
Women wore their hair in several ways. One was in the form of a plait, praveni, at the back,
decorated with jewelled strips and tassels, as Bharat Natyam dancers do today. Another common
style was the coil with five delicate plaits dangling from it, a favourite with all classes of women.
In the kesapasa style the hair was looped close to the head in an elongated knot at the back of the
head or lower downs at the nape. This could have veni, a small fillet of flowers, around it or a
short garland of flowers dangling from it. If the hair was made in a simple knot it was known as
kabaribandha. The dhammilia was elaborate dressing of the hair with flowers, pearls, and jewels
that often completely covered the hair like a close cap or turban. This style was greatly admired
in the Satavahana kingdom.
Women no longer wore the turban of earlier periods. Special ornaments were designed to be
worn in the hair. The chudamani was lotus-shaped, its petals composed of pearls and precious
stones. It was worn normally in the centre of the knotted hair. The makarika was shaped like fishcrocodile and worn at the front parting of the hair, very like gold ornament worn by the uriya
women in the northern circars. There were also small crown like fillets through which the hair
was drawn and then plaited or hung loose.
Jewellery
Strands of pearls were the main motif in all forms of jewellery particularly in the late period of
the Satavahana empire. Both men and women wore earring, bracelets, armlets and necklaces as

in previous periods, particularly the indigenous people. The more common design in earring was
the kundala shaped like a coil, which could be simple or decorative. The talapatra originated
from a small strip of palm leaf rolled and inserted into the lobe. This shape was later made from
ivory or gold and could be gem-studded. A full-blown lotus design the kanaka- kamala set in
rubies is still popular in South India, and a couple of generations ago the karnika or jimiki
continued to be in use. This was in the shape of lotus seed-pod fixed upside down like a tassel.
Necklaces or hara were mainly strung with pearls, sometimes consisting of only a single string
called ekavali. A necklace of gems and gold beads was called yashti, the central bead being often
larger than the others. Several of these necklaces could be worn together. Sometimes three or five
slab-like gems, phalaka, were inserted at regular intervals. These held together the several strings
of which a necklace was composed, and whole was called a phalakahara.
A simple perfumed cotton-thread necklace was known to have been in use, and tiger claws were
strung around the necks of children probably to ward off the evil eye. The yajnopavita, or a
sacred thread made of pearls called the muktayajnopavita, were prevalent. Kantha, the shorter
form of necklace, continued to be in use and was often of gold set with rubies and emeralds.
Also, the gold - coins necklace nishka strung on silk thread or plaited gold cord was worn in
almost the same design as the modern putalya of Maharashtra and the malai of Tamil Nadu.
These gold coins were sometimes replaced by mango-shaped pieces of gold or gold set with
gems, like the contemporary mangamalai of South India. Men and women wore bracelets valaya
of solid gold set with precious stones. The more delicate ones were made of filigree, and elegant
rope-shaped ones of fine gold wire were worn generally by women. They also used bangles of
ivory and rhinoceros horn. Slab-like gems when set into bracelets, like the phalakahara
necklace, were called phalakavalaya.
Armlets or keyura for both sexes were close-fitting and could be engraved or set with jewels, or
be in the shape of a snake; also they could be straight-edged or have an angular top edge.
Jewelled girdles of one or many strings, mekhala, were worn only by women. These were made
in several varieties from the tinkling kanci with bells to the rasana style made of a linked chain
or strung with pearls, beads or precious stones. These girdles, besides being very attractive, held
up the lower garment or antariya. In addition, cloth girdles or kayabandh like those of the men
described earlier in this chapter, were also used for the same purpose.
