History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c8.s8: Andhra Dynasty, About B.C. 170 to A.D. 220.
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c8.s8
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Andhra Dynasty, About B.C. 170 to A.D. 220.
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The dynasty that ruled the Dekhan at least, contemporary with these Rois fainéants is — after the Mauryas — the most important of all those about this period of Indian history. To the classical authors they are known as the Andræ, in the Purânas as Andhrabrityas, and in the inscriptions as Sâtakarnis or Sâtavâhanas; but under whatever name, notwithstanding occasional periods of depression, they played a most important part in the history of India, during more than four centuries. They were a South-Indian dynasty, first mentioned in a Khandagiri inscription about B.C. 150.¹ Their capital was at Dhânyakataka, on the lower Krishnâ, close to Amarâvatî; but, at a later date, they had a second capital at Paithan on the upper Godâvarî. They ruled over Mâlwâ and the Dekhan from sea to sea, but about the end of the 1st or beginning of the 2nd century the provinces north of the Narbadâ seem to have been conquered by Saka satraps, who were overthrown about A.D. 125, by Gautamîputra Sâtakarni, who raised the dynasty to the height of its power. The kings of this race have, however, left many and most interesting inscriptions in the western caves, and traces of their existence occur in many parts of India.
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¹ ‘Epigraphia Indica,’ vol. ii. pp. 88-89.
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Architecturally, their history begins with the gateways of the Tope at Sânchi; the southern of these was almost certainly erected during the reign of the first *Sâtakarni* about the middle of the 2nd century before our era—and the other three in the course of that century. It ends with the completion of the rail at Amarâvatî, which was probably commenced in the 1st century, and completed before the end of the 2nd.²
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² For fuller details of the Sânchi and Amarâvatî Stûpas, the reader is referred to ‘Tree and Serpent Worship,’ which is practically devoted to a description of them. For a further account of Amarâvatî, and a rectification of the dates in accordance with later discoveries, reference may be made to ‘The Amarâvatî and Jaggayapeta Stûpas’ (1887); and to Dr. R. G. Bhândârkar’s ‘Early Dekhan Dynasties’ in the *Bombay Gazetteer*, vol. i. pt. ii.
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Between these two monuments there is no great difficulty in filling up the architectural picture from the caves, at Nâsik, Kanheri and Ajantâ, and other places in western India, and more materials may still eventually be discovered.
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The history of this dynasty is more than usually interesting for our purposes, as it embraces nearly the whole period during which Buddhism reigned almost supreme in India. It became a State religion, it is true, somewhat earlier under Asoka, but there is no reason for believing that the Vedic religion or Brahmanism then vanished. During four or five centuries, however, after the Asoka Era we have not a trace of a Hindû building or cave, and, so far as any material evidence goes, it seems that Buddhism at the time was the predominant religion of the land. It is not, of course, to be supposed that the Hindû cult was wholly obliterated, but it was dormant, and in abeyance, and, to use a Buddhist expression, the yellow robes shone over the length and breadth of the land.
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It was during the rule of these Andhras, though not by them, that the fourth convocation was held by Kanishka, in the north of India, and the new doctrine, the Mahâyâna, introduced by Nâgârjuna—a change similar to that made by Gregory the Great when he established the Church, as opposed to the primitive forms of Christianity, at about the same distance of time from the death of the founder of the religion. This convocation was probably held about B.C. 40. Certain at least it is, that it was about, or very soon after, that time that Buddhism was first practically introduced into China, Tibet, and Burma, and apparently by missionaries sent out from this as they were from the Asoka convocation.