Ancient History of the Deccan c3.s5.28

c3.s5.28

Which king of the Śātavāhana dynasty is called here by the name of Śātakarṇi? The inscriptions and the coins seem to confirm the statement of the Girnar inscription. An inscription at Kaṇhēri (No. 994 of Lüders's list) "exhibits the neat characters of Western Kṣatrapa inscriptions" (Bühler, Ind. Ant., Vol XXXIII, page 43). This inscription, as those of Rudradāman is in Sanskrit and thus differs from all other Śātavāhana inscriptions which are all in Prākṛit. This inscription mentions the queen of Vāsiṣṭhīputra Śri Śātakarṇi, daughter of the mahākṣatrapa Ru[dra]. The last name consists only of two syllables the first of which is certainly "Ru" and the second very probably "dra." Secondly Yajña Śri "issued coins......and they are similar in fabric and style to the Kṣatrapa coins" (Rapson, section 87). The characteristic of these coins is that the head of king Yajña is represented on them, whereas the image of the king is not found in any coin of the other Śātavāhanas. It is therefore certain that it is Yajña who adopted the Kṣatrapa style for these coins. These coins of Yajña (Rapson Pl.VII., El) resemble those of Rudradāman. It has to be remarked that the coif of Rudradāman found on his coins resembles that of Yajña; it is a sort of spherical calotte covering the skull and differs totally from the coif of Chaṣṭana; and the sculptures of the chaitya of Kaṇhēri which are dated in the time of Yajña show us personages who have their hair dressed as Yajña and Rudradāman. It is therefore probable that it was Rudradāman who adopted the coiffure that was used in the Deccan at the time of Yajña Śri. Thus then Rudradāman was almost a contemporary of Yajña and was besides thè father-in-law of Vāsiṣṭhīputra Śātakarṇi, which Yajña was not, as we know that he was a Gautamiputra. Unfortunately we know three Śātavāhanas who bore the name of Vāsiṣṭhīputra : the grèat Puḷumāvi, Śiva Śri and Chanda Śri. We know also a certain Vāsiṣṭhīputra Chatarapana who had reigned 13 years when an inscription at Nānāghāṭ (No. 1120 of Lüders's list) was engraved; it is however probable that this latter Vâsishṭhiputra is no other than Śiva-Śri or Chanda Śri, and the word Chaturapana is suspicious (see J. R. A. S. for 1905, page 798).