Anklets, worn again only by women, had an astonishing variety. The manjira was hollow and
light, coiling several times around the ankles loosely, and tinkling when in motion as it had gems
inserted in the hollow. This type is still worn in Manwar. The nupura was plain while the kinkini
had small bells suspended. A heavier looking one was the tulakotiI whose two ends were
enlarged at their meeting point. This form is still worn in Andhra. Tinkling anklets of any kind
were not worn by the wife in the absence of her husband. The finger ring or anguliyaka is visible
on some of the Satavahana sculptures but only after A.D.150

The hemavaikasha was an ornament worn by women, seen more frequently in the Kushan
period. It consisted of two long wreaths of flowers of pearls crossed at the breasts.
Military Costume
Andhra soldiers wore an antariya which was shortened by lifting it at the hemline and tucking it
into the waist to facilitate marching, and the style is still used in Tamil Nadu. A cloth sash or
kayabandh was wound tightly many times around the waist for support and was sometimes
crossed at the chest for protection. This developed in later times into the Channavira, which was
similar in function to the early Babylonian and Assyrian sword belts crossed at the chest with a
metal buckle in the centre. In addition, the military personnel of this period occasionally wore
earring and simple jewellery.
Saka foreign soldiers were employed by some of the Andhra kings in the royal bodyguard. They
wore a heavy tunic with ruched sleeves which reached to the knees or mid-thigh. With it was
worn a form of churidar or ruched trousers, and their helmet or sirastra had earflaps. A wide
sash was worn at the waist. Sometimes a short quilted tunic was worn with a heavy drape over
the left shoulder along with a turban-a mixture of the foreign and indigenous garment. Footwear
was not incumbent for soldiers and was probably worn by foreign rather than indigenous troops.
The equipment of a trained fighter was mainly his sword, shield, bow, axe and spear; sometimes
the mace, club, and javelin were used. Swords were either curved or straight and could have
sharp edge on one or both sides. There were 30 inches long and beautiful crafted. Handles of
Ivory or horn and hilts of precious metals encrusted with jewels were carried by those in
command, and simpler ones of bamboo or wood were used by the common soldier. These swords
in their sheaths, kosha, of fine-tooled leather were normally fastened on the left side of the waist.
Smaller and more ornamental swords and draggers were fastened by gold chains.
Shields, mainly rectangular in shape, were purely functional and large enough to protect the
body. The club or gada could be short or long but was immensely heavy and was used for
striking the enemy forcefully. The bow or dhanush made of wood or horn was painted red and
gaily decorated, but the bamboo bow was more common. The bowstring was made of sinew or
hemp. The heads of arrows were of iron, bone, and wood and were carved into animal and other
shapes, and had shafts of feathers affixed with sinews. Sometimes the arrow tips were dipped in
poison.
Religious Persons
The Buddhist monks were now in a very powerful position and had more or less abjured their
vow of poverty. Their clothes now retained a semblance of patchwork but were composed of rich
pieces of cloth of same color, symmetrically arranged together in checks, and most probably
presented to the Buddhist order by rich donors, as referred to in the jatakas.

Hindu ascetics continued to wear their bark strip garments valkala with a deerskin over the left
shoulder in the style know as ajinayajnopavita. Their hair was tied in a heavy bundled topknot of
matted locks called jata-bhara and sometimes the hair was worn in small plaits. The priests were
Brahmins who wore white garments but added a red turban when officiating at ceremonial
functions.
Jain monks and nuns have retained their white robes to this day and all their beliefs and customs
have remained unchanged because of their strong conservatism.
Textiles and Dyes
From Mauryan times and even earlier, the manufacture of textile in India had flourished and
there are constant references to its variety in Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain works. Coarse and
fine varieties of cotton were in great demand. Silk formed an important part of rich persons
wardrobe. A very cheap material made of hemp was worn by the weavers and by labourers of all
kinds. Wool was not need much in the part of India ruled by Satavahanas, which had a warm
climate, but it was used in the form of chaddars or blankets in winter.
There was a variety of Dyes available from Vedic times, indigo, yellow, crimson, magenta, black
and turmeric. Since washermen were also dyers, these colors were known to them and the
knowledge of the dyeing processes was probably handed down to each successive generation.
Varieties and mixtures of colors known to those countries with which the Satavahanas did a great
deal of trade, like China, Persia and Rome, must also have been incorporated to extend their
range of colored textiles.
Printed and woven designs on textile were plentiful and embroidery in gold was also common
among the richer classes. The uttariya, in particular, was very often of silk and embroidered with
flowers all over, or had a pattern of birds along with flowers. Precious stones were often used in
the borders of these uttariyas or they were dyed blue or red, but a spotless white remained the
favourite with men.
Style
The late Satavahanas style expressed more directly the full impact of the Dravidians-Andhra
ethos. With the crowded compositions of lean and strong bodies and the ferocious figures
looming over terrified crowds, we feel a sense of frenzied activity and turbulence. The
kayabandhs make complex arabesques, but there is less differentiation between the court and the
people as they throng together.
Economic Condition:
Agriculture and trade were prosperous. Life of the common man was happy as he was wellprovided with all facilities of life. They were economically well-off. They inherited many traits

of the material culture of the Mauryas and made their life better and well off. There was a free
fusion of local elements and northern ingredients under them.
They learnt the use of coins, burnt bricks and ring wells from the Mauryas and added much to
the advancement of their material life. Under the Satavahanas, agriculture was prosperous and
the villages economy was developed. Rice was cultivated in the territory between the Krishna
and Godavari rivers. Cotton was also produced. The peasants used implements made of iron
which were extensively used particularly in Carnatic. There were also wells for irrigation.
Encouragement was given to trade and industry. The traders and those engaged in other professions had their own guilds or sanghas. Coin dealers, potters, oil pressers and metal workers had
their own guilds. These guilds looked after the collective interests of their trade and worked for
their common uplift. These guilds were recognized by the Government and worked as bankers
also.
Both internal and external to trade and industry. The external or foreign trade was carried
through the famous ports of Supara, Broach and Kalyan. India and trade relations with countries
like Arabia, Egypt and Rome. In the far eastern countries, Indian traders established their own
settlements and preach Indian culture.
They referred to these countries as Swargabhoomi or paradise. India exported cotton, textiles,
spices etc. India imported wine, glass and items of luxury. The inland trade was also prosperous.
Travel between the north and south of India were much easy as the roads and transport were
better.
Several towns sprang up in Maharashtra during this period. Paithan, Nasik and Junar were big
markets and centers of trade. In the south-east Vijaypur and Narsela were well-known trade centers. There were guilds of traders as well and they carried trade in groups. To encourage trade,
the Satavahna kings struck numerous coins of gold, silver, copper and bronze.
Religious Condition:
During the Satavahana period, both Hinduism and Buddhism spread rapidly. The Satavahana
rulers were the followers of Brahmanism. They performed Aswamedha Yajnas and gave
donations to Brahmanas. Indra, Surya (The Sun God), Chandra, (the Moon God), Vasudeva,
Krishna, Pasupati and Gauri etc. were various Gods and Goddesses worshipped by the people.
Shaivism and Vaishnavism were most popular form of Hinduism. Beautiful temples were built.
The Brahmans occupied the highest position in the society.
The Satavahana kings were Brahmanas but they showed tolerance towards other faiths such as to
Buddhism as well. They gave similar donations to Buddhism as they did for the Hinduism.
Consequently, Buddhism too spread in this period. At many places, the Buddhist caves, chaityas
and stupas were built.

Almost all the caves in the south belonged to the Buddhists. Sometimes, grants of land were
made for the maintenance of these chaityas, viharas and stupas as well as for the monks or
bhikshus. In this period, there were several sects of Buddhism in the south and various classes of
monks were always busy to preach the Buddhist doctrines.
One significant development of this period was the admission of the foreign races of the Sakas,
Greeks, Kushans and Abhiras to the folds of Hinduism or Buddhism. They became an integral
part of the Indian society. They were quite tolerant and exchanged gifts on religious festivals and
other occasions.
Literature:
The Satavahana rulers were lovers of literature. Under their patronage, great progress was made
in the field of literature. Most of the Satavahana rulers were themselves learned and had special
interest in literature. In this period, the Prakrit language and literature developed significantly.
They extended patronage to the Prakrit language and wrote most of their inscriptions in that
language. The Satvahana King Hala was a poet of high order. He composed Gatha Saptasatf in
Prakrti.
It has 700 shloakas. He also patronized several scholars who lived in his court. Gunadhya, the
great scholar who wrote Brihat Katha lived in his court. Another scholar Sarva Varman wrote a
treatise on the Sanskrit Grammar.
Architecture:
Marked progress was made in the field of architecture as well. The Satvahana rulers took interest
in building caves, viharas or monasteries, chaityas or large halls with a number of columns and
stupas.
Most of the rock caves in the Deccan were cut during this period. These caves were big and
beautiful. The caves, monasteries, chaityas and stupas of Orissa, Nasik, Karle and Bhuj are fine
specimen of contemporary architecture and decoration.
Chaitya was a large hall with a number of columns. The Vihara had a central Hall. One could
enter this hall by a doorway from a varandah in front. The Chaitya of Karle was most famous. It
is 40 metres long, 15 metres wide and 15 metres high. It has rows of 15 columns on each side.
Each of these columns is built on a stair like square plinth. Each pillar has a capital figure of an
elephant, a horse or a rider on the top. The roof-tops are also decorated with elegant carvings.The
viharas were meant as places of residence for the monks. At Nasik, there are three viharas
carrying the inscriptions of Gautmiputra and Nahapana.

The most famous of these monuments are the stupas. Among them the Amravati Stupa and the
Nagarjunakonda Stupa are most famous. The stupa was a large round structure built over some
relic of the Buddha.
The Amravati Stupa measures 162 metres across the base and its height is 100 feet. Both these
stupas are full of sculptures. The Nagarjunakonda town contains not only the Buddhist
monuments but also some ancient Hindu brick temples.
Many sculptures were made during this period. Most of the sculptures of this period depict
scenes from the life of the Buddha. At Amravati, there is a beautiful scene showing Buddhas feet
being worshipped. The scene, showing Buddha preaching at Nagarjunakonda, is pervaded with
serenity and calm.
Position of woman:
Women during the Satvahana period were founders of the Chetiyagharas at Nasik and Kuda.
Men and Women stood equal in the construction of the Chaitya cave the most excellent mansion
in Jambudvipa at Karla. The base to the right of the central door of the mansion carved with rail
pattern, and the similar piece on the left were the gift of two nuns. A belt of rail pattern on the
inner face of the gallery was also a bhikkhuni`s gift. The remaining pillar on the open screen in
front of the verandah was the gift of a housewife. These examples without a doubt reveal that
women were allowed to possess property of their own.
Women even got the titles of their husbands, such as, Mahabhoji, Maharathini, Bhojiki,
Kutumbini, Gahini, Vaniyini, and so on. Research on the sculptures from Amaravati disclose that
women worshipped Buddhist emblems, took part in assemblies, played instruments, enjoying
music and dance and entertaining guests along with their husbands. In one of the panels of an
outer rail pillar, we find depicted a disputation between a chief and another and the audience
consists mostly of women who are represented as taking keen interest in what is going on. In
some panels they are represented as watching processions. Widows were to shun ornaments, to
be bent on self control and restraint and penance (Nasik inscription).
From the inscription of Nayanika, the widow of Siri - Satakarni, son of Simuka in Naneghat in
western Deccan, shows the power enjoyed by royal women. She governed the kingdom during
the minority of Vedisiri. The Naneghat inscription of queen Nayanika describes the dakshina
(gift) given on occasion of various sacrifices performed by the queen and her husband. They are
1700 cows and 10 elephants, 11,000 cows, 1000 horses, 17 silver pots and 14,000 karshapanas
one horse chariot, silver ornaments and dresses - evidencing royal opulence and belief in charity.